10 New Guidelines for Web Designers for 2012
Posted November 25, 2011 in Design, Web Design
Web design has become a profitable niche for freelancers in the last few years, especially with the popularity of the WordPress platform. Tech blogs, e-commerce sites and general information sites all prefer to have a custom-designed blog to help sell their offerings worldwide.
To capitalize on the earning potential of web design industry there has been surge in the number of custom service web design providers. However, only a handful of freelancers are able to sense the change in the industry dynamics and add value to their creative ideas during implementation.
In order for you to stay competitive, effective, and yet innovative with your web designs I propose the following ten guidelines:
5 Ways to Get Web Content from Your Client on Time
Posted October 5, 2011 in How-To, Managing Clients, Web Design
It’s an all-too-common problem we designers face. You’ve laid out the brochure, or built the website, set up the database and integrated your CMS of choice, but you’re still faced with page after page of “Lorem ipsum…” where the client’s copy should be.
This then impacts on your next project, since when the copy eventually does show up, you need to revisit a job you should have put to bed weeks ago.
In terms of your income, it can have a negative impact too since you may have agreed not to send out that final invoice until the website was live, or the job’s gone to the printers.
In an ideal world, before we even launch Photoshop or Illustrator, we’d have a nice Word document sitting open containing all the copy we need. Unfortunately, in 15 years of working, this has never happened to me.
So, how do we get that all important Word document from our dear clients? Here are a few pointers:
6 Things to Do Before Sending a Site Design to a Developer
Posted September 16, 2011 in Design, Web Design
As web designers, sometimes it is far too easy to look at a completed design and think it is ready for production. But any developer will tell you that bringing a design to life in code takes more than just a pretty design. To expedite the coding process and ensure the product more closely reflects the design, make sure you do these six things before handing off your next design and your developer will love you forever:
Web Design Basics You May Have Forgotten
Posted September 11, 2011 in Design, Web Design
In the aftermath of the latest Panda update, the Google team has encouraged webmasters to focus on user experience rather than algorithms.
As the battle for rankings in Google’s search results is growing, many web designers are losing focus on the essence of being a designer.
The path to achieving a design that would express beauty is now being put in second place to the path to good search engine results.
Exceptional web design requires ingenuity and technical expertise. It’s important to develop a site that is both results-driven and appeals to the masses. Yet, creating a visually appealing website is only half the battle in the world of Internet commerce. The website must also actively encourage website traffic through link building, web crawlers and other search engine optimization (SEO) techniques. Not to mention, the website must be compatible with all major browsers, as well as, mobile browsers. Whether the user has Flash or HTML5 capability, the website must still function properly.
Achieving all of these requirements is no small order for a website designer. Planning is essential to exceptional design. Web designers must consider every aspect of web design and anticipate their customers’ navigational behavior to create a website design that will attract visitors and convert sales.
The question then becomes, “How can web designers successfully accomplish this goal?” This article will review some of the basic aspects of website design to help companies appeal to the masses and still increase revenue for their clients.
How to Pick the Right Colors for Your (Personal) Brand
Posted May 24, 2011 in How-To, Web Design
As a freelancer, your business image isn’t just a reflection of your work, it’s a statement of your personal identity. With every project you complete, a portion of your personal design beliefs, creative insights and unique identity is woven into the results. These ties should be reflected in the freelance identity portrayed to your clients.
As such, when creating an identity for your freelance business, care must be taken to create a logo and brand that portray your unique business mission. While all elements of your business’s design must be chosen with care, few are more important than the colors you use. Here are six tips for choosing the best colors for your business’ identity.
8 Web Development Mistakes that Make Any Site Look Bad
Posted March 7, 2011 in Programming, Web Design
Whether you’re a developer, a designer or just an entrepreneur, a professional website is nearly impossible to do business without. While most people spend endless amounts of time to get the design of the site just right, most people don’t even pay attention to what’s behind that design. Unfortunately no matter how awesome your website looks in the front-end, bad development can ruin your visitors’ experience and make them run away quicker than you can say “HTML5″.
It is worth it to pay as much for development as for the actual design itself. Here are eight web development mistakes that could be costing you business.
15 Useful Google Chrome Extensions for Web Designers and Developers
Posted January 4, 2011 in Tools/Resources, Web Design
I have only recently made the switch to using Google Chrome as my default browser, and at the same time I began using it for working on my freelance web design and development projects. Although I still find myself wandering back to Firefox every now and then because of my dependency on the Firebug extension that Chrome has yet to completely duplicate, I am thoroughly satisfied with the Chrome browser’s speed, use of screen space, and more.
In this post, I will share with you some of the best Chrome extensions I have found useful when designing and developing websites, listed in alphabetical order.
Tips on Using a Website Builder to Create Your Professional Website
Posted December 19, 2010 in How-To, Web Design
Finding new clients is an inevitable part of being a freelancer, but it can be even more time-consuming when you are not yet established. The phone, email, word-of-mouth, and networking are all tools for client acquisition. But, a website is the only channel that continues to attract clients while you sleep and underpins all your other marketing efforts.
Many freelancers I speak to say maintaining a blog is the key to a successful website. Blogs work particularly well if you want to position yourself as an expert in a niche area, because they allow you to focus attention on specialized aspects of your field. This means your website will gain higher rankings for keywords in your area over time, and an increasing number of potential clients will find you through search engines like Google. You won’t get new clients overnight, but you will find you can build your freelance business in a sustainable way over the longer term.
12 Gifts Most Freelance Designers Only Dare to Dream About
Posted December 14, 2010 in Design, Web Design
Sure, there are a number of items you could purchase and wrap up to place beneath your beloved freelance designer’s tree that would bring a smile to their face and warm their heart. Anyone can take a trip to the local art supply or computer store, or shop online for that perfect gift. I don’t intend to discourage you from expressing your appreciation in such a wonderful way.
But, if you’d like to blow the mind of the freelance designer you so greatly value this holiday season, why not make an attempt to fulfill this wish list? I’ve taken liberty to share with you the 12 gifts most freelance designers only dare to dream of. Enjoy my version of the 12 Days of Christmas:
Try searching "Getting Clients" or "Productivity"
Free Report
Sign up for our product discount list to get a free copy of Why Some Freelancers Thrive and Others Barely Survive. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Forum Discussions
- Want to sell Apple iPad 3 (Wi-Fi + 4G) 16GB : $450
May 24th, 2012 - 8:27 am - Apple iPhone 4S 16GB US$ 359/per unit --- sample
May 24th, 2012 - 8:26 am - Buy Now Apple iPad 3 (Wi-Fi + 4G) 32GB : $500
May 24th, 2012 - 8:25 am
Popular Articles
- SEO Techniques All Top Websites Should Use
- When a Client Can't Afford You: Why It's Still Better to Bid High
- How To Stop Scrambling For Clients And Get A Steady Stream Of Paying Gigs
- A Simple Way To Stop Clients From Rejecting Your Proposals
- 3 Reasons Your Rates Are Still Low (And How To Start Raising Them)
