I recently went to a luncheon and introduced myself to the person sitting next to me. I told him who I was and that I was a website designer, he shared with me that he gets emails from people who do what I do all the time and that he got five that day. I mentioned to him that I myself get a lot of website sales emails even though I build websites for a living. There is a tremendous hunger to stand out from the rest in all businesses, however, the volume of website solicitations in which this person received was mind blowing. Almost SPAM-ish. It made me think how many more people may also get this volume of solicitation from companies within the tech industry. This brief conversation taught me a hard reality within my industry, not only from a customer’s perspective but from an industry perspective.

Once a person becomes interested in getting a website built, the website design solicitation emails may become of more interest. The professionalism within the tech industry ranges from “I know enough to get a website going” to being a highly specialized custom websites professional. How can you tell between the good and bad website professionals through a solicitation? The answer is, you can’t. I’ve met many folks who’ve gotten into contracts with companies that don’t perform to what they were promise, or, they can’t get a hold of the professional after trying for months and when they do their updates takes weeks to get done if all. If you get an interesting email solicitation bookmark it. Narrow it down further by taking into consideration if they are local, national or international. Of course price will narrow the search down as well. It comes down to the quality of product and customer service at this point. If you want to take it further, get references from the professionals you interview or look on their website for a list of customers and call them yourself. This can help give you a better understanding from the customer on their work ethic.

The tech industry is growing every day, expanding into different markets and opening a need for other user experiences and automation algorithms. Since around 2013 there has been a big boom in design and tech trends to accommodate all devices. With that boom came a lot more talent, not so talented and a hunger for business. In the end, it only leads to more solicitations. Be cautious, but sometimes, your spam or junk folder can open new doors to better service.

http://burst-designs.com | Graphic and Website Design | Custom Development and Email Management

By Christi Warhurst

There is something about the month of August. As a business owner, you were probably reviewing your website and wondering, “Has my business’s image, services or products changed? Should I update my current website on my own? Should I hire someone? Do I need a brand new website? What should I do?” Don’t be overwhelmed. In some cases, your business expands and at the very least your website’s products, services or contact information needs to be updated. You may have a new branding idea for your business but love your current website, This may be a good time to get in touch with a website designer for them to update the look, feel and graphics. Or you may need a complete overhaul and redesign, how do you determine the difference? Here are a few things to keep in mind if you are contemplating hiring a professional to update or redesign your website:

Technology changes

Browsers update almost every year or more, a new mobile device comes out, search engine algorithms change, Content Management System’s (CMS) update. All of these updates are behind the scenes and they do effect your website, may even break them. Some broken website’s are obvious, they just don’t look right or function properly, but more often than not – these broken website attributes stem from a regular technology update. The majority of these can be fixed by getting a professional assessment. Sometimes “simple” updates are not so simple and a complete redesign could be recommended to save money.

Taking too long to load?

Uploading large files such as high resolution images are the most common issue when you see a website loading really slowly. Load time has always been very important and shouldn’t take more than 6 seconds to see the full website. With some mobile carriers limited data use, loading time is precious. If your website is taking too long to load, have a professional optimize its content and images.

When was the last time you updated or redesigned your website?

A good indicator for an old website is the functionality, usability or simply the copyright year in the footer. Keeping up with website design trends and technology depends on your business. Overhauling a website is good if there is poor functionality present or if the coding language is no longer being supported. If you love your website and have had it for years, redesigning the look and feel may be your best option to stay up with the design trends.

Ultimately you have to make the decision to do a website redesign. If you are asking yourself if you need to redesign your website – you most likely need to do something. By hiring a professional to assess, make recommendations and execute the solution will help you make the right decision for your business.

We are currently working on providing content and graphics for this new design and appriciate your patience. Please check back often for updates.