Web Design: DIY, Free or Pay?	1.8/5.0 (4 votes total) Rate: Select 1 - Terrible 2 - Poor 3 - Average 4 - Good 5 - Outstanding
Pat Hoolahan June 09, 2006

I don't know the exact statistics for the amount of web designers out there today, but I can say; I'm pretty sure that the numbers are extremely high. Being in the web design industry, this makes for a great amount of competition. Not to mention, the home user/jr. webmaster.

At a glance, web design does seem to be very easy, with all of these new and newer programs that allow for easy web design. Most of which are WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get), where nearly anyone with even the remote amount of computer operating experience, can appear to develop an entire website in a relatively short amount of time. Templates, graphics, built-in scripts, forms, tables, functions and features that are built-in tools with many of these design programs, makes it easy to do so. This is all fine and good, for a start...

Sites designed in this way, quickly get out of control once the owner of the site or the home user/webmaster jr., have the need for web site page additions, changes, updates, new features, sections or functions implemented. This is where the "code" really hits the fan. The home user/webmaster jr. suddenly finds themselves in a not-so "wysiwyg", website debacle. This is where the art of the true web designer/developer shines through.

It's all in the code It's in the back-end of web design, the web development end, that truly separates the webmaster jr. type sites from the more smoothly functioning, customized sites of professional designers/design companies. Sure, average Joe or Joanie can pop up a ready made site and bluff their way through the initial phase of site design, maybe even succesfully ftp (file transfer protocol) it to the internet. Can they come back and introduce new materials, edit and change the layout, functions and navigation of your or their site? Not likely. Chances are, they won't have the ability to do so with their "wysiwyg" program. These programs often lack the functions necessary to re-edit a site once it's published, or to manipulate pre-built scripts.

This takes the knowledge of language, website design language. A jr. designer that is inept in their HTML (hyper text markup language, the source code of web site pages) knowledge, spells disaster. Another common language that is used in conjuction with HTML is JavaScript. JavaScript is a programming language that is often used with, or in HTML, for page functions that cannot be performed by HTML coding alone. Little or no knowledge in a website function performing language like JavaScript, leaves nearly no room for expansion, customization or enhancement of a website's functionality.

Pay for website design? The correct answer here should be, unequivocally; yes. You get what you pay for, then again, maybe not. A free website can be achieved, even hosted for free, but at what cost? A freely hosted website usually consists of a subdomain as it's address, whereas, you're not likely to be retrieved in search engine results. Rendering the website as being useless in search engine advertising. In addition, many free hosting services place their banner at the top of your pages, making for a non-professional looking site, no matter how well the site is made.

For those seeking a website designer or design company, I feel the general consesus is; "It's on the internet, it should be for free..." or "I don't want to pay for it". While most of us are cost-conscious, the real value in a quality website gets overlooked. Unfortunately for these individuals, they will find out when it's too late. After going the "free route" and discovering they are receiving next to zero visitors and business or from being roped-in by the non-disclosed pricing offers or "prices start at" deals of some designers and design companies. Then, only to be so far into completing their site (more like; being held hostage) and being seriously overcharged.

A designer or design company that cannot offer consumers upfront pricing, should be avoided. Although, many would argue the point that it is indeterminable for establishing pricing of websites, without first knowing the amount and type of content. Baloney. Basic pricing can be established with exact, additional pricing, predetermined. While the amount of work involved will vary from customer to customer in an initial offering, additional content prices will not. It's all in the price of doing business.

Lastly, website design is a profession. One which deserves respect, recognition and reward for it's many forms of websites designed and for all of the the hard work and knowledge it takes to be successful in this industry, making the internet what it is today. The web designer, whether they are freelance or part of a team of designers, really is a web-master. For you, the reader: Hopefully, this article will have an effect on how you view web designers and design companies, and help you to make a better decision in choosing who will design for you.

_____

via Hostreview.com