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Tips for Saving Time & Money On Design

Once you have enlisted your own professional web designer, follow these hints to make the most of your experience. Many designers charge hourly, so a little preparation saves a lot. Oh, and you need not be computer-savvy or creative to be involved in the project.  But be sure to participate, as your input guarantees the accurate portrayal of your image online! 

Use a planning worksheet. Get your ideas on paper before you spend any money. Decide what you want the Web site to achieve, what audience the site will target, and a design theme or style that best reflects your organization (i.e., modern, professional, classy, dynamic, bold, or simple).

Collect content. You will either supply content about your organization (from existing pamphlets, articles, brochures, or business cards), draft the content yourself, or hire a writer to compose the text for your pages.

Organize and deliver your content ASAP. Finalize, proofread, and send text that is ready to publisher-ready. Rename your graphic files in a way that indicates what the graphic is and where it should be placed. For example: hourglass_home.gif is a good way to name a picture of an hourglass that goes on the home page. The less time your designer spends on organizing email attachments, the better!

Use forms. Documents such as "Change Request" forms protect both you and the designer from spending unnecessary time or money. Keeping a paper trail of instructions, changes or revisions will result in fewer charges and fewer delays.  Email is the best and fastest way to achieve a paper trail and to manage communications.

List your comments/changes into one document. Take your time reviewing the drafts and recording changes. In most cases you will only get 2 rounds of revisions included in your design package. Subsequent change requests will result in an hourly fee charge.

Relax and enjoy! Leave the work and creativity to the designer. A good designer can be an asset to your team − helping you through the ups and downs of your business, offering free word-of-mouth networking, providing superior customer service to the best customers, and ensuring the comfort and trust of a friendly and familiar service provider. So understand that work agreements and payment policies are in place for the protection of both parties. Prompt responses and adherence to guidelines will ensure timely, professional results in a mutually beneficial relationship.

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