What is Crowd Sourcing, Anyway?

To begin with, you may be wondering just what in the name of all things holy crowd sourcing actually is. (By the way, we’ve also seen it spelled “crowdsourcing” but to avoid any jargony turn-offs, we’re going to opt to spell it in phrase format. No matter the orthography, though, the idea behind the concept is relatively simple: In times gone past, you would hire a specialist to deal with your problems. Do you have a pipe that needs fixing? Hire a plumber. Have to buy a house? Get a realtor. Need a new logo for your business? Find, hire, and coax a graphic design firm into giving you what you want. But what if we took this idea of need-and-purchase and stretched it out over the entire Internet? What if it were possible to use a mountain of producers, instead of a single firm?

Essentially, this is exactly what crowd sourcing does. The whole idea is that a business can access a crowd sourcing site, start the contest of its needs (logo design, website design, t-shirt design, banner design, etc.), and then accept bids and proposals from a sea of Internet-based designers. From this slush heap, the original purchaser can select the best deal, send out a single payment, and then receive the goods. This cuts out entirely the need for complex contracts, messy payments, and long waits at the firm. It’s a beautiful system, but DesignContest.com makes it even more appealing.

How Does it Work?

By nature, DesignContest.com works in the same format listed above, but with a few important distinctions. First and foremost, not just everyone can apply and begin posting on DesignContest.com. All contributing designers must first be pre-qualified for quality, ensuring that the proposals users acquire are professional and of the highest caliber. This is hardly a problem for you, we’re assuming, as we’d be willing to bet you create truly top-notch stuff on a regular basis. If you’re interested in joining DesignContest.com, simply bring along a few choice portfolio pieces, and you’ll have no trouble at all.

Also in direct contrast to other sites, DesignContest.com does not work off of bids and proposals, but finished projects. The company in need posts a project and monetary reward. Then, designers create the project in its entirety, and submit the results. The company then selects the one they feel best fits their needs, and the designer is instantly thrown the reward money. In essence, DesignContest.com takes crowd sourcing and turns it into a contest—it’s like that’s in the name somewhere, you know? And, of course, with each contest there’s only one winner. So what does that mean, you might be asking. If so, you’ve come to the right place:

What if I Don’t Win?

Sadly, not everyone wins all the time. In fact, it is but one lucky designer who happens to pump out the winning design. Thus, what happens to your submitted work when it doesn’t succeed? In essence, nothing! It’s yours to keep, and as the piece was not paid for, there’s no legal implications or issues. In a sense, it’s like you never even submitted it. However, there is an upside to all this, and it has to do with your portfolio.

Every piece you create is worth something, even if it’s just as a showcase of your talents. Theoretically, every piece you submit on DesignContest.com is a testimonial to your prowess, and as each unsuccessful bid is your property, why not throw it in your book? You’ll quickly flesh out your portfolio in no time, and best of all, you may find working on DesignContest.com quickly stretches your creativity and limits in ways you never thought imaginable. Think of it as boot camp for your designs, creating stronger muscles, finished works, and honed skills.

What Else is Essential About DesignContest.com?

There are a few other important features worth noting about DesignContest.com. For example, the company manages a dedicated knowledge-base of design information for you to troll through, expanding your horizons with a better education. Likewise, there’s also a dedicated design forum used by other designers like you. It’s a great place to talk about contests or get feedback from your last project. Add to this superior moderation, a fully updated design blog, and the aforementioned pre-qualification, and you’re looking at a first-rate community of nothing but designers.

All in all, DesignContest.com is an incredible way to hone your skills, expand your creativity, experience new projects, and potentially win a lot of money for your efforts. You never know what doors will open with the site, making it an indispensable tool in our eyes. If you haven’t been already, consider using DesignContest.com for your next design project.

Related posts:

• August 17, 2011 – DesignContest.com – Perfect Design or your Money Back (100% Guaranteed)!
• September 7, 2011 – Getting by as a Web Design in our Down Economy
• December 11, 2011 – Top 5 Necessities For a Sales Oriented Website
• December 7, 2011 – Top 5 Common Web Design Mistakes
• December 2, 2011 – Adobe Dreamweaver CS5.5 Review
• November 30, 2011 – Top 10 Tips for Web Design
• November 23, 2011 – The Evolution of Web Design
• November 4, 2011 – Crowdsourcing – what it is, and how you can use it.
• October 23, 2011 – Web Design: Do it Yourself or Outsource?
• September 17, 2011 – To Blog Or Not To Blog: That is The Question

1. Introduction

All websites, especially sales websites, should include an introduction. The introduction is a necessity because it describes what the website is about, what types of products are being sold, and how the consumer can go about getting these products. An introduction should be informative with just the right details but should never be too long or too short. You should always stick with shorter sentences that get straight to the point instead of lengthy sentences with too much unnecessary information. The introduction on your sales website is what will interest the consumers in your products so it is important to make it sound good and convincing. Always run the introduction content through a spell checker before you post it on your website. Misspelled words never look good, especially on a sales website. Once you run your introduction through a spell check, you can place it on your website. Make sure that you use catchy phrases and write in a way that will grab the consumers’ attention. You may want to use bold text or even bright colored text for parts of your introduction. Creative introductions are appreciated and easily remembered by the customers, here is the example:

2. Graphics/Images

A good sales page should always have graphics and images available for the consumers. The first reason for having these images is because consumers what to know what they are buying. A sales website is designed to display items that are being sold. This is why it would be pointless to not have graphics and images on a sales website. The consumer wants to know what the product looks like before they decide to spend money on something which is quite understandable. Another reason why it is very important to have images on a website is because it makes the website look more professional with an added personal touch. You should include images of all the products you sell and the products should be taken with a quality camera so that the consumers get the best possible image of the items or product being sold. If you cannot take pictures of the products yourself with a high quality camera, you may want to hire someone else to do it for you. As a last resort, you may be able to find stock photos online of the same exact products you sell. Here is an example:

3. Personal Information

As the creator of your very own sales website, you should include some personal information about yourself. You do not need to provide your personal telephone number or address. However, you should include information about who you are, what you do, and how you first got started with selling the products that you are selling. This adds a personal touch to your website which many consumers will be able to relate to. Consumers enjoy knowing exactly who they are doing business with before they decide to spend money out of their own pockets. You should also leave an e-mail address on your website for which you can be contacted. Consumers appreciate having the creator of a website answer questions and address concerns on a personal level. It shows that you don’t just care about making sales but that you actually care about the consumers and what they have to say or ask you.

4. Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently asked questions are very much needed for a sales website. When creating your website, you should always include a section for frequently asked questions. In this section, you will provide answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about the type of product(s) you are selling. Having a section like this is mostly convenient for the consumers but it can be convenient for you, as the owner of a sales website, as well. It is convenient for the consumers because they will receive answers immediately to questions that they may have without having to send you a message and wait for a response which could end up taking several hours. It is also convenient for you because you can avoid having to answer repeated questions over and over that are often asked since the answers to those questions will be featured in this section instead. Most sales websites offer a frequently asked questions section.

5. Layout

The layout, also known as a template, is an in important aspect of a sales website. Having a professional layout will draw in more consumers. If your sales website is a mess, all over the place, and very unorganized, consumers are not going to want to buy what you are selling. In fact, they will probably be skeptical about paying you for anything. If your layout looks professional and is neatly organized, consumers will more likely buy from your website. You can make your own website layout if you know the basics of HTML and CSS. However, if you have no idea how to create a layout or template, you may want to search online for available layouts that you can buy or receive for free.

Conclusion

As an individual who owns a sales website, it is your responsibility to make sure your website has everything it needs to truly catch the eye of the consumers. These top five features can make a difference between an average sales website and a superior sales website. In fact, after following these steps and making the necessary changes to your sales website, you will probably notice more traffic which will equal more sales on your part.

Related posts:

• January 10, 2012 – DesignContest – Workflow Innovation
• December 7, 2011 – Top 5 Common Web Design Mistakes
• November 30, 2011 – Top 10 Tips for Web Design
• November 23, 2011 – The Evolution of Web Design
• October 23, 2011 – Web Design: Do it Yourself or Outsource?
• September 17, 2011 – To Blog Or Not To Blog: That is The Question
• September 7, 2011 – Getting by as a Web Design in our Down Economy
• August 17, 2011 – DesignContest.com – Perfect Design or your Money Back (100% Guaranteed)!
• January 28, 2011 – Mambo Web Hosting: The Industry’s Leading Content Management System
• May 7, 2010 – The Value of Content Management Systems and Site Design

1. Dysfunctional Search Engine

All websites should include a small search box on the page because it is most convenient for the website viewers. If they are looking for something in particular throughout your entire website, they can easily click into the search engine box and type in the words for what they are looking for. Without having a search engine, the website viewers may get annoyed and possibly even frustrated which will lead them to venture off onto another site. What is even worse than not having a search engine on your website is having a search engine that just does not work probably. You must make sure that your search engine is something small and easy to use for all viewers of the website. It should also be compatible with the layout of your website. Having a complex search engine box on your website will only further confuse website viewers which actually defeats the purpose entirely. Avoid this common mistake.

2. Too Much Text

Who would think that too much text could be a turn off for viewer? While website viewers want to find out important information when they head to your site, they don’t want to have to read through several pages just to get to the point. Paragraphs on the website should be short and to the point. All sentences should be short as well.

Most importantly, the website designer should make sure the text speaks to the reader and catches their eye. How can you do this? Use bold or italic text to highlight some of the most important parts of the content that you are displaying on your website. You can also use bullet or numbered lists for certain information because it breaks down all of the different types of information and makes it so much easier to look at especially for those who prefer to just scan over the website. And the truth is, most people prefer scanning over a website instead of reading all of the content. Here’s an example of how to use a bullet list so that the content will be easier to read:

• Use Bold and Italics for IMPORTANT keywords
• Use bullet or number lists to sort through important facts
• Avoid lengthy sentences and huge paragraphs
• Keep sentences short and to the point

3. Small Text

As a website owner, it is important for you to remember that people of all ages will likely be checking out your website. Keep this in mind when you choose a font size for the text o your website. Small text, size 12 and under, is often too small for senior citizens as well as people who have vision problems. Keep the text at a size where it isn’t too big to look ridiculous but it isn’t too small that some viewers cannot read the important information that you are listing on your website.

4. Not User Friendly

The problem that a lot of website owners face is making their website user friendly. When a website is designed, the sole purpose is usually to receive as much traffic as possible. However, many people forget this when they are actually in the process of designing their website. If your website isn’t user friendly, viewers will be turned off and you will likely receive less traffic. There are several ways that you can make you website very user friendly and best of all, it does not really take much effort to do this.

• Add a search engine feature
• Create a navigation system that allows viewers to navigate through your website quickly and easily
• Create an FAQ section that answers questions that viewers have
• Use a decently sized font
• Provide detailed information and add pictures when necessary

These are just some of the ways that you can make your website user friendly. In fact, you may even want to create a section that allows viewers of your website to send in comments and suggestions on how you can continue to make your website user friendly. When you have a website, it is important to put the viewers first because they are the ones who can make or break your website.

5. Too Many Advertisements

We understand that as a website owner, you will need to advertise for other people and you may have affiliates whose advertisements you are placing on your website. It’s not that you can’t place advertisements on your website but placing too many of them all over a website can definitely be a turn off for most viewers. For example, if you use the Google Adsense program as a means of making money with your website, you will have the option to place advertisements on different areas of your website. If you place advertisements on the top of the page, bottom of the page, and on both sides, your viewers will feel surrounded by advertisements which definitely isn’t very user friendly.

Place advertisements on your website but do it in a tasteful manner. Sometimes, less is more and in this instance, that is definitely the case. Do not do yourself a disservice by placing tons of different advertisements on one page of your website. You can spread the advertisements out evenly through the different pages of your website. This will still allow you to display the advertisements that you want on your website without scaring your viewers away.

Conclusion

Avoiding these common web design mistakes is actually quite simple especially if you know how to prevent these mistakes in the first place. To run a successful website, you should make sure that your search engine box works properly, you sort through the text and use bullet points and numbers, keep everything user friendly, and avoid overdoing it with the advertisements. If you can avoid these mistakes, you can run a successful website.

Related posts:

• January 10, 2012 – DesignContest – Workflow Innovation
• December 11, 2011 – Top 5 Necessities For a Sales Oriented Website
• November 30, 2011 – Top 10 Tips for Web Design
• November 23, 2011 – The Evolution of Web Design
• October 23, 2011 – Web Design: Do it Yourself or Outsource?
• September 25, 2011 – Search Engine Optimization tips for Bing
• September 17, 2011 – To Blog Or Not To Blog: That is The Question
• September 8, 2011 – SEO Web Hosting: A Powerful Tool to Dominate Search Engine Rankings
• September 7, 2011 – Getting by as a Web Design in our Down Economy
• August 17, 2011 – DesignContest.com – Perfect Design or your Money Back (100% Guaranteed)!

1: Concise content

The content of your website is obviously the most essential part of your website. However, it is important to keep your content concise. Most viewers of websites are turned off by tons of words and paragraphs placed all in one page. Your content should be detailed and informative but you should also use short sentences and avoid repetitive information as well as fluff, which is information that isn’t really needed. While your content should be concise, it shouldn’t be too short to the point where the viewer has no idea what message you are trying to send. Your content should display information that covers some of the most crucial points of your website.

2: Set up a navigation system

A navigation system should include links to different pages on your website. An easily accessible navigation system will come in handy for viewers of your website because it helps them figure out where they need to go to find the information they are looking for. Placing a navigation system on a website is quite simple; it is a very basic step when designing a website. The links for your navigation system will probably look somewhat like this:

About

Summary

Frequently Asked Questions

Products

Portfolio

Contact

Of course, your links may vary depending on what type of website you have. If you have a website that is designed to sell products, you would typically want to include links for information on those products, pictures of those products, as well as contact information and how the viewer can buy the product. If your website is designed to display some of your work, you would create a portfolio link which will include pictures or downloads to some of your work.

3: Include images

A website should always have some sort of images. The images should be crisp, clear, and professional. Using actual images instead of clip art images is highly recommended. In many instances, an actual image will give a much more professional look and feel to a website when compared to traditional clip art images which are definitely not as professional. If possible, using your own images would be the best thing to do. If you cannot use your own images for your website, check out stock photos on different online websites.

4: Use a professional template

A template is basically the layout of your website. You can create your own template if you know how, you can hire someone else to create a template for you, or you can buy a pre-made template for your website (Some pretty cool WordPress themes can be found at FabThemes.com or TopWPThemes.com). Regardless of what you choose to do, it is important that you have a professional looking template on your website especially if you want your website to receive positive attention.

5: Run your content through a spell check

Nothing looks worse on a professional website than having misspelled words and dysfunctional grammar. It is in your best interest to run any content you create through a spell checker and even through a grammar checker just to be on the safe side (Also tools like Respelt.com can be used). If you hate writing, you may even want to hire a freelance writer to do the job of writing your content for you. Remember, the content on your website is most important and, if words are misspelled and not used properly, it will reflect poorly on you and your abilities.

6: Give out your contact information

If someone wants to get in touch with you after having a look at your website, they should be able to do so with ease. After you have created a navigation system (as seen in tip #2) you should have a contact link on your website. The contact link should take viewers to a page with your information so that they are able to get in touch with you. You should provide your name along with an e-mail address. If you want, you can also add your phone number but that is ultimately your decision.

7: Have a hit counter

You should have a hit counter so that you can find out how much traffic you are receiving to your website on a daily basis. However, you should not have a hit counter displayed directly on your website. It is a disservice to have a hit counter displayed on your website because most viewers find them pointless and pay little to not attention to them. It is also important, if your website is new and you aren’t receiving much traffic, because you wouldn’t want viewers to think your site is too boring to receive high amounts of traffic.

8: Avoid pop ups

The truth is, most website viewers hate having to deal with pop ups. If you can, avoid placing any of them on your website at all costs. Some viewers find pop ups so annoying, they will leave a site almost instantly after a pop up appears.

9: Keep things organized

A primary rule of keeping a professional website is actually keeping things organized. Once you have all of your content set up on different pages, it is important that you keep up with the website to keep it organized. Do not keep adding stuff in random spots every time you think of more content to add.

10: Introduce yourself

Introduce yourself and what you stand for on your website. This will offer website viewers a sense of comfort because they get to find out more about who you are as a person. However, as with the content section, keep it short and sweet so that you are not gloating about yourself.

If you follow these ten web design tips, you will likely have much more success with your website. Remember, following these tips can change your website for the better and can end up truly benefiting you in the long run. If you want a website that receives high traffic, these little adjustments are easy to do and can make a huge difference. If you need a custom logo design for your website, visit a DesignContest.com.

Related posts:

• January 10, 2012 – DesignContest – Workflow Innovation
• December 11, 2011 – Top 5 Necessities For a Sales Oriented Website
• December 7, 2011 – Top 5 Common Web Design Mistakes
• November 23, 2011 – The Evolution of Web Design
• October 23, 2011 – Web Design: Do it Yourself or Outsource?
• September 17, 2011 – To Blog Or Not To Blog: That is The Question
• September 7, 2011 – Getting by as a Web Design in our Down Economy
• August 20, 2011 – Design A Profitable Website
• August 17, 2011 – DesignContest.com – Perfect Design or your Money Back (100% Guaranteed)!
• January 28, 2011 – Mambo Web Hosting: The Industry’s Leading Content Management System

History of Web Design

The very first website was designed in 1991 and was a far cry from the types of websites you would see today two decades later. The interesting thing is that this website was nothing special, but it was still usable.

In 1991, no one really cared about HTML and all the unique tricks that make a website stand out and look good. When more people started creating websites for their companies and businesses, they didn’t go all out like how they do now. Most of these companies were using simple text with no picture or clip-art. Things have definitely changed within the past twenty years.

The first major change was the use of templates. Templates were designed to add a specific color design or theme to a website. Businesses and companies flocked to this because it made their websites look more organized and neat. Templates were free and easy to use, which is why people didn’t mind using them. Templates are still used for websites these days as well, but templates have come a long way and are much better looking.

Changes Being Made

Many different changes that were made have attributed to the way web design is today. Over a period of time, computer design programs were made available for users. Users could purchase and download these programs and create unique designs and graphics for their websites or for their own personal use.

Some of these programs include Adobe Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro and many others. People who started using these programs learned the basics on creating graphics and how important that could be to a website. Graphics look good on a website and add something extra besides just plain text. Being able to use these programs allowed web design to continue and advance. Businesses and companies liked having something extra on their website that would really catch the viewers’ eyes.

Giving Credit To Apple

The Apple incorporation deserves a lot of credit for the advances that have been made to web design and technology in general. In 1996, the Apple website looked fairly basic, just like most websites did at the time. The website appeared in black print on a white background with a clip art image of the Apple logo. Anyone who views what the website looked like today would have a hard time believing that the site for Apple.com ever looked so, well, ridiculous. However, it proves that technology and web design have not always been what they are now. Even prestigious companies, such as Apple, started from the very beginning with their web design basics.

Right before the millennium, Apple.com made some changes to the website. It looked more futuristic than before. It still wasn’t what it is today, but it was definitely better than it looked in 1996 with all plain text. In 1999, the website for Apple had nicer pictures with less text. The text that was displayed was more organized and didn’t look so awkward.

In 2000, the website changed for the better and displayed pictures of the new iMac that was produced by Apple. In 2001, the iPod was introduced and at that time, the web design changed again. This time, the web design focused solely on the iPod. In 2004, the main focus of the web design was still on the iPod, but this time it was all about the changes and advances that had been made to the iPod over the span of three years.

The web design for Apple.com continued to change and grow. Each year, changes were made and the website looked better and better. What people found out and learned from Apple.com is that simple web design was better than over the top craziness. Simple web design that looked decent and was organized would catch the eyes of Internet users.

The reason that Apple deserves such credit is because they opened the doors to other businesses and companies and their websites. Many of these companies chose to follow the direction that Apple.com too with their web design, which has taught people a lot about how their website should look.

How Has Web Design Changed?

Web design has changed in so many different ways. Primarily, it has changed in the way that it is set up. What most have learned along the way is that less is definitely more with web design. In the beginning, companies would display tons of information in text and packed it directly on a web page but now, the less is more feature is so much better for viewers.

Web design has also changed because it is much more organized than it was in 1991 and it is even more organized than it was five years ago. It seems as though web design advances each year, so who knows how web design will be in 10 or 20 years. It will continue to progress each year and that has been proven already.

Another change that has been made to web design is companies that are selling a product typically display a picture of each product being sold. The picture allows viewers to know what they are buying before they actually pay for it. Viewers can look at the picture and read product information before deciding whether it is right for them.

Overall, quality web design is essential for any business or person who wants to spread the word about something and get their point across. Web design has come along way and with advances being made with technology, it will continue to grow and expand. Website owners will have to keep up with their web design on a regular basis if they want to be successful.

Make sure to check out this cool infographic by Sean Work from KISSmetrics.

Related posts:

• January 10, 2012 – DesignContest – Workflow Innovation
• December 11, 2011 – Top 5 Necessities For a Sales Oriented Website
• December 7, 2011 – Top 5 Common Web Design Mistakes
• November 30, 2011 – Top 10 Tips for Web Design
• October 23, 2011 – Web Design: Do it Yourself or Outsource?
• September 17, 2011 – To Blog Or Not To Blog: That is The Question
• September 7, 2011 – Getting by as a Web Design in our Down Economy
• August 17, 2011 – DesignContest.com – Perfect Design or your Money Back (100% Guaranteed)!
• January 28, 2011 – Mambo Web Hosting: The Industry’s Leading Content Management System
• May 7, 2010 – The Value of Content Management Systems and Site Design

• HTML/CSS
• Great Ideas
• Graphic Software
• Marketing Strategies

These few things that you will need for designing a website may sound simple but it is actually much harder than it looks. Designing a website takes lots of time, effort, and most importantly, patience. It is definitely no easy task especially for someone who is a beginner at designing websites.

HTML/CSS knowledge is necessary for designing the website because this is how you will put the website together. HTML can be used to create links, add scroll bars, change the color of the page and text along with adding pictures and adding special effects to the website. If you have basic knowledge and/or experience with HTML, you may be able to put together your website all by yourself. However, if you have never done anything with HTML before, you will probably need a helping hand or a tutorial to get you started. There are also people online who can help you with the HTML of your website. Of course, you would have to pay most people to get them to design the HTML for your website but there are lots of affordable options that we will discuss later on in this article.

You will also need to have quite a few great ideas for your website and web design. If you are drawing a blank, you will not be able to properly organize your website. You need to put a lot of thought into the design and then go from there. You can come up with a lot of creative and unique ideas that would work well with your website. Creativity will really catch the eye of all the visitors who will frequent your website in the future, so remember to do something that is professional yet different from other websites.

Owning graphic software, such as Paint Shop Pro, is a necessity for web design. You will be able to create unique designs and graphics that are made specifically for your website. If you are familiar with the graphic software, that is an additional bonus. If you are not familiar with it, you can find tutorials on how to use graphic software to create interesting images and graphics for your website or you can hire someone else to do this work for you. Overall, graphics play an important role on your website so this is definitely very important.

Marketing strategies are also essential for any website. Before you even start thinking about ideas for your web design, you should think of marketing strategies and what visitors of your website want to see so that you can incorporate that information into your designs and creations. Marketing is the tool to having a successful website because it is how you will get the much needed recognition for your website and spread the word of what your website offers to Internet users.

Hiring a Freelancer

If you are unable to design your website yourself, you can hire a freelancer to get the job done for you. A freelancer is a person who is basically self-employed and will do work for your for a certain price. Best of all, finding a freelancer is not hard at all. In fact, there are so many ways for you to find a freelancer that you can afford to help you design and develop your website. Some of the places in which you can find freelancers include:

• Freelancer.com
• oDesk.com
• Elance.com
• Craigslist.org

These are just SOME of the many websites designed for freelancers who are looking for work and the people who are looking to hire them. You will have no trouble finding someone who is willing to do the work on whatever budget you set. Before you hire the person to design your website, you can ask for references or to see a portfolio of work that they have already completed to ensure that they are the right person for the job. This can make your life a whole lot easier especially if you have no idea how to use HTML or graphic software to design your website because someone else, who knows exactly what they are doing, will be able to do the work for you. You will never have to deal with the hassle of trying to figure everything out on your own. And, the design that the person creates for your website can help you to really take your website from the ground to the top. It will surely be worth whatever you choose to pay the freelancer.

Conclusion

Designing a website is tedious work that some people just do not have time for or are simply not good at doing. If you are someone who does not have the patience for HTML and graphic design, you might be better off leaving the job in the hands of someone who knows what they are doing. If you can do it yourself, then by all means, go for it! However, if you can’t, feel free to hire a freelancer to get the job done for you! You can even express some of your ideas and suggestions to the freelancer so that they will know exactly what you are expecting from them. In the end, you will be happy and your website will be successful which is most important.

Related posts:

• August 17, 2011 – DesignContest.com – Perfect Design or your Money Back (100% Guaranteed)!
• January 10, 2012 – DesignContest – Workflow Innovation
• December 11, 2011 – Top 5 Necessities For a Sales Oriented Website
• December 7, 2011 – Top 5 Common Web Design Mistakes
• November 30, 2011 – Top 10 Tips for Web Design
• November 23, 2011 – The Evolution of Web Design
• November 19, 2011 – The New Face of Emplyment: Freelancers
• September 17, 2011 – To Blog Or Not To Blog: That is The Question
• September 7, 2011 – Getting by as a Web Design in our Down Economy
• September 2, 2011 – Thinking Offpage SEO – Think White-Hat SEO

With that in mind, the real question when choosing a web host, a web design, or even a content management system (like WordPress) is: What exactly am I going to do with this chunk of the Internet? Whether or not you want a full site or just a basic blog-style interface will even determine if you need a registered domain name or not. To help you move along the Deciding Path, use the guide below.

First Off, What is A Blog And What’s a Website?

Seems like an obvious difference, but what really is a blog, and what’s a website? I mean, what are they really?

A blog is a tool designed to make it easy to provide constant content updates. These could be anything from news articles to essays on proper ways to cook a turkey. This website, for instance, is a blog, because it provides periodically updated content pieces. A website on the other hand, is a more static chunk of code. It’s not likely to change as much, and provides a different function: It might serve as a digital business card, or it might contain an artist’s portfolio. It’s less focused on being updated, and more focused on being relevant.

So Which One do I Need?

The best way to think about it is this: What will you really be doing with your site? If you need a place where customers can go to view your products, or learn a bit more about your business, a plain website will suffice. Think of your site as a billboard for the information you want to get out. With that in mind, focus on a web host that delivers a lot of storage space and high bandwidth, as you’ll need both, especially if your site is a portfolio.

However, if you’re just going to use the Internet space to vent news, thoughts, or emotions, go with a blog instead. Not only will it be easier to facilitate your content, but you can focus on simplicity, too. Likewise, a simple .blogspot domain will be good, unless you’d like to create a specific brand for yourself.

Related posts:

• January 10, 2012 – DesignContest – Workflow Innovation
• December 11, 2011 – Top 5 Necessities For a Sales Oriented Website
• December 7, 2011 – Top 5 Common Web Design Mistakes
• November 30, 2011 – Top 10 Tips for Web Design
• November 23, 2011 – The Evolution of Web Design
• November 4, 2011 – Life Blogging and the Web 2.0
• October 23, 2011 – Web Design: Do it Yourself or Outsource?
• September 7, 2011 – Getting by as a Web Design in our Down Economy
• September 1, 2011 – To Blog or Not to Blog?
• August 17, 2011 – DesignContest.com – Perfect Design or your Money Back (100% Guaranteed)!

A joint study commissioned by Heart Internet, a UK Web Host, and Design Shack, a web design blog, puts any hopes of that to rest.  It found that 80 percent of web designers find work to be either as hard or harder to come by than it was one year ago.  With less free capital to be allocated towards redesigning existing sites and the existence of more and more free options, this is a situation that does not look to correct itself any time soon.

The web designer who wants to stay in this profession needs to find ways to ride out this storm.  Here are a few suggestions:

Write for new platforms

If there’s any technology that is advancing faster than all of the rest of technology that intersects with it, it is within the smart phone realm.  New pads and phones and tablets are flying off the shelves.  What isn’t flying with it are the applications and programming meant to make use of their specific setups.

This is reflected in another poll from Heart Internet which stated that only 50% of web designers consider writing their code for use on mobile applications.  Well, there you go: start writing for them and you’ve now got a leg up on half of your competitors.  Of course, this is a lot of changing standards to keep up with.  It’s not easy; but in this economy, neither is anything that you need to do to stay ahead.  With more and more shopping being done from a hand-held device, this is a swelling market demographic that cannot be ignored.

Fill in the gaps

And it probably goes without saying that this same rule also goes for all of the old services that you never got around to learning.  Can you write for Unix, Linux and Windows servers?  Did you learn Flash, Shockwave, X3D?  Heck, learn Linden while you’re at it.  It may seem absurd or frivolous, but those Second Life dollars can become real dollars, and who even knows where those are going?

Expand downward

There are many other options to consider. Advertising-driving personal blogs, accepting advertising in general, freelance writing, join website design contest website like DesignContest.com, even at home customer service; all of these areas are filled with employers who are in constant need of little bits of help.  Those few extra dollars you make could make all the difference, not to mention the fact that by accepting more work you are continuing to make new connections.  Those connections could someday be new webmasters looking for your main service.

Yes, it may feel demeaning to resort to this after all of your hard training learning PHP or other similar languages.  Take a look at the world, though: you aren’t the only one having to retrain yourself.  Be happy, as a web designer, that you can still make a living at all.  Then, do what you have to do to make sure you can keep your career path on track.

Related posts:

• January 10, 2012 – DesignContest – Workflow Innovation
• December 11, 2011 – Top 5 Necessities For a Sales Oriented Website
• December 7, 2011 – Top 5 Common Web Design Mistakes
• November 30, 2011 – Top 10 Tips for Web Design
• November 23, 2011 – The Evolution of Web Design
• October 23, 2011 – Web Design: Do it Yourself or Outsource?
• September 17, 2011 – To Blog Or Not To Blog: That is The Question
• August 17, 2011 – DesignContest.com – Perfect Design or your Money Back (100% Guaranteed)!
• August 2, 2011 – Security for Mobile Applications
• May 2, 2011 – New Promotion from Heart Internet

Many new and existing business owners competing for visibility in today’s fast-paced market, finding dependable, affordable, and talented graphic designers can be a challenge. Small businesses typically do not have in-house graphic designers and must outsource needs such as logo design, business cards, stationary, print, and websites. It’s important to find a designer that understands their client’s aesthetic, can work within important deadlines and budget, and will provide a design that meets their client’s needs. Finding the perfect designer can be a challenge – that’s where DesignContest.com comes in.

Operating since 2003, DesignContest.com (formerly DesignContest.net) connects its clients with thousands of experienced, talented designers. The client becomes the contest holder, and the community of designers competes for a monetary prize. Instead of the 4 to 6 design options typically provided by a single design firm, the client will have hundreds of different design options to choose from and are given the opportunity to communicate with individual designers and provide feedback every step of the way. All of the contests on DesignContest.com run for one or two weeks, longer if the contest holder wants to see more, at the end of which a single designer is selected as the winner and original files are released.

DesignContest.com streamlines this entire process, making it easier to start a contest and more efficient to provide feedback to designers. Connecting clients with thousands of designers, all at once, makes it easy to get a design they love, within their budget. Every customer is extremely satisfied with the graphic designs they get, process efficiency and cost effectiveness.

100% Money-Back Guarantee assures clients that they only end up with a design that meets their needs.

More info at http://www.designcontest.com/

Related posts:

• January 10, 2012 – DesignContest – Workflow Innovation
• October 23, 2011 – Web Design: Do it Yourself or Outsource?
• December 11, 2011 – Top 5 Necessities For a Sales Oriented Website
• December 7, 2011 – Top 5 Common Web Design Mistakes
• November 30, 2011 – Top 10 Tips for Web Design
• November 28, 2011 – Corel Motion Studio 3D Review
• November 23, 2011 – The Evolution of Web Design
• September 17, 2011 – To Blog Or Not To Blog: That is The Question
• September 7, 2011 – Getting by as a Web Design in our Down Economy
• January 28, 2011 – Mambo Web Hosting: The Industry’s Leading Content Management System

What is Mambo Hosting?

Many in the web hosting industry consider Mambo among one of the few most free powerful content management systems available when compared to others in today’s market.  With Mambo’s easy-to-use interface and fully-loaded user friendly features, the prestigious accolades are rightfully deserved.

In fact, Mambo is an award winning content management system used to maintain a vast spectrum of website applications including personal websites, governmental portals, inner-office intranets and extranets, -commerce ventures, nonprofit organizations, educational institutes, religious affiliations, as well as complex corporate systems.   Mambo’s “power in simplicity” makes a favorite content management system in both the non-profit and profit sector.

The Advantages of Mambo

There are numerous advantages of Mambo which makes it so favorable among web designers.   The content management systems’ features such as improve performance by page caching on busy sites, advancement in template techniques, and supporting a fairly robust API.  In addition, Mambo can support RSS feeds, and make the task easier of automating tasks such as static web pages.

The advanced interface options include printable pages, e-commerce features, photo galleries, news flashes, blogs, visitor forums, online survey polls, calendars search features, and international languages.

Other advantages include:

• Established 8 years ago, with over 7 million downloads
• Free
• Easy Installation
• Flexibility
• Affordable
• Ability to customize
• Open Source

Finding a Web Host to Support Mambo

Although the CMS’ ease of use and vast features it offers are in large part why it’s so popular, the problem arises when trying to secure a web host that supports Mambo because it’s written in PHP programming language.   If the web host provider does not support PHP applications, then you’re out of luck trying to install Mambo.

Web hosting packages and services such as Linux and Windows IIS, Mac OS X, and FreeBSD, however, do support both scripting languages to support the Mambo content management system.   Furthermore, Mambo offers a free tutorial to navigate through its features and design abilities.   Keep in mind if you plan to utilize Mambo as your primary content management system, before consider purchasing a reliable web hosting service make sure that it fully supports Mambo.

When considering a reliable and powerful content management system to maintain your website, Mambo is one of the industry’s top picks for its loaded and easy to use features.

Related posts:

• May 7, 2010 – The Value of Content Management Systems and Site Design
• March 15, 2010 – Joomla 1.5 Review – Installation and Improvements
• April 22, 2009 – Is WordPress Really a CMS?
• February 2, 2009 – Mambo vs. Joomla – These CMS Rivals Square Off
• January 8, 2009 – Assessing the Open-source CMS
• November 25, 2008 – The CMS Drives the Hosting Industry
• October 29, 2008 – Joomla or Drupal? Which CMS is for You?
• October 24, 2008 – The Wonderful of Mambo
• October 20, 2008 – Meet the CMS Lineup
• September 23, 2011 – Say it with me – Joomla!