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Alex

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Hey all,

I hope this is an appropriate post for this forum, but I wanted to ask some of you guys a question. I'm currently designing a website for my fiance's father and I was curious if you guys thought there was a market for what I would refer to as more full-service web design than seems to be offered by designers in the cattle industry. By full service, I mean I would have a meeting or phone call with someone, discuss their needs and two weeks later deliver them a website which met their needs.

Naturally, this is quite a bit more expensive than a do-it-yourself option, but I was curious if you guys thought there were enough people in the cattle industry who would need this sort of service to consider focusing my services here.

Also and I hope I'm not imposing by asking this, what do you guys consider to be very important in choosing a web designer? Price, personal service, free extra site features (like a guestbook, forum, etc.) or perhaps something I didn't even mention?

Anyway, thank you for your time!
 
You would be joining hundreds of others that are already doing the same thing. There are those that offer a barebones webpage all the way through a truly custom deal with all the bells and whistles.

dun
 
Yeah, and then there are guys like me that produce his own websites using Microsoft Front Page.

Bill
 
I've had 3 experiences with web design over past 5 years:

  • [1] DIY with Microsoft FP 2000
    [2] Hired 2 different Web designers for 2 different times
    [3] Went with 2 major DIY web hosting companies

Results: The MS FP 2000 worked fine; however, something happened and I couldn't update or delete anything. Had to terminate my website via ISP.

Web designers: One provided a "service" along with the web design. Real nice site. However, was next to impossible to get updates "in real time" (less than one week) so I ended up trashing both sites.

Web Hosting Companies: Best deal yet. One with our Running Arrow Longhorns site and one with our Running Arrow Farm site. Both cost probably about $1500 a year (for the 2 sites) or so along with 3 email addresses and real-time credit card processing. I can update either site as needed and get site "published back" within 30 minutes. Each site has different methods to update site. Pictures load well, thumbnails, albums, many type styles, sizes, colors, etc. Works for us! Since we keep our sites updated monthly (sometimes weekly) with horn lengths, photos, prices, etc., this has been our best deal.

These websites have a block-building component as well as ease of changing "skins" (website masthead) if needed.

To me, nothing is worse than (besides the site not working properly) not being able to update your information promptly; or, having to wait on a webmaster to "get around-to-it" updating your site. People who don't update their site periodically should probably discontinue the site...outdated sites and information reflect on one's business.

A final note: One should get their own dot com domain name--usually less than $25 a year. To "tag" your site onto one of those "freebie" services only opens the door to a lot of advertising banners and other junk that only distract from your site. Keep your domain name simple and easy to remember and if possible, identifies you as a unique business.
 
Thank you all for taking the time to respond to my post.

One of the nice things about working at a good sized web design firm is the ability to fall back on things everyone on staff has learned with past projects. One of the guys on staff actually wrote a program a few years ago which would allow a novice webmaster to add photographs, thumbnails, text and whatever else someone would need to a website from within a web browser. (Meaning if you could use a message board like this, you would have the knowledge to update your website.)

From your descriptions, it sounds like my firms services could fill a real niche market in the cattle industry at a reasonable price.

Anyway, thank you all for your time again!

-Alex
 
Running Arrow Bill":2hss2hwl said:
Web Hosting Companies: Best deal yet. One with our Running Arrow Longhorns site and one with our Running Arrow Farm site. Both cost probably about $1500 a year (for the 2 sites) or so along with 3 email addresses and real-time credit card processing. I can update either site as needed and get site "published back" within 30 minutes. Each site has different methods to update site. Pictures load well, thumbnails, albums, many type styles, sizes, colors, etc. Works for us! Since we keep our sites updated monthly (sometimes weekly) with horn lengths, photos, prices, etc., this has been our best deal.

These websites have a block-building component as well as ease of changing "skins" (website masthead) if needed.

To me, nothing is worse than (besides the site not working properly) not being able to update your information promptly; or, having to wait on a webmaster to "get around-to-it" updating your site. People who don't update their site periodically should probably discontinue the site...outdated sites and information reflect on one's business.

A final note: One should get their own dot com domain name--usually less than $25 a year. To "tag" your site onto one of those "freebie" services only opens the door to a lot of advertising banners and other junk that only distract from your site. Keep your domain name simple and easy to remember and if possible, identifies you as a unique business.

When you talk about DIY web sites, are you referring to something like Macon is offering for $200 yr? This seems like a good deal, and something you could update quickly.
 

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