I usually do not use a blog to promote a business, but I am making an exception to the rule this time.
Firstly, I want to tell you about a wonderful organization of volunteers here in Athens, Georgia who are dedicated to finding permanent homes or rescues for all the animals at the local shelter. Athens Pets was founded by a volunteer who in 2001 created a webpage to advertise all the dogs available at the pound. At that time, cats were handled by the Humane Society.
Athens Pets has grown to include over a dozen active volunteers. I am proud to be a part of this organization as their web designer, webmaster and sponsorship coordinator.
We are always looking for ways to make the process of sponsoring a dog or cat easy for anyone who has access to the internet. One of the wonderful tools we use is JotFrom, an online form service. Forms are easy to set up and we have the ability to download submitted forms to a spreadsheet which helps us to monitor our sponsorships. Most importantly, the service is free provided we do not exceed the 100 submissions per month.
As our organization continues to grow, we are getting more and more submissions every day from folks wanting to help sponsor a dog or cat. By promoting JotForm, we have the potential to receive an additional 50 form submissions each month!
I use JotForm for a number of other websites that I have developed. It is very flexible, easy to embed on a webpage, and the support is great.
Thanks JotForm for helping Athens Pets continue to grow!
Athens Web Design Studio, LLC specializes in web designs for small businesses, organizations, individuals and non-profits.
Giving clients the best website possible at the best possible price!
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
Monday, April 21, 2014
How to Choose a Website Designer
A website designer will assist you in creating a website that is visually appealing and structurally functional. Think of the designer as the project manager for your website.
In searching for a designer, it is important that you do your research. Look at a number of different websites they have designed. Find out if those websites are designed to function on both a desktop computer and mobile device such as a smart phone or pad. Determine if you like the style of their designs.
Outline your goals for your website. You want a site that will reflect you, your business and your brand in a positive manner.
Ask if your designer has a planning worksheet that will help both of you through the designing stage of the site.
Marketing a website through search engine optimization [SEO] is very important. It doesn't do much good to have a beautiful website if no one can find it. Ask your designer if they can assist you with SEO.
Discuss the designers fees and the estimated cost for your website. Keep in mind they may not be able to give you a good estimate until you can provide them with the content and features you want for your website. Prices vary greatly among designers. When talking with a designer, ask if they can provide you with a proposal outlining what services they will provide.
Find out how you will be billed. Will you be invoiced monthly or when the job is completed? Pay attention to your budget.
Get references from current and recent clients to find out how well they worked with the designer. It is important that you have someone who has good project management skills, good communication skills, and the ability to meet deadlines.
Some designers will maintain a site after the initial design. Check with your designer and find out how much they charge or if it is something you can do yourself.
Ask your designer if they will provide you with instructions on updating your website. You will need to be assured you will be able to edit the website easily.
Work with your designer in coming up with a deadline. Keep in mind that text/images need to be sent to the designer in a timely manner. Delaying sending these materials can significantly postpone launching a website.
By doing your due diligence, you can find a designer that can do the work for you, is willing to listen to your goals, and creates a site that reflects a positive impression of your business.
In searching for a designer, it is important that you do your research. Look at a number of different websites they have designed. Find out if those websites are designed to function on both a desktop computer and mobile device such as a smart phone or pad. Determine if you like the style of their designs.
Outline your goals for your website. You want a site that will reflect you, your business and your brand in a positive manner.
Ask if your designer has a planning worksheet that will help both of you through the designing stage of the site.
Marketing a website through search engine optimization [SEO] is very important. It doesn't do much good to have a beautiful website if no one can find it. Ask your designer if they can assist you with SEO.
Discuss the designers fees and the estimated cost for your website. Keep in mind they may not be able to give you a good estimate until you can provide them with the content and features you want for your website. Prices vary greatly among designers. When talking with a designer, ask if they can provide you with a proposal outlining what services they will provide.
Find out how you will be billed. Will you be invoiced monthly or when the job is completed? Pay attention to your budget.
Get references from current and recent clients to find out how well they worked with the designer. It is important that you have someone who has good project management skills, good communication skills, and the ability to meet deadlines.
Some designers will maintain a site after the initial design. Check with your designer and find out how much they charge or if it is something you can do yourself.
Ask your designer if they will provide you with instructions on updating your website. You will need to be assured you will be able to edit the website easily.
Work with your designer in coming up with a deadline. Keep in mind that text/images need to be sent to the designer in a timely manner. Delaying sending these materials can significantly postpone launching a website.
By doing your due diligence, you can find a designer that can do the work for you, is willing to listen to your goals, and creates a site that reflects a positive impression of your business.
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
Website Logos
A logo is an excellent branding tool for any website, social media site, as well as business signage, letterhead and cards. Using a logo across all the media gives clients a clear way of identifying your business or service. However, a poorly designed logo has the potential to drive those clients away.
Logos should suit the business or service you are providing. Colors, fonts and imagery should be carefully thought out.
Size matters! A logo used for various media platforms [website, letterhead, business cards, signage] must be scalable. It should be readable at its smallest size and its largest size. It is important that your logo be responsive so that it looks just as good on a desktop computer as it does on a smartphone.
Colors should be compatible. Using a color wheel is a great way to achieve this. There are numerous online color scheme websites. I like to use the Color Scheme Designer for determining good color combinations. Another excellent site is Colour Lovers. Logos should look just as good in gray scale as they do in color.
Fonts should be selected carefully. A poorly chosen font can make your logo look amateurish. If the logo has text, it can take some time for a designer to sort through the various font types and combinations. It is critical that the font be legible when scaled down. A custom font for your logo will help distinguish the brand.
Logos provide a creative means of advertising your business or service and should stand the test of time.
Logos should suit the business or service you are providing. Colors, fonts and imagery should be carefully thought out.
Size matters! A logo used for various media platforms [website, letterhead, business cards, signage] must be scalable. It should be readable at its smallest size and its largest size. It is important that your logo be responsive so that it looks just as good on a desktop computer as it does on a smartphone.
Colors should be compatible. Using a color wheel is a great way to achieve this. There are numerous online color scheme websites. I like to use the Color Scheme Designer for determining good color combinations. Another excellent site is Colour Lovers. Logos should look just as good in gray scale as they do in color.
Fonts should be selected carefully. A poorly chosen font can make your logo look amateurish. If the logo has text, it can take some time for a designer to sort through the various font types and combinations. It is critical that the font be legible when scaled down. A custom font for your logo will help distinguish the brand.
Logos provide a creative means of advertising your business or service and should stand the test of time.
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
Website Planning and Pricing
I get a phone call at least once a week asking me for a 'basic price' for a new website. This is a hard question to answer since each website is different in both size and design. For example, you may think that designing a website for a client who has only three pages would be significantly less expensive than designing a website that has ten pages. But, what if the client with only three pages has a portfolio with sixty or more photos!
To accurately determine the price for a client, I ask a lot of questions.
For example:
What is the difference between a domain name and host provider?
The domain name is the url for your website. For example, http://athenswebstudio.com. A host or service provider offers shared or dedicated hosting on their server - this is where all the files for the website reside. For example, the content/images you see on a home page, about page, etc. for a website. You will need both a domain name and host provider for a website. Purchasing a domain name is relatively cheap, generally a few dollars a year. Costs for host providers vary greatly and you should do your due diligence when choosing where your site will be hosted. For example, if you have a host provider outside the United States, communication, hours of operation and down time can be an issue.
How many pages do you anticipate you will need?
It is important for clients to think about what information they want to convey on their website. The best way to do this is to write up the text for your website before you hire a web designer. This will give the designer an idea of what you are wanting to convey and will allow the process to move a lot quicker.
Do you have a logo?
A logo is a great starting point for designing a website. It gives the designer an idea of the style you like and what type of design would work best for you.
How many photos do you intend on using?
I ask this question because each photo needs to be optimized for a website. By optimized, I mean saving the image to cut down on web load time. A visitor to your website will have a much better experience if the page loads quickly. It takes time to optimize and upload a significant number of photos, hence this can increase the cost of the website setup.
Do you want to include forms, forums or password protected sections of your website?
Forms are as diverse as websites. Some clients want their visitors to provide a lot of information [for example, booking an appointment, sending the client an appointment confirmation, reminder notice and allowing the client the ability to reschedule or cancel an appointment], while others just want a simple contact form. Forums for websites have to be set up to minimize spam. And password protected sections of a website allow clients to provide information to a more select group of visitors.
Will you need a maintenance plan?
Most websites I design today use Wordpress. Wordpress is a free open source content management system (CMS) that is database driven and will allow clients to easily add and update content to the website without having to contact a webmaster. Wordpress updates can be made from any computer that has an internet connection. Along with Wordpress are plugins that can provide additional functionality to the website. While some plugins are free, others are available for a fee. Both Wordpress and associated plugins are updated routinely so they remain compatible with the various web browsers and operating systems. Maintenance for websites include backing up the database, core files and updating the software associated with the site.
Who is your target audience?
This should be the first question you ask yourself and the first question a designer should ask you. When you are wanting to have a new website designed, it is important that you know your target audience. Clients sometimes have a difficult time answering this question. Often times the answer is everyone! The bottom line is you want to communicate your website to those who are either interested a product or service you are selling. Who are your customers and what type of web presence would interest them?
Deciding on a web designer doesn't have to be complex. If you have these questions answered before you start your search for a designer, you will have a better idea of what to expect.
To accurately determine the price for a client, I ask a lot of questions.
For example:
- Do you already have a domain name and host provider?
- How many pages do you anticipate you will need?
- Do you have a logo?
- How many photos do you intend on using?
- Do you want to include forms, forums or password protected sections of your website?
- Will you need a maintenance plan?
- Who is your target audience?
What is the difference between a domain name and host provider?
The domain name is the url for your website. For example, http://athenswebstudio.com. A host or service provider offers shared or dedicated hosting on their server - this is where all the files for the website reside. For example, the content/images you see on a home page, about page, etc. for a website. You will need both a domain name and host provider for a website. Purchasing a domain name is relatively cheap, generally a few dollars a year. Costs for host providers vary greatly and you should do your due diligence when choosing where your site will be hosted. For example, if you have a host provider outside the United States, communication, hours of operation and down time can be an issue.
How many pages do you anticipate you will need?
It is important for clients to think about what information they want to convey on their website. The best way to do this is to write up the text for your website before you hire a web designer. This will give the designer an idea of what you are wanting to convey and will allow the process to move a lot quicker.
Do you have a logo?
A logo is a great starting point for designing a website. It gives the designer an idea of the style you like and what type of design would work best for you.
How many photos do you intend on using?
I ask this question because each photo needs to be optimized for a website. By optimized, I mean saving the image to cut down on web load time. A visitor to your website will have a much better experience if the page loads quickly. It takes time to optimize and upload a significant number of photos, hence this can increase the cost of the website setup.
Do you want to include forms, forums or password protected sections of your website?
Forms are as diverse as websites. Some clients want their visitors to provide a lot of information [for example, booking an appointment, sending the client an appointment confirmation, reminder notice and allowing the client the ability to reschedule or cancel an appointment], while others just want a simple contact form. Forums for websites have to be set up to minimize spam. And password protected sections of a website allow clients to provide information to a more select group of visitors.
Will you need a maintenance plan?
Most websites I design today use Wordpress. Wordpress is a free open source content management system (CMS) that is database driven and will allow clients to easily add and update content to the website without having to contact a webmaster. Wordpress updates can be made from any computer that has an internet connection. Along with Wordpress are plugins that can provide additional functionality to the website. While some plugins are free, others are available for a fee. Both Wordpress and associated plugins are updated routinely so they remain compatible with the various web browsers and operating systems. Maintenance for websites include backing up the database, core files and updating the software associated with the site.
Who is your target audience?
This should be the first question you ask yourself and the first question a designer should ask you. When you are wanting to have a new website designed, it is important that you know your target audience. Clients sometimes have a difficult time answering this question. Often times the answer is everyone! The bottom line is you want to communicate your website to those who are either interested a product or service you are selling. Who are your customers and what type of web presence would interest them?
Deciding on a web designer doesn't have to be complex. If you have these questions answered before you start your search for a designer, you will have a better idea of what to expect.
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
About Athens Web Design Studio, LLC
Athens Web Design Studio, LLC is a locally owned business in the awesome college town of Athens, Georgia. My name is Janice Sand and I am a web designer. I have been designing websites and logos for over 25 years. Pretty fun way to make a living!
View my portfolio for some of my website designs and to find out more Athens Web Design Studio, LLC.
View my portfolio for some of my website designs and to find out more Athens Web Design Studio, LLC.
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