A Website from a template. Or custom design? What is better?

A Website from a template. Or custom design? What is better?

As a web developer, I get a lot of questions. One being if we can edit a theme or a template for WordPress or Joomla.The fact of the matter is, so many people use pre made templates these days. The client is sometimes limited in what they can get. Im not saying that is wrong to use a template for web design. However if we were doing audio production (Making a song) , it would be down right wrong. Just look at Will.I.am and that Mat Zo song. Will.I.am is under a microscope using another person song as a virtual template. Since in the web design world the vast amount of web designers have free roam to do what they want. It’s hard as a consumer to know or even understand how this all works..

Let me break it down for you.

Using a template for a website is as easy as 1-2-3. You go to a site like Template Monster, find your template, then buy it. The hard part is then changing all the elements of the template. Now if you have a good web designer or developer. They can edit the CSS and change the images. In the HTML5 and CSS3 world depending on how the theme is put together, certain elements are still a bit tricky to fix, alter or change. typically in WordPress they make it real easy in the theme settings to change things around. But lets say for instance the client wants to change the theme color to purple. Or wants to move a certain element like a box to a different spot. This can be done by a seasoned programmer. But an average run of the mill web designer could potentially struggle with this and need to hire somebody to do it.

On the other hand, if your theme was built from scratch. This would be put in its place from the beginning when the theme was made. Making a custom theme is usually a must for most clients who prefer something different, or not a typical website. But subsequently even clients that need simple projects. Some people just want something that may not be elaborate. But has the areas active within the web design itself, that they need. A good example of this is adding a search bar in lets say a header. But has a box on the lower left that has a particular size. But only wants a skinny header. Using a template, can be cumbersome in this type of situation. Because you have to sift through a bunch of template to find one that has the color elements and the region elements that client needs. On the intern making a custom template solution the right option for that customer.

All clients are different, and have different needs. They all do, you may find a few that need the same thing. But the clients we deal with, usually like to do different things with their websites. So intern making the custom website theme the best option.

So in all actuality, using a website template is totally fine. If that’s what the clients needs are.

 

 

What kind of website do I need?

So people ask me every day for website. I deal with people all the time that need a website but have no idea what type of site will work for them. I must say, that the amount of people who don’t know exactly what they need. Has grown since I first started. And im sure other companies that deal with these types of clients. Take advantage of these people. Since a lot of my current client base are people in one way or another have been either cheated, over sold, project never completed, or paying a quite large sum of money per month for a service that they don’t even receive. A lot of web design freelancers shaft their clients. 1) Because the freelancer most of the time has little to no experience working with people 2) The freelancer may not know what he or her are able to achieve. 3) Are solely taking their clients for a ride, to get more and more money out  of them. I deal with it on a pretty consistent basis. A person calls around looking for a deal. They get multiple quotes from $1500 – $5000 from freelancers and companies. Then settle for a freelancer doing a site in WordPress that hardly cuts the mustard for $350.

Then they get into the project just to find out that the person has horrible people skills and cannot deliver what they need, let alone on time. I hear horror stories about this daily. One client in particular. He bought a website from a company in AZ. Shortly thereafter he works with them for some SEO ( Search Engine Optimization ). The day after making a deal with that same company, he gets a call from the freelancer that the company hired to do the SEO work. When he called my client the SEO guy gave him the same service at half price. This tells me that the original company they did business with. If overselling the service. In other words. If the company is selling you a package for $1000 a month. And the SEO guy is only getting paid $300, and then the client is paying $1000 for a $300 service. On the intern being significantly oversold to the bitter end. So I deal with these unfortunate people daily and I personally feel real bad for them. I try to steer them in the right direction. And then give them some guidance on what they need, or should do. Then let THEM make their decisions on what they feel is best for THEIR own business. I find this works best. Who knows the business better than the client? Since the clients know their ideal client. Or have at least a good idea. I make recommendations and stay away from being pushy to sell them something they could use, but not need.

Another case study is a mad named Lovell. Lovell is a middle aged man that was a multimillionaire at one point. Then the housing market crashed and his bottom fell out and was left with a bunch of bills he couldn’t pay.  He had some money saved up so he decided to invest it in a website for the medical industry. Lovell is highly educated in the medical industry and financing, since he was a banker. A extremely cunning and quick on his feet sort of person. You would think that with the head on his shoulders, he shouldn’t have a problem getting a mildly complex website up and running.

Well let me tell you something, he got shafted. A number of times this man was shafted. He explained to me he was been through 4 designers and at least $15k USD. To my surprise when he gave me his packet of what the site was needing to do and show. I was dumbfounded of just how simple of a job he needed. Granted its time consuming, but not a website with 100 different features. Meaning these freelance designers and 1 company just could not get on the same page as him. He spent $1100 for a logo that should have been priced at about $250 and was charged for websites that had nothing to do with his page theme he wanted. He ordered a website with high-contrast colors (that he actually supplied) he supplied all graphics and did a mock-up himself. And these designers just couldn’t either understand or care about what the client actually wants. It’s a shame but its true. His tale along with the one before are real life folks. So keep that in mind when your pricing a site out. All web Developers are NOT created equal. And most have no clue about sales, customer service or how to keep a client happy.

This is where we fit in. In the Las Vegas area Las Vegas Web Designers are hard to come by. People think just finding a person on Craigslist is going to work out just fine. Well you have another thing coming. There have been stories about people on Craigslist that are here one day. Then gone tomorrow, so watch out.

So you still ask what type of website do I need? Try leaving a quote HERE and you will be in good hands.

But the real answer is: Whatever type of site that best suits your needs.

Website customers all have different needs and different demands. Just like court, the judge looks at the case and the person then comes up with what the judge feels is best, on a case by case basis.
Website design is somewhat of the same. The website developer needs to talk to the client. Then sort out what the client needs, could use, should have and will come later. I like working in phases, they work really well.

So when you ask yourself what type of site do I need, remember. That the type of site you need is all based off what your business is demanding, nothing more nothing less.

Affordable websites in Las Vegas

Affordable websites in Las Vegas are usually very difficult to find because it usually isn’t a simple blog. Las Vegas is known to be the home of interactive businesses like casinos and personalized places, so most of the web design in Las Vegas requires more complex scripts like casino scripts, databases or even just e-commerce scripts.
With that in mind, I’m going to discuss some scripts you can buy, so that you can provide for your Las Vegas web design company and substantially cut down your expenses, making an affordable website a possible quest.
Here is a list of scripts that can be useful for website design – remember to always check if the script can provide you all of your needed features.

E-Commerce Scripts:
E-commerce scripts are a vital element of website design for those that wish to sell their products, or even services, through the Internet. Many Las Vegas businesses use it, and if you purchase your own and give it to the Las Vegas web design company you are working with, it will save you some bucks.
Casino Scripts:
A virtual casino is an awesome site to run, it’s fun and better yet – it’s profitable.
You don’t need skillful croupiers on this one, as the scripts have the probabilities tipped on your favor. Be sure to conduct proper research for this web design component, as the casino niche is full of scams.
Social Media Scripts:
There are tons of social media scripts available, but the ones where you can save the most on are scripts that make your own website a social media site. Yes, there are scripts like this available, and there are even Facebook clone scripts and other platform clones as well. Affordable websites are a reality, if you provide your company the right tools.
Bottom line you can save some dollars if you get the right scripts, but don’t forget that it is vital to get the right web design company to install it, as website design is a topic that has a lot of people that can do it, but do a very poor job.

Best Website Design

Web-site style and design at the moment, has rose a lot higher in standards than yester-years. Flash has left the equation. Regular HTML is down the drain. The entire world is database driven. Including into the list JavaScript and also other web relevant applets. Each buyer is completely different compared to eath other as well as consequently is their own need of their own venture may differ substantially. Being inside the field for over 10 years. I’ve seen a lot of different kinds of ventures come across mine as well as my collaborators desktop. The simple fact this occurs can make the design really diverse. It can make the design company work a lot trickier than standard. Web development is merely part of the web style project. The web development group will have to account for any sort of serious programing concern. Having that being suggested we need to have to look at the elements of the venture at hand. Then evaluate the situation and hand as well as correct the want for external programing and also different web page style interfaces.

People today do not usually comprehend exactly how the web-site style and design processes works. So your project director needs to have to understand exactly how to clarify to their client. The procedure of their particular Web site Development work flow. The customer soon after talking to the creator, and quite possibly transmitting graphical or prepared example of this to all of them. Should get a cell phone call back again from the web site developer and get a a really close idea of just how much the web page cost.
While the assignment in underway. The web development and web design team will take their time frame and put the web site together. The codes gets efficient in the middle of this process. And the style gets produced at this time period too. Once content material gets up the web site sets out to can come together. From this point the world-wide-web creator gets together with the web developer. After that gets with the graphic designer as well as the other individuals. They will just about all sort of the specialized aspect and if there is a concern. Then reenact conditions for appropriate web site bug screening. The webdevelopment bug testing is very similar except rather of reenacting the predicament. They replicate it. They figure out exactly how to amend the issue.

The end result is the clients finished job. Or concluded website. The client should know what is going on with it. The web designer should explain what is working or not working. Or what needs additional programing or work. A lot of periods the clients opportunity of the venture is a bit out of reach as compared with the client needs. The builder and web design programmer will perform their very best to create the web site applet do what the customer requires. However presently there usually are a lot of times that the programmer or web developer will get the applet made and its about 90% there. Solely due to the fact some items in the web software world will set back the software. Then help make it seriously tough to complete the programing process. So all tiny quarks get worked well out sometimes for an extra charge. The reason for this, is simply because the clientele may assume the total scope but from time to time the specific part requires to be created. This means it essentially has to be created with logic and everything.
The final outcome is the client happy and thankful for the services. WE all hope for happy clients. But happiness is earned, not given.