You need a website designed and have been posting ads to find the right person to hire. You get tons of replies about how people can potentially design your site for you. Choosing who is trustworthy and who is not is one of the hardest parts. Not to mention choosing between all the good ones out there. We want you to be able to choose the best web designer for you. One that fits your needs and makes you feel comfortable while working with them. In order to give you specific guidelines on hiring I would need to know all the details of the website your are looking to build, but because I don’t I can give some simple rules to help you along.     

           The first thing you could/should do is ask friends if they can recommend any web design companies or freelancers that they have used in the past. These types of recommendations are always good because good feedback from someone close to you is the best testimonial you can get. Second thing that you should do is review these web designers’ websites. Check out their site’s web design and see if it something you find acceptable and professional. Also be sure to check their portfolio out to see what websites they have completed. Review a bunch of them to see if they are functional and good looking. If they aren’t designed well or their quality is less than what you expected, you can count them out of the running. Never settle for something less than what you are looking for.

          Something that you should also try to ask you potential web designer is how they would approach the whole web design project. They should tell you how they go about collecting information from you and keeping you in the loop as far as the project. You should bring a list of websites that you find attractive and ones that are close to what you are going to want from your own site. This way the developer/designer knows kind of what you are looking for and also so that you know what you want from them. It helps set a standard for both of you to look to. Time frame is another important thing to talk about. Be sure that you both are clear on what a reasonable time is to have your project done. Be flexible with your expectations because there are a lot of factors that can come into play. They may have other job they are attending to at the same time for example. Some important information to get from a web design company or freelancer is a quoted price at the end of discussing the website you want built. You should always ask what the price includes, what is not included in the price. Things like hosting, registration of your domain name or possible monthly updates. For more on web design take a look at DreamCo Design - Web Design.

Categories: Web Design - Clients
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What is considered to be an art? There are a lot of people that argue what art is just the same way people argue that pool, bowling, cheerleading are sports. They are not by the way. But honestly what is considered to be art today? Everyone pretty much thinks painting, sculpting, music, film, and photography are well established art forms. How about graphic design, or web design? Do we consider these to be jobs or art forms?

If you think about what arts essential elements are you can’t easily decipher what is art and what is not. Of course there is not a really clear cut check list that one can go through to make the determination that what they are creating is art. According to dictionary.com art is “the quality, production, expression, or realm, according to aesthetic principles, of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance.” So we have a pretty vague definition of what is to be considered art. Something that is beautiful, well what is considered beautiful differs from person to person. It works the same for being appealing and quality. And what about aesthetic principals? Aesthetics examines what makes something beautiful, sublime, disgusting, fun, cute, silly, entertaining, pretentious, discordant, harmonious, boring, humorous, or tragic according to Wikipedia.

So every one of the above adjectives all have to do with matters of opinion. Could it really be that simple, that what is to be considered art is a matter of opinion? It all really it makes sense, we all do not like the same movies. We all have varying tastes in music. So if you think about the above you can see where graphic design and web design can be considered art forms.

Not every website that is designed is going to be considered a masterpiece. In fact there is probably very few websites out there that would be considered a masterpiece. Website design and graphic design are newer, exciting forms of art. One day websites will be looked over in museums just the same as sculptors or paintings. You will be saying at a dinner party some where that so and so designed my landscaping or real estate website. And everyone around you will be very impressed. Maybe one day it will be the equivalent of having a Picasso hanging in your home. Okay maybe not that far but you get the idea.

Web design and graphic design are art forms plain and simple. Not everyone can play the violin. Not everyone can take a good picture (not those crappy MySpace artsy pics people take of themselves in the bathroom mirror). And not everyone can design a great website or beautiful logo. So all in all it is almost impossible to have a cut and dry checklist to determine if something is to be considered an art form. There are just so many differing opinions out there that it is best just to leave it up to the public.

DreamCo Design understands that web design and graphic design are the new wave in art forms. In fact we considered all of our web designers and graphic designers, web artist or graphic artist. It makes them feel more important, and that’s what DreamCo Design is here to do, stroke our developer’s egos. Not really but we like them to know their skills are appreciated. We honestly have one of the best team of web and graphic artists around. Give DreamCo Design a call today for all your web design and graphic design needs, and see for yourself. Or for more information on web design check us out at DreamCo Design - Web Design.

Categories: Blogroll, Web Design - Clients, Web Design - Service, Web Design Tips
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The initial conception of a website can be a really easy task or an incredibly difficult one, to take on. There are several things that you have to decipher before going out and spending the money to have one constructed. Being without a website for your business can not guarantee failure, however it may cause a few hardships for you. It is almost dire in today’s world to have a web presence.

If you consider the cost of establishing a well designed website for your business you may come up with a number that seems quite outrageous. You may be thinking that there is no possible way you could ever afford to have a website designed for your business. This is not the case in every situation dealing with web design. Yes, some websites can cost a lot of money. It all depends on the business and how large they want their website and what they expect it to do for them. Some websites are small with only a few pages, some are giant with several hundred pages.

You can not ever really give a ball park figure for web design. Most people expect you to give them an estimate right off the bat. They say “I want to build a site like this one”. We say “okay, what are you looking to do, exactly”. They reply “make a site like this one”. Well after about ten minutes you finally get the information from the customer; that the website they are looking to design has almost nothing to do with the website they want it to look like. And that’s okay. Some people choose things for looks, others for functionality. We do not expect everyone to know what we know. If that were the case why would you be calling us to build your website?

Basically it all comes down to the mind set of the customer. Sometimes customers feel like they might be roped into something if they tell the web designer what they are looking to do. It is a lot easier for them to point out a current website and ask how much? But we want to assure you that it is okay to ask and let us give you a quote for the project you had in mind. There is no red tape unless you want there to be. For instance someone has an idea for the next big web craze, and they do not feel comfortable sharing with a complete stranger. That’s alright; just have your lawyer whip up some papers and we can get started. We are not in the business of pushing customers into something they do not want. We are here solely to ensure you get the best experience possible while having a website designed.

DreamCo Design has all the tools and knows how to put together a great website for you with out breaking the bank. We have the most talented team of designers out there and the best customer service in the industry. Don’t believe us? Give the rest a call and see what they can do for you. We are positive you will come back to us. DreamCo design has all your web design needs in one place. Give us a call today or check us out at DreamCo Design - Web Design for more information about web design.

Categories: Blogroll, Web Design - Clients, Web Design - Service, Web Design Tips, Web Design-Catagories
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So why is it that everyone out there is looking to get something for nothing or next to nothing? What ever happened to the term “you get what you pay for”? It does not seem to exist anymore. Everyone out there is looking to get the best of the best for the price lower then the worst. This could not be more apparent in any other industry then web design.

Every time you go on Craig’s List we see them, a web designer’s worst nightmare. They are those posts that usually go something like this.

Hello I am planning on starting my own business website and I am looking for a developer. I cannot pay you because I am just starting out. I will give you an opportunity to use the website you built in a portfolio.

Or my personal favorites.

I have a great idea for a website and I want you to make it the biggest, coolest, most beautiful website ever. I will pay you when I sell the website.

At least the first never promises to pay you. If you decide to get into the first type you understand that you are doing this for free. You cannot work on a huge project website if you are not sure you are going to get paid or not.

Basically it all boils down to this. People of the world if you are expecting to have a website built at least expect to pay for the services. The designers you are looking for have to make a living, and dedicating their time to your project for free means nothing. In fact it makes you look foolish. You would feel terrible if your boss came to you and said “I can not afford to pay you this month, but you still have to come to work and do a better job then you have been doing. And maybe if your work is good enough I’ll pay you later on”. You would quit in a heart beat. So why are you expecting the same thing out of a web designer? If you expect the website to be built for nothing, take a web design class and try to do it yourself. Or wait until you can afford to properly pay a web designer to develop it for you.

The point is to respect the service a web designer is offering. It is an insult to offer them nothing and expect the world out of them. If you expect to pay nothing you will get just that, nothing. You expect to pay for your car, gas, groceries, clothes, insurance, and for your schooling. So expect to pay for web design. Or at least have something cool to trade for it, like tattoos or something.

DreamCo Design understands the plight of the freelance web designer. We have your back. If you are looking to get out of the freelance world and work full time or part time give us a call. You will be properly paid. Make sure to have your portfolio handy. If you are looking for a great web design company that is not going to jerk you around you have found it. DreamCo Design offers the best product for the best price, bottom line. Give DreamCo Design a call today for all your web design needs. Or for more information about web design check us out at DreamCo Design - Web Design.

Categories: Blogroll, Web Design - Clients, Web Design - Service, Web Design Tips
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As you already know, designing a website is a fairly intimate process for many.  Though thousands of websites are just slapped online everyday, many new websites that are fighting for true results are also in development.  So what makes a good website a great website?  Well first off, lets make it clear that we are covering all industies here, and the term “great website” means a successful, good looking one, that accomplishes the goal wanted for that specific industry.

 We have written past articles discussing the importance of the website owner standing behind their ideas and business and helping out with the concept of the website, but this goes to the next level.  After all, the post was “good web designer VS great web designer” and that is what we are looking at when you compare a “website” with a “great website”.

Web Design is a confusing industry for the consumer.  The person shopping for a website may hear a price range anywhere from a couple hundred dollars to tens of thousands when being quoted for the exact same thing.  Sometimes companies just try to take advantage of the people that don’t know the industry. Dreamco Design thinks this is immoral and childish behavior that can be compared to some in the auto-mechanic industry.

Others that are charging so little might be just trying to grab your money and run, or they might not have the ability to complete the task they are taking on. As you can see, pricing alone can often times confuse the consumer, nevermind all of the “web jargin” people may use when discussing the options with the individual seeking a site. So what exactly makes a good designer a great designer?

A good or normal web designer will do just that. They will take your money in exchange for just building your webiste. Often times they will just design something for you without really establishing the goal of the site or perhaps just use a strait forward template. The end look is a website for you, with your name and info on it. It may look somewhat professional, and it may be there on the internet, but deep down inside the owner of that site knows it could be more appealing to his or her audience.

A great web designer takes on a much more intimate process with the client. They will take the time to sit down with you and discuss over the phone, through emails, or in person, exactly what you are looking for. They will review and research your competition and get some in depth information from you on the type of style you are thinking about going with and they will also identify the goal of the site.

To Dreamco Design, this is the most important and core element when designing a website. It is a simple question… “What is the goal of the website?”  What do you want it to do? Do you want to portray who you are, what you do, and just give yourself or corporate image? Or do you want to dominate a specific audience and sell your products and services online? There is a big difference. Having a talented web design team on your side can be the difference between just a “good, hey it is out there on the internet” website or a “great, wow, this is working out awesome” website.

Our company not only considers ourselves to be in the “great” category, but the feedback we get leads us to believe we are pioneering it. We build successful websites and don’t break the customers wallet doing so.  We aren’t saying we are the only ones that take on this approach, as there are dozens of talented professionals out there, but we certainly strive to be the best which puts us in that high category. Below you will see a list of bullet points that outline a “great web design” process.

 *Build A Relationship

(Building a relationship is a very important part of the process because the customer is no longer just the customer, and the web designer is no longer just the web designer.  You can establish a sense of trust and what type of benefits you are trying to exchange with one another.  Though to some this may come across as being odd, we don’t believe so.  We think it is important to really understand the motivation and mentality of our customer and help them out with their idea like they are one of our friends.

We can build this type of relationship with the client by having in depth conversations on the phone, through email, and by looking at the details of the project by going above and beyond what is expected.)

*Identify the Project

(Figuring out and developing exactly what the customer is looking for is something that is often overlooked by a typical web designer. Sure they might get the overall concept down, but did they truely deliver the wants and needs of the client? Our company has established a unique system of providing a scope of work to our customers which allows them to see the exact structure and layout we have agreed on and also gives them an opportunity to turn over content.

The cookie cutter style, typical page names and layout is what most web developers deliver and though the basic point might get across, it wont truely be delivered to the person viewing the website. Once again, this is  a key difference between a good web designer and a great one.)

*Develop & Display

(A lot of thought, time, and effort goes into each one of of the websites we design. Whether they are 2 or 3 page sites, or full blown shopping cart dynamic websites we invest our efforts into each one.  A great web designer will establish an overall theme, look, or appeal, either by starting from a general template that is very professional, or by showing the customer a mock-up. A good web designer will just discuss some basic ideas, and then go right to work without the client having a clear visual understanding.

While we develop the website, we give the client the opportunity to view it at a specific time. How and when we do this is a trade secret but it will allow the customer to provide us any revisions they have but at the same time we know everything originally asked for works, and is designed correctly. A normal or good web designer does not take a systematic approach towards revisions and it is done on a per situation basis.)

*Launch the Website

(This is where most good web designers believe the conclusion of the web design process takes place but it certainly is not in the eyes of a great web developer. Though releasing the website live on the internet is an important step, the battle to the top isn’t over yet. Once we launch the website, we release the competition, identify the strengths and weaknesses of the site we developed for the industry, and optimize the heck out of it so over time its natural search engine ranking will climb.

Aside from just strong SEO work, we will indentify if there is a need for any other type of marketing campaign for the website we just developed. Often times there is no need, and other times, there is a strong need for further marketing, and everything is handled on a case to case basis.)

*Continued follow up

(Just like a book begins with an introduction and then ends with a conclusion based on the thesis of the intro of the book, the same goes for the relationship process in a website.  Our clients remember our company name, the individual names, and so on, and there is good reason for this.  We continue to follow up with our client’s, not to sell them more things, but to see how everything is going and to make sure any assistance they need we are there for.

This continues to establish the relationship fundementals needed to progress as stated in the start of this article.  We hope by reading this article on web design you have identified some length between speaking with a good web designer compared to a great one. And as always, if you ever need any help, the Dreamco Design team is standing by!

Categories: Web Design - Clients
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