It is the case more often than not, that a client comes to us and does not understand how important it is for their designs to target a specific group of people. We are asked to make changes to appeal to the client, with no consideration of how those changes will affect the design’s ability to carry out its mission, which most of the time is: To effectively bring in new business.

Of course, there are some who understand their target audience inside and out and ask for changes based on the knowledge of their target audience’s preferences and needs. The target audience of this article is obviously not those people. Read the rest of this entry »

I’ll be writing entries for IQMZ.com now, also, as they are a sister company of ours. Our good friend Owen JJ. Stone aka @OhDoctah runs Inquiring Mindz – a company focusing on community, branding, and social media. I kicked it off with a post entitled “7 Ways to Ensure Satisfaction With Your Website.”

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Investing in design is always pretty expensive, and it’s never a good idea to cut corners in pricing. You do get what you pay for, and the lower the price, the lesser the quality is going to be. If you go with a low quote, you’ll also find that you will not receive as good of results, and you may need to be skeptical of some of the business practices behind the designer you’ve chosen.

So what can you do? Here are some suggestions to help your money go a little further and really get results.

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A couple of months ago, I wrote a post about Six Mistakes To Avoid On Your Website. I decided to follow it up with this article with five more mistakes that, if made, will be detrimental to your business. Again, seeking advice from an expert is always your best option. Choosing a professional can be a difficult task. Please refer to my articles pointing out Signs of A Good Designer and Reasons to Be Skeptical of Your Web Designer. Read the rest of this entry »

We’ve talked about things that you should avoid on your website, and the importance of finding a designer that knows what they are doing. But how do you know? What are the warning signs that so-called “web designer” could be a fake? I’ve compiled a list of flags to warn you to stay away from that web designer you may be considering, or, worse yet, already using. (Thanks to @AnnEvanston for the idea!) Read the rest of this entry »

Before we begin any project, we require that our clients fill out our design interview. This provides us with important answers to questions that are imperative to the success of their design. Taking the time to fill this out as detailed as possible will ensure better results. Chances are, if you’re not ready to fill out a questionnaire like this yet, then you probably aren’t ready for a designer – or you should find a business consultant to help you create a business plan that makes sense. Read the rest of this entry »

The following is a short list I’ve compiled of mistakes that some make when designing and building a website. In most cases, these things shouldn’t be done, however, there are always exceptions. The key is to seek guidance from an expert. A web professional who remains updated on standards and best practices should be able to give good insight as to what would benefit or hinder your web endeavors. Read the rest of this entry »

We do a lot of customized WordPress installations here at Camp Creative Group. Most of the time, if a website needs a Content Management System (CMS), WordPress is sufficient enough. There are so many great things built in to it, and it is so extendible by plugins that are available through the community, that we can do almost anything with it without pulling our hair out. It is very simple to use, as well, so we know our clients’ hair will remain intact as well. Read the rest of this entry »

Of course, everyone has different tastes and styles that they prefer. Designer A may be good at one thing, while Designer B could be good at another, and they are both still considered good designers. I’ve taken all of this into consideration and created this completely objective list of things that I think make someone a good designer, leaving the actual design of things – their taste and talent – out of it. These are things that are usually known or assumed, but I have elaborated on their meaning and how they can apply. Read the rest of this entry »