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Knowing a bad web site designer when you see one...

There are lots of good and great web site designers out there. We know, because some of them are friends of ours. Most are honest, hard-working, talented, and creative – but there are also quite a few who don't quite measure up. We've put together a list of some of the bad ones we've run into – and how you can recognize them. (Feel free to substitute pronouns to suit your own tastes as you read through the list.)

He works part time. Think about it for a minute. If he's not a full-time working professional, he's an amateur. You don't want an amateurish web site, do you? Will he be there when you have questions, or when problems pop up? How can he keep up on best design and production practices when he's only doing this part time? Answer: He can't.

He retired out of some other job. He used to have some other job, but then decided to "get into making web sites." Do you think he'll have the passion and the creative energy necessary to do the job the way you want it done? Doubtful. Chances are he just needs a paycheck, and designing bad web sites is his best option right now.

They're a "web site company." They probably call themselves something like "CYA Design Group," or something with the word "media" or the prefix "e" or "i" somewhere in the name. Write the name down somewhere, because nothing changes faster than the names of "web site companies" these days, as groups break up, new people join and leave, and they go in and out of business. But while they're around, their web site usually features "fun" photos of the "staff" looking friendly, ultra-hip, and "casual" – all at the same time. And there's usually a picture of their fancy building. They're very personable (especially their sales person) once they determine that you can afford their prices. They may also do a good job on your web site, but will it be worth it when the bill comes due? When you visit their office and meet the staff, try to remember that you are the one paying for all those people and all that stuff. Don't you have better things to spend your money on?

She's in school or just out of school. This one might have a lot of passion for what she's doing, but can she possibly understand what makes a web site work for you? While she may be able to click her way through some fancy "wow" features, there's no way she's going to be on your wavelength when it comes to business realities. And what happens when she finally gets a real job somewhere? Probably won't be there when you need her.

His work is sloppy. Check out the web sites he's worked on. Look for errors and things that "don't look right." Then check his own web site. A surprising number of "web site designers" who brag about the quality of their work give themselves away with all the errors (typographical and otherwise) on their own web sites. If he's not even careful when working on his own web site, what's he going to be like while he's rushing through your project? Your web site is your ambassador to thousands of potential customers, members, etc. Do you want to trust it to someone who doesn't care as much about his work as you care about yours?

He loves gimmicks. Because he doesn't really understand the mysteries of design and how it all plays into marketing or selling your product or your idea, he tries to compensate with gimmicks. Useless animations that bog down when visitors come to the site. Sound effects, animations, and other goofy stuff all have their place – it's true. But the key is knowing when these things are appropriate and when they can help get your message across – and when they are just coverups for bad design.

She's an in-betweener. A professional tech writer friend wrote us a note reminding us of this one: This kind of "designer" is "temporarily between jobs," and so she says she'll take on your project at a price far below the market rate. But what happens when she lands a new job and is suddenly too busy or unavailable to finish your project? In-betweeners can't afford to take the time to learn about your business and figure out what you really need your web site to do. Will you really save money and be happy when she disappears in the middle of your project?

His prices are too good to be true. A low-priced web site is never a good thing. First, the designer is going to do a bad job – either because he has to rush through it to make even a small amount of dollars per hour, or because he just doesn't know what he's doing. This kind of designer is also going to be under-capitalized. Keeping up with design technology means having powerful, up-to-date equipment and the latest and greatest software. This kind of designer doesn't make enough money to keep up. He's usually running a cheap, under-powered PC, using cheap (or even free – or worse yet pirated) software – and at some point when his PC crashes or some other expense comes up, he can't afford to get himself restarted again, so he just clears his stuff off the kitchen table (what he calls his office) and leaves you hanging.

Don't worry: At Geostar our designer is "pretty good"...

Our designer has been doing this for years. Other than his three years in the Army, he's always worked in the field of advertising, design, typography, graphics, and copywriting. His clients stay with him for a long time – some for 25 years or more, because he does a great job, and because he always takes the time to develop real relationships with his clients. He works hard at understanding the business needs of his clients. He's creative. He always does his best. He's more into listening than talking. He's always watching for the latest technology. And his office is fully equipped with the latest and greatest in hardware and software. He's not one of those "bad designers" – in fact, he's actually "pretty good."

Geostar Internet
Christian Nelson
6300 North Oaks Court NE
Rochester, Minnesota 55906
507.288.4464
cn@geostar.com

 

No one does phone better than we do...

We never forget about our clients, and we never leave them high and dry. Ask any of our clients, and they'll tell you about our legendary technical support. Got questions or need more help after your training course or after you take over your own web site?

No problem. Just give us a call. Every client gets a "reasonable amount" of free technical support for just about as long as they need it. How much is "reasonable"? Just ask our clients, they'll tell you it's amazing.

About your web site...

Geostar. A full-service web site design studio. Whether you want a brand new web site built from the ground up, or just need some help with your graphics or copywriting, Geostar is the answer to all your questions.

Experience makes the difference. We’ve been in the graphics business since before there even was an Internet, we’ve been online since 1984 when most people thought a phone line was just for talking on, and we’ve been designing web sites since 1995. Because we’re not beginners, we know what works and what doesn’t; and we know how to get the job done.

Bring your old web site to life. Do you already have a web site, but feel that you’ve outgrown it? Does it make you tired just looking at it? Is it just not doing the job? Does it need a facelift? Fixing it may not be as hard as you think. Call us today and we’ll take a look. Then we can talk about ways to bring your tired web site up to where it can do you the most good. It won't cost you anything to find out, it might be fun, and you might find yourself pleasantly surprised.

Paying a fortune every month for server space? We can host your new site or move your existing site over to our server and save you a surprising amount of money. Our server rental fees are so low you might not even believe it. We can register your domain name too. Call and let us know what you want.

Reality vs. hype. As long-time professionals, we’re also realistic. We constantly study the newest trends and exciting technologies, but we won’t waste your time and money on over-hyped fads that will cause you more problems than they’re worth.

Prices you can afford. What good is is a great web site if it breaks your budget before you get off the ground? Our emphasis on reality means we understand life in the real world. What this means to you is that our prices are realistic, and that you won’t end up spending more than you can afford. When you’re ready to go online, we’ll talk it over with you in plain English first. Once we have a clear idea of what you want, we’ll give you a firm price quote, and keep you up to date every step along the way.

Rather do it yourself? Learn one-on-one with an expert. If you’d like to design and produce your own web site, but just aren’t sure where to get started, Geostar is the answer once again. We specialize in individualized training for all phases of graphic arts production, including graphics and layout for web site production. From raw HTML and CSS to flashy graphics applications, our experienced graphics experts can show you how. Our lead designer and training person is a long-time graphics professional with years of real-life experience in production, and has worked as writer/contributing editor for several "how-to" publications such as the esteemed Ziff-Davis Journals, Inside Photoshop, Interactive Designer, Inside QuarkXPress, and Inside Illustrator.

Be in the know. You’ll know what you’re getting, you’ll know why you’re getting it, and you’ll know what it can do. And you’ll know up front what it’s going to cost. Best of all, we’ll never, ever try talking you into something you don’t really need.

Geostar Internet
Christian Nelson
6300 North Oaks Court NE
Rochester, Minnesota 55906
507.288.4464
cn@geostar.com