LF: webdesigner

Looking for someone to make a profesional looking website for a small family business. no flash, no java is wanted. simple html with a professional touch is needed.

website will have information on company, contacting us, products (about 20 different ones) and a password protected area for downloading user guides. we also need to make it easy enough for us to update the site for new products or changes in information.

also someone who is good at graphic arts to do a new version of a logo would be ideal to.

PM for info.. not looking for big professional company, we are on a limited budget so quotes of several thousands will be ingnored on the priciple that i'm an RFD'er

otherwise, you should be able to show what you can do in html. we are faily easygoing and allow for creative freedom.


Thanks for those who replied by pm... i will respond as soon as i can. i no longer am looking for poeple to do it, in fact it will be hard to narrow down.

pm sent

Good luck.. just remember you will get exactly what you pay for.

anything less than 2 grand and someone's working for minimum wage. Particularly if something is setup to allow updating.
my 2 cents. er, 5.

YGPM!

Originally Posted by Groovetube

anything less than 2 grand and someone's working for minimum wage.

You'd be surprised at the number of talented kids out there... I'm sure one of them has plenty of free time and wouldn't mind earning a few hundred bucks.

Particularly if something is setup to allow updating.

CMS scripts are a dime a dozen these days, and there are plenty of good free ones (mambo comes to mind). Takes only a few minutes to set one up.

Thanks everyone got plenty of replies.. i'm trying to reply to all of them.. sorry if its a bit slow.

and in regards to you get what you pay for... true in most cases.
but i have seen the work of students and people just starting out that is better than most professional companies doing it.

Originally Posted by gei

You'd be surprised at the number of talented kids out there... I'm sure one of them has plenty of free time and wouldn't mind earning a few hundred bucks.



CMS scripts are a dime a dozen these days, and there are plenty of good free ones (mambo comes to mind). Takes only a few minutes to set one up.

Bull. I'd like to see someone setup a CMS anything in a few minutes. I build many many CMS systems and unless you are happy with a cookie cutter piece of crap that does limited functions or improperly set up by a student, pay someone properly. There's a reason why my shop is way over capacity charging far more than a few hundred bucks for a website. I am by no means the most expensive on the block, but most people I work with wouldn't dream of working for less than minimum wage if they have decent skills to begin with.

There's always a handful of people willing to do anything for way below market value for any type of job. It's up to the person who has the project what they're willing to put up with.

Originally Posted by The_Madz

but i have seen the work of students and people just starting out that is better than most professional companies doing it.

I highly doubt you can compare the work of 'most professional' companies to people just starting out. That is absolutely absurd. Anyone can set up a "professional" webdesigner business and many do, but if you actually consider the real professional companies, that's where the real talent lies, and that isn't going to be a few hundred bucks.

There's nothing wrong with finding a talented student who is willing to work for next to nothing, but let's make the distinction here.

Originally Posted by Groovetube

Bull. I'd like to see someone setup a CMS anything in a few minutes. I build many many CMS systems and unless you are happy with a cookie cutter piece of crap that does limited functions or improperly set up by a student, pay someone properly.

I work as the webmaster for a major government organization, and have also set up many CMS systems, integrating with vignette/websphere, in clustered environments, etc. And while it did take an incredibly long time to get everything working properly, I believe that many modern, popular, open-source utilities can do the job nearly as well. Especially when you take into consideration the fact that the OP probably doesn't have incredibly demanding requirements.

Takes 5 minutes to download a php script and copy it into a directory. Another few minutes to set up a mysql database... and then everything can be handled by the end user.

There's always a handful of people willing to do anything for way below market value for any type of job. It's up to the person who has the project what they're willing to put up with.

And there's more than a handful of people who in reality have very simple demands, but end up overpaying for something they didn't really need. With the requirements that the OP had, spending more than a few hundred would be overpaying.

I think you overestimate your value.

Originally Posted by Groovetube

I highly doubt you can compare the work of 'most professional' companies to people just starting out. That is absolutely absurd. Anyone can set up a "professional" webdesigner business and many do, but if you actually consider the real professional companies, that's where the real talent lies, and that isn't going to be a few hundred bucks.

There's nothing wrong with finding a talented student who is willing to work for next to nothing, but let's make the distinction here.

You'd be surprised. Do a search online for some web design companies who have been designing sites for years, and take a look at some of their work. Then go to a free place like www.oswd.org with templates from people who are designing web sites for the first time ever, and tell me what you are more impressed with.

Anyone and their dog can design a "professional website" these days. It is just as much about artistic talent as it is experience. In fact with the tools available today, it is quite possible to design a very professional/elegant looking website with very little previous experience, as long as you are artistically gifted.

Originally Posted by Groovetube

I highly doubt you can compare the work of 'most professional' companies to people just starting out. That is absolutely absurd. Anyone can set up a "professional" webdesigner business and many do, but if you actually consider the real professional companies, that's where the real talent lies, and that isn't going to be a few hundred bucks.

There's nothing wrong with finding a talented student who is willing to work for next to nothing, but let's make the distinction here.

True... but as you read in my first post, it needs to be a simple website. our site gets international traffic and the "fancier" the site is, the slower it gets.

and i hate websites with introductions, java and other stuff that tends to crash most peoples machines.

besides, again, a lot of students do sites to show of their skills so they can be hired by a company.

i'm sure you do an excellent job and i'm sure your clients are happy with it.
but this is a simple site and most studnets are quite adapt to making them rather than paying for your dual 20" lcd's

Originally Posted by The_Madz

True... but as you read in my first post, it needs to be a simple website. our site gets international traffic and the "fancier" the site is, the slower it gets.

and i hate websites with introductions, java and other stuff that tends to crash most peoples machines.

besides, again, a lot of students do sites to show of their skills so they can be hired by a company.

i'm sure you do an excellent job and i'm sure your clients are happy with it.
but this is a simple site and most studnets are quite adapt to making them rather than paying for your dual 20" lcd's

Tools of the trade. They are in my office aren't used for playing with. I think you'll find many professional offices have good equipment. Depends on how serious you are.

I was making a distinction between what people think this sort of work is worth on a professional level, and what they think they 'should' pay for. I have had a number of clients say the same thing to me, and I have often spent many hours fixing the mess the 'student' left. If you just need a simple site with minor graphics, by all means go for it. But don't try to equate that sort of thing with professional companies. I simply gave a piece of advice as a professional who sees this sort of thing everyday and it's up to you what you choose to do.

Originally Posted by gei

You'd be surprised. Do a search online for some web design companies who have been designing sites for years, and take a look at some of their work. Then go to a free place like www.oswd.org with templates from people who are designing web sites for the first time ever, and tell me what you are more impressed with.

Anyone and their dog can design a "professional website" these days. It is just as much about artistic talent as it is experience. In fact with the tools available today, it is quite possible to design a very professional/elegant looking website with very little previous experience, as long as you are artistically gifted.

lol. Please. If you think that this...http://www.oswd.org/design/preview/id/2621 passes off as anything remotely professional, then, you are free to have your opinion.

If you think anyone and their dog can design a professional website, then I suggest you go learn what a professional website actually is. Because you really have no idea...

AGAIN, I am merely saying, that you can't have this idea that students will give better results. It's absurd.

Originally Posted by Groovetube

lol. Please. If you think that this...http://www.oswd.org/design/preview/id/2621 passes off as anything remotely professional, then, you are free to have your opinion.

Right... single out a bad one as an example... (rolling eyes)

If you think anyone and their dog can design a professional website, then I suggest you go learn what a professional website actually is. Because you really have no idea...

AGAIN, I am merely saying, that you can't have this idea that students will give better results. It's absurd.

After contracting out work to several different consulting companies, at a cost of hundreds of thousands of dollars, and after hiring several summer students over the past couple of years for a few bucks an hour, I beg to differ.

I have worked with many high-paid "professionals" over the past few years, as well as plenty of summer students. I am in a good position to comment. I doubt you are.

In fact no one really calls themself a "professional web designer" these days... because it almost sounds laughable. That's like someone calling themselves a "professional food eater". No sense in calling yourself a professional if everyone else can do it.