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While revamping the WebCommons About page recently, I realized that I hadn’t ever really expressed what my company’s web design philosophy was.

So, I just took myself through a thought exercise, trying to drum up my guiding experiences and methodology for approaching my web work.  After 15 years of tinkering with websites, certainly I could think of a way of relaying this in a way where most anyone, especially potential clients, could understand what I’m driving at.  A true challenge, I thought at first, but I made myself do it.

The strange thing was that the words that formed this philosophy practically wrote themselves.  In many ways, I just repeated what I say to myself all the time when working on various web projects.

I broke down the philosophy into three parts:

1. A beginning, overarching thought about proper web design, which can be spread like a meme;
2. A bunch of statements that undergird the overarching thought, lending significant but not overwhelming detail;
3. And finally, a “formula for website health”.  This is where I distill everything I said before into a symbolic equation, that if followed closely by professional practitioners, should produce very well-designed, more potentially successful websites.

Here’s my overarching thought about web design:

At the outset, web design, like any visual functional design, is about controlling the “flow of the eyes.”  In the long run, web design is about capturing the ongoing interest, if not soul, of a significant many who visit the website.  Period.

And here’s the distilled WebCommons formula for website health:

Website Health =
Eye Control + Obvious Navigation + Convenience Functions + Simplicity
+ Modesty + Performance + Coherent Style – Nonsense

Check out the new page entitled The WebCommons Web Design Philosophy to read the undergirding statements in between.

What do you think of WebCommons’ web design philosophy, and the formula for website health?  If you are a web developer, what is your design philosophy?  Disagreement is welcome.  Philosophical differences in web development are the norm, and we can all learn a lot from these differences.

Note: In case you’re wondering, I didn’t include “Fresh, Compelling Content” in the formula because I see this as the purview of the website owner, not the designer.  A designer doesn’t create the content, unless it’s their own website they’re designing.  It’s not a “formula for website success”, which is part good content, part sufficient marketing, and part good luck.

Today, hopefully for your edification, I am going offer a rare glimpse of extreme honesty on a matter that I as a freelance web programmer, and I’m sure most other freelance web developers, have to deal with.  I am very sure that what I am about to unveil may lose me some work, but I can deal.  You see, people who freelance in web development and other fields don’t just work for money; we work for reputation as well.  That is, we know the perils of having our names (or our company’s names) associated with shoddy work — therefore, we will do anything we can to prevent that from happening.  We always have to keep our minds attuned to how our services are truly marketed — through the word of mouth emanating from the completion of quality websites.  That’s where most of my new work comes from, so I have to obey this reality.  No choice.

Now, you might be wondering: Is it fair to potential customers to reject work at all?  Ask attorneys that question, or ask anyone who performs very specialized services this question.  The reality is that when one specializes in any field, in order for them to run a business based on that specialization, they have to have rules by which they conduct business, or they will be overrun with serious problems, financial and otherwise.

I hope that my following list of top ten reasons to turn down web development projects will create a good picture of what people like me are looking for when clients approach us.  Whether you seek my services, or anyone else’s services, you need to know these things.  Believe me, with this list, I am trying to HELP YOU meet success when working with the webheads.

1. You don’t know what you want.

Seriously, are you going to go to Kinko’s and say “Print me a brochure with a few party-like graphics and text using these scribbled notes here” and get what you actually expect?  This also holds true for working with web developers.  You need to be as specific as possible as to what you want your website to do and what it should look like.

Now, certainly, I am dutifully available to offer professional feedback on your ideas so as to more finely tune what it is you exactly want.  But, I am also not a mind reader — I am not omniscient — I am no magician — You tell me what you want because you have taken the time to think about what you want.  Explore other websites.  Talk to your trusted friends about your ideas.  Think about what you want your site to accomplish.  After all, ultimately it’s your site; therefore, you have to own its concept!

People start businesses with a business plan, whether written down or not — Think of your website the same way people think of their own businesses.

I am the web developer, you are the web development client — I turn your ideas into reality with my technical skills.  So be specific.

2 through 10, after the fold… Read the rest of this entry »

Don't break this to pay for web programming services!

OK, so here we are in the midst of the Great Recession.  My business, like many others, is tight these days.  And yours may be as well.  I need to make more money.  And if you have a business or organization website (or need a new one), you want to get a good deal for your money when having a web developer service your needs.

Well, I’m not going to do this like selling Ginsu knives on the tee-vee, but here’s what I’m-a gonna do…  and this offer is good through December 31, 2009…

I normally make this offer in whispers to new clients, but I have decided to make it public.  My normal base rate for web development is $32/hour (already low in the web development community), but for all new web projects I start between now and December 31, I will do the work for 2/3 the rate ($21.33/hour) if you allow me to display an image-link back to this services site at the bottom of your site for at least six months (see an example at www.harmonweddings.com; by the way, he’s a fantastic photographer too!).  Let’s say it takes 20 hours to complete your web development project — Now it would cost $426.60 instead of $640.  That’s a pretty good discount!

In short, you let me market my wares on your site, and you get cheaper web development from me!

So, you’re wondering, what kind of web development does WebCommons do?  Well, check out my many web programming specialties.  Also, lately, I’ve been doing a lot of enhancements to WordPress-based sites or new developments of informational sites using WordPress.  Basically, if you feel your current site is too much like a flat brochure, let me enliven it with WordPress and add all sorts of programmed goodies, such as an integrated calendar, image galleries, contact form and more — believe me, the possibilities will stoke your imagination.  And what’s more, when your site is based in WordPress, it will be easy for you to update your content without having to pay a web dude like me to do it!

If you’re interested, just give me a ring (or an e-mail).  Thanks for reading!

Little Loomhouse - New Website Design

I apologize for not posting very much in this blog so far, but I guess I’m the kind of web programmer who would rather do than blog about it.     But that’s no excuse of course.  So here goes…

Recently I completed a site makeover for the Little Loomhouse in Louisville.  Check out the new WebCommons page where I show what the website looked like before I did my magic, and what the website has been transformed into — a dramatically improved website, both visually and functionally (and the client wholeheartedly agrees!).

Like I say on the page… If your business or non-profit organization has an informational website that needs to come alive with programmed features and the easy ability for you to make changes to it, or even just receive a visual makeover, contact WebCommons — Get a quality result that everyone raves about, for a very reasonable price.

Check out the results at this topic on Louisville History & Issues.

Seeing what visitors actually do on a discussion board not only triggers brainstorms for positive functional changes and a significant re-orientation of what content is developed.

Analytics are also letting me know, brutally, of the limitations of the discussion board approach to creating a thriving online “community”.

How does one really go about creating an “open discussion zone” that keeps people sticking around, and better yet, participating?