|
Read
First!
What is a Graphics/Web
Designer? This is what I now have my potential
clients to READ FIRST. Let's see
if I can explain this in a scenario. Say you want to have a brand new
home built. I am the contractor. I will need to know exactly what you
want, such as the layout, colors, theme, etc.
If I am not supplied with your important information then most
likely you wouldn't be at all happy with the finished product.
Step 1. Know what you want
Step 2. Know that you are ready.
Step 3. Purchase your domain name & hosting, preferably from the same
company.
Step 4. When you are ready for me to create your site, I
will need to have all photos and text content
emailed to me, either attached as WORD document, or saved in NOTEPAD. as
well as obtaining a copy of your domain login information.
When buying a home, you are required to make a down payment, and I
require the same. This lets me know that you are serious about having a
website, and I will not waste precious time creating.
Communication is important!!! Please let me know in advance of your
website budget, so I can work and stay within your needs.
I work fast, so when you are ready, and have all your information to me,
your website will most likely be up and running within a few days..
Once you know what you want, and let ME know, I will be able to present
you with a price and send you an invoice. I do require 50% upfront, and
the remaining within 10 days of completing your site. No exceptions.
If you have a specific graphic(s) that you want me to use, you need to
supply me with them.
If you do not supply me with graphics that you want me to use, you need
to inform me of exactly what you want. *If I create something and you
tell me how much you love it and even have me change it a few times to
your liking, please don't come back to me a days later and say, "Well,
it's not at all what I originally wanted". That's wasting my precious
time, energy and money.
If you want a certain photo(s) on your page, you need to scan it/them
and send to me via email. I will crop and resize as needed.
If you cannot supply me with the tools I need, then I cannot proceed in
creating a product you will be happy with.
TEXT typed out and saved in WORD or NOTEPAD. This also includes all page
titles, text content for each page as well as keywords for search engine
submission.
I am not a secretary and I don't get paid extra for typing, therefore if
you cannot supply me with your text content as requested, you'll need to
find a secretary who can. *said lovingly*
Time is money, and money is time, right?
***Most of this is repetitive, as I have explained
under "What I Offer", however, I felt
the need to clarify a few things.
[ TOP ]
What I Offer:
Complete Web Site Design
Splash page
Site Editing/Maintenance
Site Remodeling
FTP Transfers
E-mail setups
Shockwave Flash
Business Cards
Announcements
Logo Design
Flyers
Email Stationery
Graphics
Animations
Desktop Icons
Photo Editing
HTML Tutoring
Photo Restoration
Magazine Covers
Candy Wrappers
Customized Gifts
Please
email me with your requests and I will reply with a price quote.
How I Work
I will need a written list of your expectations, such as graphics ideas,
and any pictures must be scanned and e-mailed to me. Please supply me
with a web site name, individual page titles, name of songs to be on
each page (optional), and text pre-typed and saved in Microsoft Word or
Notepad. I will preview your page with you by corresponding back and
forth through email. Remember: ANY changes that you would like; all you
have to do is speak up! I am just a "click" away! This is YOUR page, and
I want you to be very pleased!
*If you already have your own domain name and web space, I will be more
than happy to build your site at that location.
**If you are a small business or organization and do not yet have a
domain name and web space purchased, feel free to contact me and I will
be more than happy to walk you through that step.
***For personal web sites, most people do not realize that with their
ISP, you can contact them to find out how much "free" web space they
offer to you. If you would like, I can build your site there, once you
provide me with the proper information. When contacting your ISP,
remember to ask them if there are any popup banners, etc. If they offer
to you free web space with NO popup banners, then that is where you will
probably want your site to be built.
My Terms of Service
I require a small text credit link to my site (as shown below). I would
also appreciate any "word of mouth" business, if you know of anyone
wanting a web site!
I REFUSE to create a web page or website that promotes hatred, gambling,
drinking, drugs, intolerance, racism, violence (towards people OR
animals), or anything relating to sex in any way, shape, or form.
There is no charge for editing text or photos within the first 30 days
that I BEGIN to create your website. After 30 days from the START of
working with me, a fee of $20/hr. will apply for editing any text or
photos. This does NOT include a change in site design, graphics or
layout. You may decide to edit your pages yourself or have someone else,
if you so desire. You are not contracted or locked in with me for site
maintenance once your site is up, running and completed.
Payments
I require one half payment of initial quoted price to be made in
advance. There may be a change in pricing as we go, and I will keep you
informed of those increases. Once your site is up and running, the
remaining balance will be expected within 10 days of completing your web
site. NO EXCEPTIONS. I prefer
Paypal, but also accept a cashier's check
or money order. If you
prefer to pay by using Paypal, please let me know IN ADVANCE so that I
can quote you with the proper price which will include Paypal fees.
[ TOP ]
Design Tips:
The look of your site should be original. (Example: If your site is about Music,
it would be best to have the "look and feel" of your site to be music related.)
Be sure to have good content. Explain what exactly your site is all about and
what you have to offer, and it will assure you that your audience will not be
left with unanswered questions.
Theme and/or Color for your entire site should be consistent, changing only the
page titles and text content for each page.
Easy Navigation: Make sure that nobody gets lost while browsing your site. Being
able to get TO any page FROM any page is a plus. Most people prefer to
have a "Sitemap" page linked to every page. *raising hand*
Fonts: Choose a font that is a Windows standard font and stick with the same
font throughout your entire site. (So that it will view the same on anyone's
computer... If you choose a font for example, that is not a windows standard
font, and your audience does not have that particular font downloaded to their
computer, they will not be able to view the page as intended.)
Scrolling: Most viewers do NOT like to scroll too far down the page. Make sure
you do not put all your content on 1 page, that would be better divided up into
10 pages, with 10 different page titles. If you do have long pages, it's a
good idea to use "page anchors", as I have done with my own site.
Contact: Be sure you are able to be reached! Post your email link on each page
or be sure to have it listed on a "Contact" page.
Don't use other people's graphics and claim them as your own. If you are
required to give credit where credit is due, then respect the artist.
Don't overdo your pages filled with too many animations or "under construction"
images. Most likely, the viewer will not return.
Don't make your pages to align to the left only. Just because YOU may be viewing
at 800 x 600 screen resolution, another viewer may not be! Therefore, they will
be able to view your page, but see a lot of excess empty space to the right of
all your pages. Center your content, and put it in a table! =)
Don't upload photos to your site unless you have first resized them. Nothing
worse than having a picture come up so huge, that you have to scroll to the
right to view the entire picture. A good recommended photo size is 400 x 300
pixels, max.
Don't use a text size that is too small or too large. Try to choose a medium
font size (3 or 4) so it is easy to see.
Don't play music on your page if it does not go with the particular page theme.
Remember: Keep it uniform.
[ TOP ]
What To Avoid:
(10 Surefire Ways to Annoy Your Visitors)
1.
Start with your entry page. Be sure to include a huge graphical logo, but
absolutely no useful information. In general, large unnecessary downloads
such as background music (ideally totally inappropriate music), multimedia
presentations and video files, are an essential element of the truly
annoying site, so include six or seven on every page.
2.
Very tiny text (SIZE=1) can be a great way to damage your visitors'
eyesight. Unfortunately modern browsers include a font-sizing feature
which negates much of the power of this technique. Webmasters can seize
back control by mixing tiny (SIZE=1) and very large (SIZE=6) text on the
same page.
3.
Low contrast color combinations like yellow on white, or better yet, dark
gray on black, have been proven to increase web surfers' aggression
levels.
4.
WRITING EVERYTHING IN CAPITAL LETTERS CAN HAVE INTERESTING EFFECTS IN YOUR
VISITORS' PSYCHOLOGICAL MAKE-UP. EXPERIMENT WITH switching between CASES
FOR absolutely NO REASON, preferably EVEN IN THE midDLE of WOrds, TO
REALLY WIND THEM UP!
5.
Make sure absolutely every page positively requires horizontal scrolling.
6.
Frames can be a powerful technology for making people's blood boil. Be
sure to use them heavily, and don't let users easily break out even when
leaving your site. For extra credit, combine this with horizontal
scrolling and have the 'Home' button "accidentally" put the entire
frame-set inside the smallest frame.
7.
Forms are most interesting when they don't work at all. Unfortunately, it
won't waste much of your visitors' time if the form has only a couple of
fields. Therefore make sure your form has at least 20 fields which must be
filled out exactly right (add validation code), and wait till they've
struggled through them all, before giving a CGI error.
8.
Banners adverts are one of the most under-used technologies on the web.
Some sites have only 2 or 3 per page. Show those sites how to do it right,
by having at least 20 banners per page. Remember never use a text link
when you have a chance to use a banner!
9.
Sadly some hosts do not add pop-ups to your pages. If your web host is
holding you back in this way, don't despair. After you've mailed your
letter of compliant to the hosting company, add a little JavaScript to
your pages to achieve the same effect.
10.
Finally the old ideas are often still the best ones: Bad English is
well-known technique that many webmasters are familiar with. Be sure to
include a more than adequate number of speling misteaks in all your text,
or for a really exciting twist make your sentences really long, with way
too many clauses, a superabundance of overlong and unnecessarily obtuse
terminology and gratuitous jargon, and unexpected changes from formal
language into the a more colloquial style: as it this way cool
example!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Exclamation marks are also good, the more the
better!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
It has come to my attention that there are a few webmasters who actually
want people to enjoy their site, bookmark it, and maybe even come back
more than once. If you are a member of this particular minority group, you
can of course do the exact opposite of the above mentioned suggestions. *wink*
[ TOP ]
İyecart.com All Rights Reserved.
|
