Todd Devine Homes

Todd Devine Homes brings a 20 year reputation for creative design, dependable construction and outstanding customer service to every home we build.

We’re widely known and respected as specialists in granny flats and relatives’ unit, bungalows, dependant persons unit (DPU), home builders and home designs, Lifestyle units, games room, transportable home, beach and country homes, relocatable park homes and Tourist accommodation cabins. Depending on location, homes can be prebuilt and transported to site, built on site as a transportable, or simply built on site.

Come and browse our online showroom, where you’ll find dozens of very liveable designs from classic to contemporary, from very affordable homes to beautifully luxurious homes. If you don’t find exactly what you want, we’ll modify designs to meet your own unique needs or property requirements.

We’ll advise you to ensure that plans comply with 5-star energy ratings, so come and visit our granny flats, relatives’ units, transportable homes, relocatable park homes and tourist accommodation. The welcome mat is out right now!

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Cabins, Country homes, Granny cabins, Granny flats, Homes, Lifestyle units, Relocatable homes, Tourist accommodation units

Web Design and the Assembly Plant

Go to any assembly line in the world today and you will find that there is a plan and purpose for every device and component assembled. This method is based on a model of mass production, but it is also designed for ease of assembly and consistency in product.

There is a similar cause and effect when it comes to web design. When you have a fully developed idea for what you need in your site design the more efficient the development process will be. Unlike an assembly line the site does not have to look the same as other sites, but it does need to bear resemblance to the most functional sites available.

Web building software provides a perfect platform from which to take your ideas and forge them into something special. Web building software provides the templates and marketing support structures to allow you to do more with less.

Don’t get me wrong a web designer can probably do the same thing, but the overall cost can be five to ten times the cost of using web building software and the end result becomes your own creation, which is something you can be proud of.

One of the other primary benefits of using web building software for your site design is that whenever you have a need to develop new content or make alterations you can do so without the need for a web designer.

Unlike programs that require special skills in computer coding, web building software encourages the adaptable and rudimentary skills that most novice computer users already possess. Tutorials are readily available to provide assistance in coming to terms with functions that may seem difficult.

The startup costs are minimal and the monthly fee is affordable. Perhaps the reason there are still individuals working with a dedicated site designer is there are complicated issues that a web designer is actually needed for or the business owner has been convinced the process of web design is too complicated requiring expert assistance.

As with most technology the idea of developing your own site can be frightening, which might explain why so many web designers remain gainfully employed today. The truth is many of them do incredible work, but web builder technology is making web design less mysterious and available to a broad range of business and personal interests.

Take an inventory of what you really need for your business website, chances are pretty strong that web building software exceeds your need.

Scott Lindsay is a web developer and entrepreneur. He is the founder of HighPowerSites and many other web projects.

Make A Website in minutes with HighPowerSites or Build A Website with BuildAGreatSite.

Start your own ebook business and Resell Ebooks with BooksWealth.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Scott_Lindsay

3 Marketing Mistakes Web Site Designers Make When Selling Their Services

1) They don't have their own domain.

If you knew that you were going to the primo networking event of the year, would you bring business cards printed with your neighbors telephone number? Heck no!

So why would you waste your time and energy building a reputable web site design firm, under somebody else's domain? Somewhere down the road you'll eventually get your own URL, so start your business the way you want to finish it.

It costs just $8.95 to register your own domain with GoDaddy.com for a year. Reliable hosting service can be had for less than $20 a month.

I gleefully pay $18.95 a month for my service, and they include all sorts of neat perks. That's just 5 bucks a week, less than a dollar a day. If your biz isn't worth a $1 a day investment, then you should be looking for an alternative line of work.

2) They don't offer any indication of their price range.

Even if you don't want to give up the entire farm, always give your sites visitors some sort of indication of what your prices are like. This way if your design skills match what they're looking for, they have an idea on whether they can afford your services or not.

The best way to do this, is to simply give a price range on your 'Request a Quote' page. Here's a brief blurb that you can use:

"Each web site we design has unique elements specific for that particular company. Therefore we do not have set prices. However, just to give you some indication, our rates for complete site design basically range from $250-$10,000, depending on the complexity of the job.

If you'd like a precise quote for your Web site, please fill out the following form."

3) They use cool techie terms to motivate the prospect.

Let's say I'm relatively new to the Net, and I'm looking for a decent site designer. Somehow I stumble across your little home on the web. Your site looks good and it loads fast.

Then I and click on the link that describes your services and you have something like this:

"We use Java, Javascript, CGI-BIN and Perl programming, Cold Fusion, and DHTML to build your site."

Duh! I can barely figure out how to configure my e-mail filtering program, and now you're giving me a cold rundown of your technical capabilities. Assuming I'm not a technophobe, you're still bombarding me with too much techno-babble!

A better way to handle this situation is to tell me 'why' I'll need all this razmatazz that you're offering. Give me benefits on why Java is a good thing for my site, and not in my coffee cup. Tell me 'how' DHTML is going to make my life easier. Make believe I'm a client who has more than enough money to spend, but needs a little hand holding to understand all the technical terms.

Copyright 2005 Jennifer McGroary

About The Author

Article by Jennifer McGroary

The ideas in this article are based on the e-book, "The Web Hosts and Designer's Marketing Guide." If you'd like to gain IMMEDIATE access to 100+ strategies and tactics for promoting your web site design or hosting business, get your copy today.

http://www.WebBizInfo.com

REMEMBER, successful marketing is the main ingredient in most profitable web service businesses.

Finding the Perfect Web Designer 101

So, you've decided that your company needs a web site. Now what? Since we are ultimately talking about your "online business image", unless you yourself have web design experience, finding that perfect web designer to create your company site is a very important next step. If you've never had a web site created before, you will find that there is quite a lot to consider if you want your site to be successful, and you may have to do a bit of homework to find the right person for you.

Regardless of the type of site you want, to be successful, your site will need to do, at least, these 3 things:

- Look professional
- Function properly
- Get good positioning on the search engines

In achieving this goal, there's good news and bad news.

The bad news is that there are all kinds of designers out there, offering all kinds of services, and prices are pretty much across the board. The good news is that there are some simple points you can follow to help make this process easier.

So, how do you go about finding a designer?

Since there are so many different companies offering web design, you might start by making a list of what your specific needs are. Every site is unique so it's a good idea to know what you need before you start calling around or sending in estimate forms. Some things you might need to know are:

- Will you be selling a product online?
- Does your site require a database?
- Do you also need web hosting? or a domain name?
- Do you want to have your clients contact you through a form?
- How many pages do you think the site will be?
- Are there any pages or features specific to your business that you would like to have on your site?

Also, write down a couple of URLs of sites that you like. Or maybe you've seen a specific feature on another site that you would like to incorporate into your own site. Having a rough idea of the kind of site you're looking for will help you find the right designer for your project.

Referrals

One of the best ways I've found to find the right designer is to get a referral from someone you know personally who has already had their site designed and they are happy with the site, and their experience with the designer. So let your friends and family know that you are shopping around for someone to help you create your online business image. People who have had a good experience with their web design company will be more than happy to pass the information along.

If you do get a referral from someone, go and look at the designer's site and see what else they've done. If you're interested, you can fill out a free quote form on their site, or email the designer with the specs of your project.

Job sites

There are a number of online sites that will help you match your project with a number of designers who will then bid on your project. The one thing to be aware of is that these sites have all types of designers listed with their service from those with years of experience, to those who just bought themselves the latest version of Dreamweaver and have now labeled themselves "web designer".

Although these job sites do make it harder for less experienced people to be listed as a serious prospect, when they ask for your project description, you can include on there that "only serious professionals need apply". You can sometimes eliminate the amount of riff-raff that will send in proposals for your project.

The biggest problem people have with using these job sites is that potential clients are usually overwhelmed with the number of quotes they receive for their project. Be aware that you may have to rifle through a lot of proposals that are not what you are looking for.

These sites usually offer a Designer's Profile and some kind of a rating system, which can help you learn a bit about a potential designer. Reading the reviews listed from previous clients can also help shed some light on your choice of designers.

Yellow Pages

Yellow Pages ads are expensive so chances are that you will find professional design firms to successful web design individuals listed there. They will usually list their URL in their ad and it's always a good idea to go to their site and see what they have to offer before contacting them.

What you should be looking for in a designer?

Possibly you have a couple of designers you are interested in. But how do you know for sure? There are a few specific things that you should be aware of when picking your designer.

Portfolio

First and foremost, you want to check out their portfolio! This is the body of work that this designer has recently created and it tells a lot about what they offer. All web designers should have an online portfolio that you can easily access.

Take a good look at their own site and other sites they've created. Do the sites look professional? Is the style of the designer something you would like to have on your own site? In addition, you can contact companies that have had their site designed and ask them about their experience with this designer.

Price

Another thing to consider, although this is not the top priority, is price. Although there is no clear-cut rule as to what an "average" price for web design is, this is one situation where, in most cases, you get what you pay for. This is simply not the time to cut corners. So in considering price, also consider that you are paying for this individual's expertise, as well as their time and experience.

It is more important to create a successful site that has a good position in the search engine and one that you are very happy with the look and function of than to save a couple of bucks. If you get a good site, your site will be able to grow with your company and, hopefully, that's for a very long time!

Search engine optimization

The number one mistake that most first time web site owners make is that they don't know what to do with their site after it's designed. It is very possible to have a beautiful site designed for you and no one ever sees it.

A good designer will not only help you create a professional looking site, they will also ensure that your site gets a good ranking with the search engines so that your site can be easily found online. Make sure that your designer will optimize your site for the search engines and submit it to the major search engines.

Specialized services

Will you be selling your products or services online? Will you need a database driven site? How about Flash or embedded video or audio? Not everyone offers these services; be sure to ask specifically about what you will need for your site.

A couple of other things to consider is web hosting and domain name registration. Make sure if you need these services that your designer can help provide them too.

Compatibility

Lastly, when you are talking to potential designers, it should be someone you seem compatible with. Does the designer seem friendly and are they willing to answer all of your questions? Do they respond promptly to your emails and/or phone calls? Basically, is this someone you "click" with?

Communication with your designer is crucial. You need someone who is willing to answer any questions and keep you up-to-date on the status of your web design. A good designer will keep in touch with you every few days, at least. You don't want to get down to the final days of creating the site only to find out you don't like it!

Testimonials

Most designers will have testimonials from previous clients on their web site. It's a good idea to see what their customers are saying about their services, and again, calling one or two clients regarding this web designer's services is a really good idea.

Summary

There are many factors involved in finding and picking the right designer to build your company's web site, but the key is to remember that this is your business image, one that you hope to have for many years to come, so you want to pick your designer as you would pick a real estate agent to find your "dream house". If you pick the right designer the first time, you won't be looking for someone to redesign your site in 6-9 months.

Be thorough, ask questions, look at samples, and you'll find the perfect web designer for you!

About The Author

Teri Tucker is owner of T&I Grafix Business Web Design, a full service web design company that offers custom web design, logo design, search engine optimization, Flash animation and web consulting services. For more information on our design services, please visit our web site at http://www.tigrafix.com or email us at teri@tigrafix.

Getting A Website: How To Get A Better Price From Your Web Designer

So you have decided you need a website. What next?

Before you contact some web designers to get a quote, you will save yourself time, money and trouble by first sitting down and thinking about what you actually need. The more you can “nail down” your requirements, the more likely you are to get a better price, and not be surprised by getting a bill for extras at the end of the project.

First, think about what you want from your website:

Do you want to sell products online, using a shopping cart and some method of accepting payments?

Do you want your site to be a “static” online brochure, showcasing your products or services?

Do you want your site to generate leads & enquiries for you to follow up directly?

Is your site primarily aimed at providing information for existing customers?

Is your site going to be a useable, interactive service e.g. searchable property database?

Now consider how many pages you will need. Web designers will use this as an important factor when quoting you; if you initially ask for too few, you may get a bill for extras. Ask for too many and you may be paying more than you need to.

Think about the titles of the pages you need (as they appear in the site navigation) As a minimum, you will probably need “Home”, “About Us” and “Contact Us”.

Now give some consideration to the design of the site. Do you have a colour scheme in mind? Do you want some Flash animation? What sort of imagery do you want used? TO get some ideas, surf the Net and note down any websites you find that you like the look of, and give the URL to web designers. This will help them get an idea of what you like.

You should also consider which technical issues are important to you.

Does you site need to be:

* Fast Loading? If your target market are home users, a large proportion may still be on slower dial up internet connections.

* Graphically Intensive? Perhaps you need to appeal to corporate users, by employing a strong, professional design.

* Optimised for a particular screen resolution? Do you want the site to look best on 1024 x 768 resolution screens, or perhaps your target market is more likely to have older PC’s with screen settings such as 800x600.

* Updated yourself? If you regularly need to change the text/images of your site, you may need to ask for a quote for a Content Management System (CMS). Ask fort his to be identified as an optional cost, so you can judge if it is cost effective for you. Alternatively, you could purchase web editing software (such as Macromedia Contribute) though you will need to make your web designer aware that this is what you will be doing.

* Aimed at specific end users? Perhaps your target market are printers or music industry professionals, who tend to use Apple Mac computers. If so, make your web designer aware of it – many designers do not pay much attention to checking web sites run correctly on Macs.

By taking a little time to consider the needs of your website, you will help your web designer immensely, getting the site you want at a cost effective price.

About The Author

Robin Porter is CEO of London web site designer Arpey Internet. He can be contacted via the company website at http://www.arpey.co.uk

Choosing a Web Designer

In recent years, the web design industry has experienced a growth rate of huge proportions, due entirely to the numerous companies that have appeared as a result of continued Internet expansion. The business world’s appetite for websites and ecommerce solutions show no signs of abating in the near future, and organisations and individuals who want to commission the services of a web design company are faced with a dizzying choice of options.

Companies will rightly advertise their creative skills, technical expertise and design know-how. They will use lots of technical terms and buzzwords in their marketing literature, but because of the sheer number of companies all offering more or less the same services, the point is reached where all the advertising can begin to look almost identical.

How then does one go about choosing a competent design company from the many available? If you are new to the workings of the Internet, then the most obvious and perhaps safest method is via personal recommendation, which by its very nature is a vote of confidence from a satisfied customer and presents a golden opportunity for an organisation to excel itself; after all, there is nothing like a referral to start the ego twitching and make a company go all out to impress.

An alternative method to a referral is of course to look on the Internet itself. You will find literally thousands of web designers advertising their services and at the same time providing visual proof of their abilities via their own websites. It is always a good idea to look at portfolio and testimonial pages; you can then contact one or two of their customers to get verbal references; these may help you in deciding which design company is best for you.

Another option is to choose a company at random and talk to them about what you expect from your intended website. Good designers will listen to what you have to say and work with you; they will gather as much information as possible from a customer before going anywhere near a computer. Moreover, they will always be willing to offer sound advice and will develop solutions to help bring your ideas to life.

In addition, and perhaps the smallest sector of the web design industry are the self-taught individuals who whilst having no formal training or qualifications, do possess a natural talent, aptitude and enthusiasm for web design, and who for the most part produce extremely high-quality work often at a fraction of the cost charged by the larger companies.

It is worth mentioning that there are so many capable and talented designers available, that the hardest part of getting your website built will probably be deciding which company or individual you want to do it. Taking the time to look into all the options should help to ensure that whomever you chose would produce the required result.

This article is the property of the author and may only be reproduced in its original form.

About The Author

John Sheridan is a professional proofreader of hard copy items and website copy. He also writes web copy and occasionally accepts small copy-editing assignments. He can be contacted via: www.textcorrect.co.uk

How to Choose a Web Designer?

Hiring a web designer is the next big step upon entering a web design business or anything in relation to it. Moreover, we have to make a good choice because our business depends on it.

To give you a clearcut idea on how you are going to choose your web designer, here are some of the things that you must consider:

1. Be aware to beware. First, you have to have the basic knowledge of web design techniques. It is a well-settled fact that before you enter a business, you yourself must have a good grasp of its totality. When you are knowledgeable, you know when a design is excellent or when mediocre. Another, you also know when to criticize or appreciate the work of your web designer.

If you are not aware of the surrounding circumstances of your business, chances are you will easily be deceived or your business will sooner or later go down the drain. You do not like that to happen, do you?

So, keep those thinking caps and explore your business world. Spend some time reading about web design and everything about websites. Go to your local bookstore and invest on books and other facilities.

2. Talk with basis. Get in contact with the experts in web designing. From them you can learn the ins and outs of web design services.

Another, talk to some of the designer’s former clients and ask them about the services of other designers. Learn from their mistakes as well as their achievements.

Don't just peruse a number of great sites, be sure to know the reason why they are best. From it you can glean the gist of what you should be focusing.

3. Bear in mind that graphic design is not the be-all and end-all. Graphic design is not the only basis in choosing a web designer. Though it is an important factor to consider, still that only forms part of what makes a feasible and lucrative website.

Other factor to consider is the designer's quest for equilibrium between form and function. If form is what matters the most for him, then that could be pretty dangerous. Next, is his organizational skill. Is he good in organizing the page layouts? Better be sure about it. Good navigation is also another factor. This is because viewers get bored easily. They can change their minds to your drawback with just a flick of a finger. Therefore, you must have a good navigation to keep them from getting bored. Good navigation must also be coupled with user-friendliness so as to be used easily and hassle-free by the visitors. The most important factor to consider is the 'call for action'.

The designer must be adept in the purpose of mounting a website. Is it to make the visitors buy a product or subscribe a business?

The website is there to serve a goal. Be sure the web designer caters to that goal!

4. The lowest bidder may not be that good. It is not just about getting the website done. It is about getting it done right! Quality may sometimes have a crucial link with price because of the maxim - You get what you pay. Moreover, web designers who have the lowest rate are usually inexperienced and hard to work with. Do not sacrifice the quality over a meager sum. It will surely spoil your business!

About The Author

Maricon Williams

Please visit Web Development Services Pros site at http://www.webdevelopmentpros.com/sections/Website-Design.html for comments and inquiries regarding this article.