Website Designer vs Programmer, Creative or Technical, Which Do You Need?

October 30th, 2010 | Posted in Blog, marketing | Comments Off
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Over the past 11+ years I’ve been creating websites for my clients, I’ve often come across people who are really confused about the difference between a website designer and a programmer and many times have hired the wrong person for their needs. So, let’s talk about these two types of web people and hopefully this information will help those who are stuck in a dilemma.

The Simple & Basic Difference: One is a creative person, the other is a technical person. Think “artist” & “mathemetician” or “scientist.” Very different! Of course both of these types of people can have the ability to work in both areas, but they really are strongest in either one or the other. For example: I’d consider myself the creative type. I do know how to write code, SEO strategies, marketing and more… but I’d call myself a designer (creative) first and foremost. Why? Because I hire the technical programmers to work with me when I need complicated forms, e-commerce, private client logins, or some other complicated coding done. The exact opposite might happen with a technical programmer who would hire me because they can build something that’s functionally sound, but if they want it to look good rather than just functional, they need me.

Hiring a Designer: Make sure as you look through various designers’ portfolios that the sites they’ve done not only look good, but all the links work, the forms work, and there was thought given to the navigation and functionality of the sites. A site should flow from one section/page to another. You should never need to use a browser’s back button. Make sure and ask if they have a technical partner. Have them clearly explain how they’re planning to build it, before they’ve even designed it. Make sure in your agreement they are planning to design the right amount of layouts so you’ll know the flow of the site, before it’s coded. One thing I’ve learned over time, you can’t just design something, you have to know how to produce it.

Hiring a Programmer: I have one team that I like to use and why? Because they interpret my layouts perfectly. I’ve tried other programmers, one didn’t do a good job in the programming, and another’s prices were too high and terms too strict. So when I’m looking for new programmers to help me build my clients’ sites, what do I look for?

1- I don’t want a person or team that is too busy, because they sort you into the mix and the project will take too long. Sometimes even when they say you’ll have it next week, it may take longer. Make sure they stick to their projected schedule.

2- I want to see some simple, clean and creative websites that they’ve done. If all their samples look similar with similar headers, sidebars, body and footers, I think they may not be able to think out-of-the-box and I want the programmer to be ready for whatever I dream up.

3- Their price per hour has to be in your price range. Their terms are flexible, like 2 or 3 payments.

4- They’re comfortable working with creative people and it shows in their work and how they communicate back and forth.

html php asp cfm xhtml code graphic

What to do if it’s not working out and you may realize you’ve got the wrong type of web person working on your project.

Don’t panic! Find someone you trust for advice, someone who’s knowledgeable in the web field, so together you can assess the website, the issues or problems and figure out a course of action.

Example #1: Say you’ve hired a web programmer to build your website and after paying the first two payments, the site is mostly built, you’re still unhappy with the design and some of the functionality. Well, it may be time to negotiate with the programmer to turn over the files and look to a designer who can now fix it up to your satisfaction.

Example #2: You hired a creative designer but the SEO is missing, the google analytics, titles are wrong, links aren’t working right or some other technical problem. You can either discuss these changes you want made and it’s up to the creative web designer to hire a techie to fix the site or you finish up with the creative and find a techie to do what you need.

Now you’re saying, I don’t want to deal with these problems, or have to hire more than one person, but you also need to understand that these situations arise every week. I hear these exact stories all the time. Sometimes if you’re in a bad situation, you just have to cut your losses and move forward.

One tip I will give is to really do your homework before hiring someone. If you’re getting a recommendation, you still have to know that person can do what you need done. Be sure to go over very carefully what you want with that designer or programmer. Be sure to look over the estimate or contract you’ve gotten to be sure things are spelled out clearly.

Top 10 Website Mistakes – Time to Update or Check Your Site

October 29th, 2010 | Posted in Blog, marketing | Comments Off
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I have been designing and building websites since 1998, and as the languages, platforms and technicalities change, it’s more important than ever to be sure your site has been built correctly, so it’s working hard to bring in those new customers/clients.

Here are the top 10 mistakes I’ve seen and if any of these are within your site, you know you’ve got some updating to do.

Website Mistakes: Talking Design, Functionality & SEO Performance

Web Mistake #1: Text embedded within an image. If the text on your page isn’t real text, but embedded in an image, the browsers cannot read it. It may look interesting but it isn’t doing anything for you and isn’t seo friendly. The browser will read “alt text” which is an alternate textual name you give the image so if someone cannot see your image for some reason it shows the text in place of it.

Web Mistake #2: Having a site/pages with no title tag, description or keywords. If your page is called “Home” or “Services” as the title of the page, this is the generic title that would match your page link name, but it doesn’t distinguish your company or services at all. This is especially important for websites that are mostly galleries, such as, artists, architects, etc… Usually those types of sites have a lot of imagery in their galleries and are short on text (about/bio page). If not properly tagged, they will most likely never be found.

Web Mistake #3: Not having links to social media on your site. Today more people search on Facebook than Google and with Twitter’s users skyrocketing as well, social media has become a tremendous source for finding companies to follow or colleagues to connect with. I also belong to many groups on LinkedIn and it’s a great way to participate in discussions or post announcements or queries. You can reach thousands of people at once so these social media sites are quite powerful.

Web Mistake #4: Naming pages and images wrong. Whether your site is built manually using html/php/asp or you’re using WordPress or another blogging platform, you must name your pages and images properly if you expect the search engines to read them and show them when searched on the subject. Page titles and images should be as specific as possible with the words separated by underscores or hyphens. NO EMPTY SPACES, PLEASE! For example: use this, Frog_Toad.html or Frog-Toad.html, or Frog-Toad.jpg. DO NOT USE: Frog Toad.html or your page name will become Frog%20Toad.html. (same for images)

Web Mistake #5: Not designing your website, blog, social media and even print materials so they all match! If you want visitors to remember your brand, you must be consistant… if they go from your website to your blog and not only is the blog name something different but the design is also, you’re watering down your business. Make them all match and you will build a strong business and brand look. Try to make your email the same as your website name, to simplify so customers remember.

Web Mistake #6: Send a clear message about helping them! When someone arrives on your site the first thing they want to know is what you’re going to do for them and why you’re the best person to hire, or why they should buy your product. Don’t open the site telling them about why you’re so great, they really don’t care. Make sure it’s directed at the visitor, so they click through to find out more about your products and/or services.

Web Mistake #7: Don’t clutter up your homepage or any page. When someone comes to your site, don’t confuse them with too many different options, different calls to action, too much copy, etc… clean, simple and direct.

Web Mistake #8: Navigation, yes clear, easy navigation! The navigation on your website should work beautifully all the way through, around and back and forth, even using breadcrumbs. If a site is built properly, no one should ever need to use the browser’s back button. You might even put in a sitemap page to help people find exactly what they want easily. Google loves sitemaps! When it comes to e-commerce make sure this is an easy check-out and not confusing, with a thank you page so they know the purchase went through.

Web Mistake #9: Don’t make something look like a link that isn’t. Web users are pretty savvy and get used to way things work. Many times I’ve seen people underline words and a user will automatically think it’s a link, when it isn’t. Try instead jusy bolding the words, or changing the color.

Web Mistake #10: Please check for broken links and cross platform design and peformance. I see this on websites, and also on email blasts. Either a photo isn’t there or wasn’t coded properly, or someone deleted a page and forgot there was a link to that page someplace else. Check your website’s links and pages once a month to be sure everything clicks through, all images are there, and especially look at your site on both mac and pc platforms to be sure it looks right to all!

Top Ten List – WordPress Blog Tips

October 29th, 2010 | Posted in Blog, marketing | 2 Comments
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I have been designing custom WordPress themes for a while now and it has become the platform website/blog of choice with business people all over. I tutor my clients once I’ve built their site/blog and explain the platform to get them going.

It has come to my attention that there are many people out there who have technical issues or are confused about some of the functionality, so I’ve built a top ten WordPress tips list. If you have other questions about issues I haven’t covered or need help just give me a call.

4-wordpress-blog-themes-Susan-Newman

Pictured above are 4 really different custom blog themes, Webbanovella (coming soon), Sara Goldstein, Homestead Gluten Free and Frogs Are Green.

Let’s Talk WordPress Functionality & SEO Performance

Tip #1: Titles to posts or pages that are SEO friendly. Many times bloggers will just name their post or page something generic, like, Frogs and Toads. The first issue is it’s too generic and doesn’t sort the post properly. The second issue is the “and” which isn’t needed and dilutes the SEO value. Now if the title had been “Frogs Toads Across Texas” this would help sort the post.

Tip #2: Photographs within posts/pages. You must name your photos properly or use “Alt Text” for the photos. Do not name your photos with empty spaces between the words. Ex: “Frogs in New Jersey.jpg.” The web does not understand an empty space and will put a %20 everywhere where there is an empty space, so your photo name would be “Frogs%20in%20New%20Jersey.jpg.” (This applies to page titles as well on manually built websites in html.)

Tip #3: Do not copy and paste text from somewhere else without editing it first, or it brings with it all sorts of foreign tags. Use a text editor to remove unwanted code, or use the icon within WordPress for pasting from “Microsoft Word” which will help remove unwanted code.

Tip #4: Embedding keywords and adding selective keywords. Keywords should be embedded within your page’s content as well as added to the keyword area. The search engines read your content and give weight to certain words and phrases, and the more of these they find the better you place. How to find the best keywords? I suggest loading Google Analytics code into your site and then tracking the keywords used to find you. Google also offers a free keyword search tool with Adwords.

Tip #5: Install the SEO Plugin. There is a great plugin you can install to your WordPress blog called the “All in One SEO Pack.” With this plugin, you can do all sorts of things such as add keywords, descriptions, menus and more.

Tip #6: Keep your first opening page to under 3 recent posts. If you check you google analytics regularly, you’ll never know which posts visitors are reading if they’re only on your first opening page. This will also make your bounce rate go up because people will be reading and never need to click anywhere else before leaving. If you have a sidebar and have recent posts and catagories listed, then visitors can move around and you will be able to track with greater detail which posts are read more than others, so you know more about what your readers are looking for.

Tip #7: What to do about switching from html to visual viewing. I know that when you’re writing in either of these modes, it may change a bit if you’re going back and forth between these two modes. I suggest saving your draft as you go along, and write the whole post in one of these two, try not to keep switching back and forth. You can also write up your post in “Word” and once finished, paste into WordPress but use the “W” icon so it comes in cleanly.

Tip #8: Remember that WordPress can be used for a static site as well as a blog. Many of the websites I’ve built recently are using the WordPress CMS so they can update or edit their pages and they aren’t blogging at all. We just develop the pages section instead. There are also sites that have both and this way the site and the blog are one, at the same address, using the same design. This is a wonderful and cost effective way to build a new site. You can even install a shopping cart and have an e-commerce solution.

Tip #9: If you want something different, don’t just buy a ready-made theme, ask a designer to create something custom for you. The cost won’t be that much more and your site will look professional as well as original.

Tip #10: Content must stay the course. If you have built a nitche for yourself, make sure that your posts stay on topic. Sometimes bloggers move off topic and you’ll lose readers if you stray to far. They’re reading because they like what you’re saying, so keep giving them more of wht they ask for. Make sure your keywords added to a post help describe the post and what might draw readers.

Bonus #11: Be sure to adjust the settings (under appearance) for the number of posts read, that an administrator must approve a comment, and the naming of your posts for titles, not page numbers.

Kennebunkport Lobster Company

October 24th, 2010 | Posted in Portfolio, web | Comments Off
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I’m thrilled to be designing a new website for the Kennebunkport Lobster Company of Maine. The new site will have all sorts of features, such as, leasing a lobster trap, being able to monitor through your dashboard how many lobsters have been caught for you. You’ll also be able to buy individual lobsters as well as other products and merchandise. Look for this new site in 2011.

Frog Conservation Posters

October 24th, 2010 | Posted in Portfolio, print | Comments Off
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My cause, Frogs Are Green with co-founder, Mary Jo Rhodes is an organization created to increase awareness about the catastrophic decline for frog and other amphibian populations and to advocate for conservation measures to help protect them. We are spreading the message that healthy frogs equal a healthy planet for all. The poster on the left won a 2010 design award from Graphic Design USA. Photograph courtesy of Dr. Kerry Kriger of Save The Frogs. The poster on the right was also created at flyer size, and is a FREE download on the Frogs Are Green site.

Environmental Posters for Frog Conservation and Earth Day

October 24th, 2010 | Posted in Portfolio, print | Comments Off
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For a few years now I have been designing posters for Earth Day as well as Frog Conservation efforts over at Frogs Are Green. Pictured from left to right, renowned artist, Paul Zwolak helps launch the 1st Frogs Are Green kids’ art contest with his awesome bicycling frogs; John Crittenden‘s marvelous tulips help me express Earth Day (2010 Graphic Design USA winner) and Sherry Neidigh helps  remind us that we all want to be healthy and safe in our dream environmental home.

If They Call It A Smart Phone, Why Is The Process of Getting One So Dumb?

October 24th, 2010 | Posted in Blog, marketing | Comments Off
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Yesterday I went down to Hoboken, to the Verizon store, to see about a new cell phone. Every 2 years or so the battery starts giving out and it was that time again. I had been getting emails and direct mail pieces for a while saying I was due for an upgrade and they were offering a discount of course. Let’s not even talk about the complete waste of over-advertising and the waste of paper to someone who is already a client. So I’m browsing around the store, and after being in there a few minutes, I now realize I must sign in using their little kiosk. This should be displayed right when you walk in.

I’ve seen friends with their “smart phones” the Blackberry and the Droid. The Blackberry was adequate and since I don’t really text, I really just needed a phone and the internet. The way they posted the pricing and the way they start selling you “your deal” is ridiculous. I’m looking at the Blackberry Curve and it says right there, $29.99, but it’s not. I look at the Droid, it says $199.99 but it’s not. They tell you the “Curve” is actually $129.99, but you’re going to get a rebate of $50, so it’s really $79.99. But wait, we’ve recalculated just for you, and now you’re going to pay $100 up front, but you’ll get a rebate of $100, so really the phone will be $0.

Okay, we start the process. There are no chairs for any of the customers to sit in, so I, like others, have to stand there for quite a while until they get everything going, and start transferring the phone’s assorted data. After we get all of it ready and transferred, we start a mini tutorial on how the phone works, and we realize the phone is defective, right out of the box! So, we have to start all over again with another phone. (It’s at this point I asked for a chair!)

Two hours plus and I’ve finally got a phone to take home. All I can think at this point is I’m so glad I only have to do this every few years. What does this say about their presentation, their wheeling and dealing, and the miss-marked products? In most stores isn’t the marked price what you pay?  Why try to trick us? Aren’t we customers that deserve respect for our loyalty?

But here’s my real gripe. I know why they do this rebate BS, because they’re just hoping maybe 10% or more won’t bother to cut the box and mail it in. But in this tough economy who wouldn’t want $100 back? Why can’t they just say, okay here’s your new phone and it’ll cost you “0.” If it’s going to cost me “0″ anyway?

Building Hype Around Something New – But It Better Be Good

October 17th, 2010 | Posted in Blog, marketing | Comments Off
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I’ve been a really big fan of HBO and their original programming. There was tremendous build up for one their new shows, with tons of advertising (obviously having a big marketing budget)… it is HBO, after all. Boardwalk Empire, starring Steve Buscemi, with a marvelous supporting ensemble of actors, directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Terence Winter.

So far, I’ve watched three episodes and there are definitely details that appeal to me. I love the recreated, dated look of Atlantic City at the dawn of Prohibition, with cool signage, costumes, marquis and overall cinematography. Many of the supporting characters are unique and memorable, but I’m not sure Steve Buscemi was the right choice as the star. I’ve loved him in other films, but in this series, I think they needed someone with a bit more charisma.

There’s another show on HBO that I just love, Bored to Death, starring Jason Schwartzman, Ted Danson, and Zach Galifianakis. Created by Jonathan Ames this show is witty, hilarious and I’ve wondered why it hasn’t gotten more advertising, (larger marketing budget) so more people will learn of it and tune in.

I wanted to discuss this comparison because companies have multiple products and how do they know which to really push out there, advertise to the public and which to hold back on? Is it star power that builds the budget, whether the product is worth it or not? Is it because Martin Scorcese is the director of Boardwalk Empire that the advertising budget was so much higher than on Bored to Death, even though the cast is known? Is it that dramas are taken more seriously than half-hour comedies when it comes to advertising?

When I think about how this would apply to a different consumer product-based business, how do we know if we’re featuring the right product? Our latest and greatest usually gets the marketing budget. What if we pick the wrong product and push all our advertising toward it and it’s not well received?

We can hire marketing professionals, show them our ideas and trust their advice. We can also tell by past experience with similar products. (In the case of Boardwalk Empire, I imagine the past success of Deadwood and The Soprano’s plus Scorsese gives them the star power needed.) We can test market the new products and see how they’re received. We can get celebrity endorsements and those that follow them, might stand behind us.

In many businesses it’s going to be hit or miss when selling to the public, but if we surround ourselves with the best, most professional people, we’re more likely to have a hit.

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