Finding Inspiration for New Web Project

One of the first questions I ask of a new client when we begin a web project is to send me links to websites they love.  I like to get an idea of what they are looking for for their new site and nothing’s better than seeing what others have done to light that inspiration fire!

My video blog goes into detail about design resource websites and why I encourage clients to look at them.  My favorite design website is cssbeauty.com.  It is a mecca of site that are both good looking and made well.  Check out the “Top 50: Resource for Design Inspiration” for a link to several of the industry’s leading inspiration sites.

Website Updates During Emergencies

If the smell of oil alone is any indicator, the Mississippi Gulf Coast may soon be home to millions of gallons of unwelcome oil showing up on waves from the Gulf of Mexico.  I don’t feel the need to educate anyone on the up-to-the-minute happenings of the recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.  All that matters at this point is that the potential for this accident to become a major catastrophe is high and the affects of the oil slick would affect us all on the Gulf Coast – our environment and our way of life.

Much like Hurricane Katrina not even 5 years ago, the oil slick is wide-reaching and is the type of event that engulfs people’s lives.  Having already experienced life before and during Katrina, I understand exactly what a major disaster does to a region in shock.  Having opened a web business nearly a year after the storm, I also know how such events can trigger woulda, coulda, shoulda regrets once the shock wears off and the rebuilding starts.

One of those regrets I have heard often in this line of work is that of updating one’s website.  I can’t tell you how many businesses and organizations told me how they regret not taking the time to maintain their websites during and after the hurricane to let people know what they were doing and how others could help.  These people always say that they missed out on a great opportunity to both raise awareness and money for their causes by not considering communication as a priority in the aftermath of such a major event.

So, here we are again, facing a slow-moving hurricane that may or may not hit us.  Chances are, this oil spill has or will affect your business or organization in some way if you are located on or near the Gulf Coast.  Chances are high too that you and your business are doing what you can to protect our area and will do your fair share to help clean up if it’s needed.  So, tell others about it!

If you helped put out booms or are learning how to handle the toxic oil for the potential clean up, post that on your website.  If your business or organization is directly impacted by the Gulf, let people know this and what they can do to help you.  Take pictures, write stories, and get the information out.

I realize the reason most businesses or organizations fail to do these things is because they are focusing their attention on the crisis at hand.  They don’t have the time or energy to worry about web updates and can’t afford to put one of their team members on it.  But now-a-days, people expect to get up-to-date information from your websites and times of emergency are definitely no exception.  Believe me, you won’t come across as being “too busy” to make updates.  You’ll come across as being out-of-touch and irrelevant.  So, updating is actually something you can’t afford NOT to do.

Email me if you have any questions about updating your content or re-designing your website to account for any changes the potential catastrophe could have on your business or organization.  I am always happy to help.

Techno-Savvy People: A New Client Base

The times they are a changin’…. in just a few short years I have witnessed a steady change in the types of people who contact Jaimee Designs for web design and development.  Once upon a time, my client base was made up of people with very little working knowledge of the standard web building language – HTML.  And now, just a short 4 years later, the bulk of my client have some experience publishing on the web.

I’m sure there’s a logical reason for this.  Maybe it’s the saturation of computers in the home?  Maybe it is the surge of social media that has made not just surfing the web, but adding to it a daily occurrence for a majority of the population.  Or maybe it’s the fact that the kids of my generation are now part of the working class adults.  Whatever it is, the result is obvious and as a web developer, I’m having to adjust my scope and services accordingly.

Most web designers cringe at the thought of their skill being something “everyone” can do.  They somehow feel it’s signaling the demise of the industry.  I don’t, however, because I see how this new basic knowledge is fueling even more needs for people with professional web building skills. And here’s why:

More Techno-Savvy Clients Increase the Need for Even More Technology

The put it simply, when you have a basic understanding of what can be done, you’ll find ways to need even more.  It’s always my web-building clients who contact me with more advanced ideas.  They are the ones who say, “I saw this on another website and want you to do it on mine.”

Just Because They Can Doesn’t Mean They Want To or Have Time To

I can change a flat tire, but I’d rather someone else do it.  And that’s the same way others feel about building a website.  Some people do enjoy taking control of things to save money, but by in the large, the bulk of my “can-do” client don’t WANT to do it.  They already have a job that they are good at and would rather hire someone who does design on a daily basis to give their website a professional look.

Web Design isn’t Just About Know-How; It’s About Talent and Skills

Much like a professional hairdresser or photographer, a good web designer is talented.  Not only do they know how to make a website work, they also know how to make it work well and look good.  So even if my sister knows how to cut my hair, I’d much rather keep my hairdresser’s planner filled up because she doesn’t just cut my hair, she makes me look stylish!  And as more and more businesses and organizations have websites, that professional look is what separates the good businesses from their amateur competition.

So, bring on the techno-savvy clientele.  I know you are out there and I welcome you to contact Jaimee Designs for your web connection needs.  Like me, you have grown up with the web and aren’t scared of it.  Instead you embrace progress and that continues to increase my job security!

Social Media Saves the Day for Boring Websites

So tonight I was doing a little bit of what I call “pre-shopping” shopping where I scope out what’s new at all of my favorite stores ONLINE the day before I go shopping so I already know what I’m interesting in seeing when i hit the stores the next day.  (Yeah, it’s a little shopping secret I picked up when time began to be a precious commodity.) And today’s pre-shopping led me to the Marshall’s website.

Now, for all of you shopaholics out there this won’t come as a surprise, but Marshall’s doesn’t actually post it’s clothing online because, like other overstock-type stores, inventory is dependent on boutique and department store mess-ups.  Knowing this ahead of time, I was visiting the site only to check store locations when the company’s new savvy online marketing campaign hit me square in the heart.

Instead of marketing products directly like most retailers, Marshall’s is now using their web site to market the Marshall’s shopping experience.  Clever, I thought, since their former website was nothing more than a  store directory.  So instead of staying on their website for 30 seconds to get the map for the D’Iberville store location, I actually poked around a bit longer, viewed a few “shopportunity” comments like “I just scored 1000 thread count sheets” and “Another Fabulous Michael Kors find” and thought about how social media has saved the day for a company that wouldn’t have otherwise had much of a web presence.

My favorite little tool is the twitter “tweet” box at the bottom on the right hand side of the screen.  Twitter boxes aren’t new (I’ve had one on my website for almost a year now), but the way the designer has it displayed permanently at the bottom no matter the size of the user’s monitor is what caught my eye.  It’s static-ness makes it almost impossible to miss and like your browser tool bar, it follows you no matter where you go on the web page and changes with each new tweet giving the user the unconscious feeling that they are part of some alive social network of equally excited shoppers!

Ok, so maybe that’s a little too much analyzing of a twitter tweet box, but I can’t help my utter fascination for new ways of displaying content online.  If you didn’t know this already, I love web design.  I’m passionate about layouts, placement, colors, lines, and font.  And through the inspiration of others….  Jaimee Designs continues to grow.

So stay tuned.  I just may turn my next brochure website with zero “stickiness” into a social media haven complete with it’s own stationary tweet box in the corner!

Am I inspiring you?  If you have a favorite website, tell me about it.  I love to get new ideas.

Finding Stability in the Ever-Changing Web World

I recently had a client decide she no longer needed my hosting services because she found a website online that offered free hosting and she could save $50/yr. Yeah, free hosting has been around for years, but this new website was offering it with no strings attached. No logos, advertisements, surveys, nothing… just free hosting for budget-conscience folks and a user-friendly interface to help you pick out, edit and publish a pretty decent website on your own. (You just pay for the domain.)

At first this news rocked me to my core. I understand how someone could give away server space and website building tools, but WHY would they do it? It makes no business sense to offer something for nothing. It costs money to buy and maintain servers, program and update a website. Why would someone go out of their way to offer this service and get nothing in return? But more importantly, I wondered how I am supposed to compete in this new, ever-changing world of web giveaways.

It seems the services I offer can be found online for cheaper and cheaper with each passing day. First the internet offered cheap website templates, but you still needed some working knowledge of HTML to make it work. Then the WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor came out. That allowed anyone with basic computer skills the ability to edit html text and pictures. The catch was, you had to know how to hook the new technology up to your template. Now, the art of web development has gotten down to an exact science and almost anyone can find a packaged design to suit their needs for free with no programming skills required to install.

Internet advances are overwhelming, frustrating, and sometimes downright discouraging. I love the internet and welcome new technology because it makes my life easier too. So telling myself and my client that free tools and resources aren’t beneficial when in fact they are… isn’t an option. That would be like keeping life-saving medicine from a cancer patient because I didn’t want to admit that someone else had a better treatment. At the end of the day, honesty wins out. So I have to find a way to not just survive in this dynamic world, but become a part of it. I have to find my niche in the chaos, find what’s timeless about me, what transcends a trend. I have to challenge myself to find stability in change.

So that’s where I am. I’m in a state of reinventing my business. While continuing custom web design and development, I’m brainstorming ways I’ll help people and businesses succeed online in the future. By combining the craftsmanship of yesterday with the new tools available today, I’m hoping to generate a new business model that exudes creativity, innovation, and stellar customer service.

To my client who wants to change hosting to save some green, I say, “Go, be free, enjoy the new service, and I’ll be here when you need me.” Because the help I provide, the advice I give, the ideas I plant and the many questions I answer in every email you send me doesn’t come standard with your new, free service. My expertise has value and that’s one thing that never changes.