Want to hire a part-timer or someone that doesnt have their own company to build / run your website? Perhaps you think its going to be quick / easy and cheaper? Perhaps you should think again and get Delicious Webdesign to look after your company’s most important assett.
Here is a rare insight into a website design company talking to a freelance website designer, and what happens when it goes wrong.
Website Notes
Take a while and look at this website project – give me your thoughts or just get going, client is going to provide us with some stock photos shortly and some guidance notes for webcopy so we can create the text for the pages
Website Project Overview
Premium Plus Bespoke Search Optimised Website (Responsive / Content Managed)
Logo Redesign
selected logo attached in jpg / png formats
Website Content – Webcopy will be created (3000 words)
Approximately 25 initial pages
Advanced Photo Gallery
Projects Section
News section
Resources folder contains
Wordpress Theme
Client website design layout
Client needs to provide
1, Notes for webcopy for us to create the webcopy
2, Photos
Notes to Website Owner
1, you have embedded images within two pdf document called gallery photos and stock images, am I correct in saying that these are all your own photos and not ‘Stock’ photos that typically are purchased images, you can select your own ‘stock’ photos for the front of the website as detailed in previous emails and below (stock photos)
2, you have embedded images in the bio documents and said these images are already on a website, can you tell me what website with a link please
3, social links – can you give us the link to the linkedIn profile and I recommend adding a facebook page for the company also, please consider adding one
Website Owner To Do
1, Choose website name
2, Provide notes on services
3, Provide images for services
4, Choose Stock Images*
5, Confirm Logo Redesign (blue with white text)
6, Confirm Page names above
7, Confirm domain registration details including company name and number (if applicable)
8, Consider the new pages names FAQs / Clients page to have testimonials ?
9, Consider the design choice / website framework **
The Website design, which is a guideline for you to work with. I have now attached a list of FAQs and Gallery pictures for you to include.
I have enclosed blogs from both Directors (the photos are already on the website) for them to have their own pages as suggested by yourself. It was felt that as I offer no services to the customers (I just run the office) I should not have my own page.
The only social media the company has is Linkedin, can you please integrate this on the page. I have provided notes and images on services (please see attached)
I have attached some stock images .
I can confirm that we have used our own photos as stock photos which we would prefer. We would like these used on the website.
I can confirm that the Logo Redesign is blue with black text.The company is not limited and so there is no registration details. I trust that you will now have all you need to put the website together, but should you need further information please just contact us.
[Website Developer] That seems to all make sense – I’ll get started on the page structure and the basics over the weekend. Are you able to forward the other attachments from the website owners, like their photos and the services info and I’ll add as much as I can. Do we have a set timescale and what was your range of payment for this one? I really want to get paid in advance if possible.
[Website Design Company] The Website client is taking a while to get back to us. Recently I sent them this message
We are waiting for your email about webcopy and photos and also need some good quality / large ‘landscape’ images for the front page revolving images, if you cannot find good enough ones in your ‘real’ photos please select some ‘pro stock photos’ and we will get them
As we don’t have anything yet, I am normally efficient and will forward you everything as soon as we have it.You may need to take their profile photos from their linkedIn profiles, see the client supplied document in the /resources folder. I am now finding it difficult to give you an estimate of pay for this site as I am so familiar with the website developers that we normally work with me, knowing their ‘standards’ so will give you a broad range currently depending on how good this is we can pay between the first and second band of payment we discussed, hope that sounds acceptable. We certainly wont be paying in advance sorry.
[Website Developer] I’ve put the pages in place and am adding the content we have so far from that ‘website /design 3’ document – how set in stone is that document? At the moment I’m utilising the footer and obviously put the logo in over that text. When they send more information will they be sending higher resolution images? The ones in that document are about 200 pixels – I’ve put one on the home page as an example but would definitely like a better version.
Do you think it’s worth putting the client logos on the home page, or are they definite about a separate page just for logos?
The 3rd band of payment sounds acceptable for the first one, I’m sure I can do nearly all of the site to justify that and hopefully we’ll be working on a few more and can sort out a good rate. Cant you pay me some sort of advance as I am going to do a good job for you I promise.
[Website Design Company] Just got some updated / better images from the client they are in the /resources/photos directory, you can pick and/or choose from these new photos for the website. They selected the theme after they created that word document so the website should look / work like the theme primarily (sorry I should have emphasised this earlier) This will always be the case that the ‘theme’ provided will be the way the client wants the website to look ‘broadly’. We now have their full website text notes and will be providing you with the full text notes shortly.
In general if the website framework is given then that’s what we want / need (so clients needs adding and Past Projects should be ‘Projects’ (ideally all menu items at top level are one word / consistent).
I think you need to lose that massive header and make it similar to the theme, not only does it look better but the header is the same colour as the ‘menu’ button (burger icon) in responsive mode and the header / menu doesn’t seem to be responsive, please check the theme in responsive mode and compare it against what you have done so far to see what I mean
The services page on the theme is great please make our services page similar to that example layout
Hows it going? I don’t see too much progress on the site, if you are struggling am happy to help / advise, there are a few things that are not correct on the site and have been corrected / noted for you here.
1, the logo – its rarely correct to have a bold background colour of a logo, that conflicts with the actual site background colour – this has been changed – hope you think it looks better.
2, slider images – you need to select images that ‘work’ and look good in the slider ‘area’ the vertical signboard didn’t work at all
3, slider image size, you uploaded the images without resizing / optimising them, one was 6MB and another 4MB which is far too big.
4, There are links on the site to your own personal website, whats that about? please remove immediatly.
I have changed / resized / optimised one and that is only 79kb and looks / works great in the space given for the slider – I will leave you to do the rest. Regarding asking for a new logo. Do you have photoshop? Changing colours is something I assume you can do yourself but happy to get this done for you if you havent got photoshop / don’t know how.
[Website Developer] Haven’t been working on it today, have a decent amount of time to sort it tomorrow. Just switched the logo about quickly last night, don’t worry was never going to keep the blue background, wanted to ask for another one. I haven’t really finalised the images yet, was seeing what works and doesn’t work. Will let you know once it’s a bit more final and see what you think. Would you prefer it in maintenance whilst it’s still in bits? Regarding logo, I just assumed there would have been an inverted master log but I can edit in Photoshop no worries.
[Website Design Company] Sorry for getting on your case but I need to know you are making progress on this I am now worried that I have allocated you a real project instead of a test / trial one (what I normally do with other new website designers that we use). If I am honest there nothing of value what you have done so far and think you will need help / advise far in excess of what I anticipated, I hope you prove me wrong and start making progress and produce a website that is fit for purpose but currently I don’t see any changes / improvements that we can use going forward and would now like to shake hands and part ways with yourself. Good luck.
