I’ve run across a few situations that deserve comment, and that might help professional people who are looking for a new website, a better website, or a new relationship with a web design or web development resource.

I deal mainly with professional artists and business owners – usually I deal directly with the owner or artist, or occasionally an agency.  I also get a lot of work currently from two or three other companies that out-source to me – my comments here also reflect issues that each of these companies has experienced.

First,  let me “set the stage” here.  The world of “Internet Technology” or “Information Technology” as well as the adjacent area “digital presentation design and creation” are actually similar to “rocket science.”  They are NOT intuitive or simple.  So when you are hiring someone to build a website, you are looking for an actual PROFESSIONAL, not anything less.

Now, here’s a key point for why I decided to write this post:  A Dentist, an Actor, a Business Owner all have specific skills, financial resources or other qualifications that allow them to be in the position they are in.  This does NOT mean they know how to evaluate or hire Internet designers/developers, or what they should pay for professional services in this area.  

Back in the days before computer technology became the “wave of the future” that it has become in today’s world, if you wanted to have some promotional materials created, you simply went to a design firm or ad agency, paid them money and got the work done.  In TODAY’s world, this simple method has become VERY complex by the fact that you can purchase a LOT of “do it yourself” software, install it on your computer and BANG, you’re a web designer, a graphic designer AND a database programmer!!!!  WOW!

But guess what?  It’s all someone else’s MARKETING.  It’s not reality. Companies want you to buy their stuff and THINK it’s easy to get a “web site in ten minutes.”  It does a great disservice to all concerned.  Unless you are wiling to settle for a really cheap and crummy looking web site, this is not going to be a solution.

Graphic design is a PROFESSION.  Web design is a PROFESSION.  Programming is a PROFESSION.  Each of these areas requires training and experience to get things done so that they present your message in a professional way, with good use of aesthetics and appropriately worded copy, navigation, color scheme, layout, etc.

Also, technology changes constantly.  Websites built 5 or more years ago are outdated in terms of the actual technology used to make them.  People in this profession are constantly updating their skills and knowledge to keep up with what works best.  Do you have the time to do this, as well as keep up with your own profession?  Probably not.

The do-it-yourself-in-ten-minutes model just doesn’t work.

Here’s another aspect to this situation:  When I have a toothache, I go to a DENTIST.  The dental profession is highly regulated.  You cannot be a dentist without a license and passing the Board Exams to get that license is REALLY HARD.

There is NO license required to become a web designer, graphic designer or programmer.  So ANYONE can put up a shingle and claim to be a professional.

So what’s the solution?

Unfortunately, what I’m going to express here is not likely to be popular, but I think it pans out as a set of “workable truths” with regard to this area.

1. “Know before you go.”

Research enough to know what you actually need to get done.  This WILL require that you find and clear the meaning of basic terms relating to the creation of the materials you need created. This can mean even hiring a consultant who has extensive (documented) experience managing the creation of similar projects to what you need done. Someone who has worked as an art director for a major web-based promotion firm would be a good example.  Beware people who are NOT actually expert, such as programmers (who are NOT graphic designers) or graphic designers (who are NOT programmers or web designers and don’t actually know how to build websites).

This step is important.  The reason for this is that the area is actually NOT simple.  A business owner who knows nothing about what it takes to build a professional web site will have no idea how much actual work it takes to get things done correctly, and thus have no way of evaluating the cost.  As an example, a well-designed, professionally done website with good graphic design, use of photos and other visual enhancements is going to cost anywhere from $2,000.00 -$5,000.00 in today’s market.  Yes, you’ll find people who will do it for much less, but you will end up with poor design, badly written code that contains errors and doesn’t work on all the different types of web browsers, Mac and PC, service headaches, things that have to be done over, people who never complete the work, and a host of other problems. Professionals need to be paid correctly.  You need to have enough basic knowledge to have a realistic view of what needs to be done and how much it should cost.

2. Look at examples of  the work of anyone you are looking at hiring.

Any competent web presentation professional will have portfolio you can view online.  IMPORTANT: Do NOT judge the design firm based on the “style” of the portfolio UNLESS the company states that they specialize in certain types of work.  The reason for this is that designers make what the CLIENT needs, which will generally NOT be what you need.  You are looking for evidence that the QUALITY of work is up to the standard of professionalism needed by your project.

3. Avoid anyone claiming to have the “lowest price…..”  

This is because in today’s world, MANY companies are out-sourcing their work over-seas to programmers and designers who will work for extremely low wages.  While there is nothing wrong with this in principle, the actual day-to-day reality is that people in other countries do not understand english well, they do not understand the culture you are in, they definitely do not understand domestic marketing and PR, and you’ll end up with lots and lots of headaches and wonder why your project isn’t getting done correctly.

Professionals charge professional rates.  Don’t think you are “saving money” by trying to get the “low priced leader.”  Get the work done right by a valid professional, pay the money and get a REAL result that gives back a valuable asset you can use to promote effectively.

4. If possible, get a referral or testimonial.

 This would mean someone who has already dealt with whomever you are looking at hiring.  Was the company easy to work with?  Was the relationship a good one?  Was the timeline met?  Most designers can offer you someone who would vouch for them as a current or former client.  Sometimes this data is hard to get, but doing what you can to establish the actual working pattern of the designer can pay major dividend to you.

Lastly, there is one suggestion I have to anyone needing to get Internet presentation work done.  Unless you personally have extensive experience with design, marketing and PR, choose a good resource and let them do their work – in other words, don’t try to “micro-manage” the work too much.  Designers generally “try things” and will do “mockups” that you can “sign off on” before they go online as a final work.  Usually, a design contract will provide with two or three “revisions” before you are required to pay extra “revision fees” to ask for additional changes.  I’ve worked with all kinds of clients over the years.  The best work I’ve done (and if you look at my own portfolio you’ll pick these examples as your favorites) was where the client trusted me to be the artist and come up with good ideas, requested a few changes, and let me do those changes, which were then accepted and got a great result. The chemistry between the client and the designer has a great deal to do with the speed and quality of the result.  

I hope this is helpful.
I’m happy to discuss any potential project and also help you walk through all the above steps.  I enjoy great relationships with my clients and am happy to work out new relationships as they come my way! 

Rex Perry
www.perrymultimedia.com

I hate to see people finding out that someone is looking them up on Google, only to find that they are not represented well on the Internet.  When that happens, it takes a bit of time to change what the search engines report – there’s no way around that.

It is more true now than it ever has been that when people shop for a product, or when they are looking into using an artist, actor, or professional in any area, they nearly ALWAYS look the person or business up on the Internet as part of deciding whether to engage with that person or do business. 

Because I sell my services to people, the dilemma is that my attempts to get this across can be received as a “sales pitch” rather than important information.  But the truth is that what I create really helps people to build a stable, professional and aesthetic presence on the Internet.  Yeah, it costs a bit of money.  It takes some time and effort.  But the end result is your presence on the Internet and after a certain amount of time goes by, the search engines will “index” your web site and your message – your information will show up when people search for you.  And they will find what YOU want them to find.

The message here is DON’T wait until you find out that you are “caught with your pants down” because you chose the “low price leader” to get a cheap web site or anything less than the quality you need to “put your best foot forward.”  Or even worse, don’t put off getting something up on the Internet because it doesn’t seem all that important.  The world has changed and the Internet is the communication medium of the NOW and the FUTURE. 

When someone “Googles” your name or the name of your company or service, make sure that they are going to find what YOU want them to find.

It is NOT enough to have a Facebook Page, MySpace, or other social networking sites – these are VERY important as well because they help you create more ways people will find you.  BUT you need to have a link to your MAIN WEBSITE.  That web site is your “hub” and you have complete control over how it looks and the content. 

DON’T be caught off-guard.  Build your Internet presence.  I’ve been doing this kind of work for about 10 years now and I can help you. 

Rex Perry
Multimedia Artist/Producer, Web Designer, Flash Designer, Graphic Designer
Founder & CEO Perry Multimedia Inc
www.perrymultimedia.com

This gets into many areas, including the aesthetic quality of how you present yourself and your products, the exact wordings and layout of the pages, how the site navigates, ability for people to contact you the way you want, etc.  All other things held constant, the one thing one should always have as far as the Internet is concerned is a personally owned web site.

Getting a professional quality web site is similar to having a brochure or newsletter created.  It’s an interactive process between the designer/website builder and the client.  The correct balance of text information, photos, videos, audio, and any graphics and layout decisions must be organized and executed so that the result is easy to view and understand by the desired visitors.

Nowadays, one can also setup a blog or e-commerce system (shopping cart) pretty inexpensively.  Extra work is required for these things, but it can all still be created as part of a dedicated personal or company web site.

I love working with my clients and am happy to discuss any goals regarding promoting or showcasing art forms, businesses or entertainment products on the web using the latest Internet presentation technologies. 

Rex Perry
Multimedia designer/producer
Founder & CEO Perry Multimedia Inc
www.perrymultimedia.com