Should I Buy a Template?

Tara Rowell

Using a template is a hotly debated topic in the webmaster world!

The purist will immediately discharge the idea as ananthama, while the inexperienced will cling to them with dear life! If you are wanting a website and are tying to get ideas of what it should look like, there is certainly no harm in flipping through template galleries to find a few looks you like. But that is where it should end - until you hire a designer.

Templates don't take into account the functionality of your unique site. How can they? The can provide a great basis to work from, but will almost always need specialization to make them perform to suit your needs. Your designer needs to tell you if the particular layout you like will do what you want it to do. Many times, your website will end up being a blend of elements you found in a template gallery, and custom coded elements. Some templates end up restricting your designer because of the layout and constraints of the coded design. it may be easier to simpy re-create a similar layout, that retains the flexibity that is often needed to make your website dream come to life.

If you want to use a CMS system, like Wordpress or Joomla!, you may want to have a custom template designed foryour site. These templates have many interworking elements and many files, but when it all comes together, your site and all the elements of it, will work seamlessly.

In the end, you will most likely not be happy using a template that is only customized with your name, so before you purchase one, talk to your designer about it's pros and cons. You may think you are saving money, but if it becomes too difficult to customize, it could take longer to work around it, than if you had started from scratch in the first place.

Who's website is it, anyway?

Tara Rowell

When you hire a firm or an individual to create your website, make sure they understand that the files created and all the content therein belongs to YOU, the customer.

It seems like a very simple thing, and that there could be no confusion. After all, you paid for it, right?

WRONG. All too often I hear nightmare stories about how a webdesigner 'held the site hostage' or refused to grant access to the files to the customer because they wanted to be paid more than was agreed upon. Make no mistake, that is theft.

Here are a few simple things you MUST do to protect yourself:

1. Register your own domain names. Many companies, even mine, will do this for you, but it must be set up under your own account. Understand that the higher rate you pay the designer to do this is for their time. You will still have to log in and pay for the name yourself, but if you need help, it is very simple for the designer to walk you through it over the phone. This is the ONLY way for you to retain control over your domain name(s). Additionally, make sure they are locked to keep any unwanted transfers form happenning. Consult your designer on how to enable these settings.

2. Make sure you have access to your hosting account. Even if your designer sets up your hosting account on his/her server, you should have the login and password to be able to access your files directly.

3. Once you have useable files on your hosting account, DOWNLOAD THEM. You pay for the work that is created and you should have a copy of your own. If you end up with designer trouble, a new firm or designer can work with what you have and won't have to start from scratch.

Your responsibility in creating content your website: You must supply content to the designer.

You do need to realize that there is more the website than just the design! And you WILL have to do some legwork. If you want the designer to write about your products/services and fill the site with interesting tidbits about your company, etc., you must realize that it adds many hours to he workload, and the designer probably did not quote you on all that additional time. So, if this is going to be a part of the job, please be very clear about it from the beginning. You would be suprised at how much time it takes to go through a shopping cart and add descriptions about each item!

Honesty is the best policy.

Before you begin a project, be very clear about your budget, your ownership of the created files, and the timetable of payment(s). If both parties have a clear understanding of each other's expectations, your website project should be a very exciting a rewarding one!

Spring Specials 2010

Tara Rowell

Spring Hosting Sale!

$3.95/month! (normally $7)

Offer good with all projects beginning before May 1, 2010.

Sample Sites

Tara Rowell

Here is a list of sites that are just samples.

The data is not relevant to any particular business, but it they can help you to choose a basic design platform that you may want to build on:

Web 2.0 Sample

Slick Black Sample