Website Builds and Marketing
- 1st Jul 2008
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- Web Design
DaveN and I were chatting yesterday about the fundamental aspects the should be incorporated with any website design. What prompted this discussion was the numerous web design companies out there that charge a premium for their design services and seem to purposefully overlook even basic Seo properties of the site with a view to adding an SEO package on later at yet another premium.
I would of thought with any webdesign the customer can at least expect decent page titles and headings which are relevant to their industry to be included with the webdesign. It’s fair I think that the customer should see their web pages indexed correctly. I’m not talking about extensive SEO services here, just about the basics.
The philosopy of building a solid foundation rings true every time a website is built and through good communciation with the customer SEO services should never be an afterthought.
Dan Horton SEO
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Too - true! I have a ton of friends who have small businesses that have websites as afterthoughts. They are normally cruddy and with poor structure and accessibility. They’ve normally been done by graphic designers.
Doesn’t matter how snazzy a site looks. If it can’t be found it’s useless!
Web designers usually suck s### when it comes to usability or SEO.
They have no clue. I have worked with many web dev companies who do the same though, they keep calling me back for SEO, the real simple stuff. If they looked at what they had been told (and paid for) many many times over they could tout their designs/products as SEO friendly from the off and then call people like us in at stage two.
I really think it is just stupidity
What worry’s me is the new web designers at college do not even get shown the basic compliance codes or the basics of SEO, went into my local collage to find a trainee SEO and the person that ran the class looked at me totally blank when I said could they tell me who came top of the class for web design and know something about seo. god help us!
Agreed! While my site design and development skills are… at most intermediate,I always include keyword research and optimized copy, and make use of meta tags, basic site maps, page titles, etc. in my services.
There is no reason they shouldn’t be included in one affordable package for small businesses.
On the other side of things, those who own or manage small businesses should try to seek out companies whose mission and objectives are to help small businesses achieve success. This way they can stand clear of those clearly robbing them.
Displaying a grand portfolio is not the only reason to hire or outsource projects to someone. So with the right amount of skepticism, so to speak, small business owners can build some great relationships with organizatons such as mine and have their needs fulfilled without overspending.
Great read, Dan. Thanks!
I have way more than 50 things I need to do to a site, either in the configuration files or in the code itself.
Actually, taking another look at the list, it is closer to a hundred. I have written about many of them before.
I am changing a load of page titles at the moment. Some are like “DEFAULTPHOTOS” which does not make any sense at all!
Actually, I don’t fully fault the web designer in this. These days, it’s really, really hard to find a talented and creative web designer. But, you are right, these folks aren’t always (hardly ever) trained in SEO.
Then, you have SEO’s that aren’t web designers…
I suggest to clients to either use a firm that does both or to have an SEO project manage the web design project so that they can be sure that all things are considered.
I’ve seen the same thing, where all of the title tags are the same, or designers go NUTS with flash, URLs are named poorly.
The client really needs to work closely with the web designer, especially in the review process to make sure these things accurately define the pages.
Anyway, I don’t put the blame solely on the web designer…
I’m one cheap son of a bitch when it comes to business. Here is what I do to deal with this problem:
1. Graphic guys HATE html, esp CSS. So, I have the gfx guys do what they do best: design. Then, I hire a seperate CSS guy to chop it up. It’s easy.
2. Personally, I hate firms, but if I do, I tell them that I’m able to bring several projects to them over time, but I need a “wholesale rate” for the graphic design. I pay no more than $300 US for a design (straight PSD file w/ layers & fonts).
3. Same goes for individuals except they will work cheaper and more enthusiastic, in my exp. Either way, my main negotiating point is, I just need the design. No slice & dice, just the design. They bite every time. And, they like the prospect of more work down the line, because at $300 a pop, u can toss alot their way.
4. CSS guys usually work for a design firm, so I do the calling, blah blah, find out who the CSS guy is, ask for his email/phone, and then work out a deal outside the firm. Main selling point is, you’re going to keep all the money from this deal, kiddo. Works just as good, saves me money. Designers also will go for it.
So in a way, firms put too many losses on the gfx & css guys with their regular pay, so most are cool with free lance work.
And, there you go. All this advice for FREE! I’m an idiot.
Hey Josh, you might want consider saving money and hiring a company who does both. They do in fact . . . EXIST! :)
“2. Personally, I hate firms, but if I do, I tell them that I’m able to bring several projects to them over time, but I need a “wholesale rate” for the graphic design. I pay no more than $300 US for a design (straight PSD file w/ layers & fonts).
3. Same goes for individuals except they will work cheaper and more enthusiastic, in my exp. Either way, my main negotiating point is, I just need the design. No slice & dice, just the design. They bite every time. And, they like the prospect of more work down the line, because at $300 a pop, u can toss alot their way.”
Rather than spending $300 a pop you might be able to save yourself 1 - 200 bucks on each site by looking elsewhere. Just a thought for you.
Take care.