mrbigdog

Actually I do agree on a personal level Although I think he has done a good job of creating this site in a rush - I don't condone this sort of regularity. Ideally, each design should be unique, and pride of place comes from achieving this and providing something 'custom' for the client. I'm sure he wouldn't be the only person to use templates. Although I dont like it eather - some developers use templates and alter them because they are so abundant - and maybe because they arent gifted designers - so it does go on aplenty. Paul.

To be honest, I think clients tend to look at things differently than us guys do. To us the templates look quite similar - but you have done a very good job of giving them a different personality - and both are nice, clean tidy websites that you should be able to display in the portfolio (without hiding too much). Well done. Paul.

Hi Andy, Try this link. There are some good SEO tools out there and you should use them to make sure that your keywords, description and head content reflect the content of your site. Here is a good link. Type in your web address and it will analyses it and give you some advice: http://www.creatingonline.com/site_promoti...ite_checker.htm When I produce a web site, I do a little research first to check how many people are searching for certain keywords each day. I then try to naturally include those best keywords several times on the home and other pages. To get some suggestions, try these other sites for feedback on your website: http://www.digitalpoint.com/tools/suggestion/ There are lots of other things you can do. Start with the basics, and do some reading around SEO techniques. The ones above will help you the most to start with. Try and make sure your web page is without errors also and preferably written in XHTML and CSS. You can use the WC3 validator for this: http://validator.w3.org/ (Don't get too hung up on this if it your first website - you will learn) Paul.

lol. You mean did I produce that site for him? erm..... No. He was happy with his site. Thought it was very professional. I don't like comic sans either.

Hi, I would also mention that your contrast needs to be higher to direct the users eye and make the site a little more striking. In the top design, you have the logo in black with white writing. I bet the whole thing would look good with and black background and the white logo, and white navigation links down the left hand site. That was my first thought. Then, you would be keeping the minamalist/professional chic while contrasting the site really well. Overall, promising design though. I like the inside content boxes displaying the pictures! Paul.

Thats very true actually. I contacted the owner of this very professional company a few months ago and offered to do a sample design for them: http://www.glasform.com/ hehe. Give it a try guys. If you can convince him his site doesn't match his reputation, you doing well! You have to wonder sometimes if people surf the web with their eyes open? lol Paul. (Sorry, bit naughty

Hmmmm.... Good points here guys. Must admit, I can certainly understand what you mean and what the potential pit falls are. Many people do seem to mess you around with these types of request. It makes sense that ideally, your portfolio is there to showcase your work and for people to decided if your ability or design skill is right for them. If given a choice, I would probably have my own website designed in my spare time to try and make some pocket money etc. Having aid that -i wouldn't discount it if I thought it was worth a punt, or would be useful while building an updated portfolio... Paul.

I think either first or third. Both are equally good for different reasons. However, if i had to decide - I would probably say the first! Paul.

Another (less conventional way) you can do this is to make your background image as a flash movie - but make sure you use vector images in the movie (so they are lossless). Embed the flash movie into a 100% container above the body in your css file, and set your flash movie to fit the screen when you publish it. You can the place your mainContent over the top of the flash movie (centered on the page). Just an idea. As I say - not very conventional and there may be a better way to achieve it. Paul.

Attach your page for me, or copy and paste your code and ill try and fix it for you later.... Do you just want the image centered and just below the text? Paul.

Hi Nick, Frustrating when you have problem you can't solves isn't it?? Have you set out your page using CSS? If so, send me your page code and your CSS code and ill fix it for you. Then you can look at how iv'e done it (probably easier). Also, let me know what size your image needs to be. Sounds like you need a floated, relative div in the main content area.... Paul.

They are - other than the problems I'm struggling to solve. Read my other posts - I have said this 3 times now. You can always offer help if you wish! Thats a helpful suggestion - I'll look into that. Do you have any links available? Ok. Can you explain to me why any of this is fair or valid? haven't I explained above that the only reason it's not compliant is because of certain issues I can't resolve? Had I known about the hacks for PNG - i might have used them. Unfortunately - we can't all be web gurus. I'd love to give them their money back - but they haven't paid me yet and havent been contactable for 2 weeks by phone, email or at their business address. I accepted the amount to do less actually. I never agreed to place the content in php/mysql as it would have elevated the cost. However, I felt it was the best thing I could for them - and would allow them to update easily. When I quoted for the job - I didn't anticipate it would take 6 hours of prep on the photo's or creating their text for them when they dropped that bombshell on my doorstep. I agree with you totally. It's my mistake. I have said that above (and got no recognition only criticism for my honesty). Frustrating isn't it?? Let's put it this way. They got a job at 50% of what I would have normally charged at a reasonable rate of £6.00 per hour rather than £15.00 per hour (which is still very cheap indeed). I really don't think they are going to be suffering.... Thanks for the lack of support though. And your supposed to be a moderator??

How do you know i don't?? Free and easy is all very well, but it doesn't allow you the confidence of developing a bespoke system from scratch for a client who's needs don't fit inside the box.. How would you know how much free time I have? Im not the one who has posted 1200 posts since Febuary... So could I, doesnt mean they have any skill without it necessarily.... AKA 'why bother?' Rob

Neither. Both are just a cop out from not taking the time to script your own system. It's like warming up a ready meal for your first date rather than cooking from scratch. Take the time to learn php/mysql - and really add value to your skill and ability for the future. Although content management systems are useful and have their place - they are more for those who want to have a go at building their own website and don't have any coding experience.

Hi, Div positioning is quite a complex area - and although you can use the AP div tags to draw out on page and add content to - its not really the best way to do it for a couple of reasons. 1. You can't rely on positioning the AP div elements properly on the page. When they display quite often some of the results are unexpected. I know because I started off like this. Also, if your DIv tag information is placed in the 'head' of your page - it ads weight which is not good for the page - or for your search engine rankings. 2. You have to make sure that if you are going to do it this way - that you go into 'file' 'preferences' and then 'ap elements' and check the 'nesting box' that appears. This way you can nest layers inside each other that helps with your positioning. The best way to do it would be to create a style sheet.css file to hold all your div information to lay out your page. The best thing you can do is to use one of the dreamweaver CS3 pre-built templates for a page design. This will allow you to experiment and thus learn about laying out your page. That way - you can slice up your photoshop design and place it in the relevant areas of the page. Its very hard to cover it in more detail than that - but if you want to include your design in this post - ill have a look and advise you about the best way to go about it. Good luck! Paul ps. Ive been there! done the same things - but its not really the best way to do it....

Thanks. It would take 5 minutes to render the banner as a jpeg and replace it. Job done - it would be compatible cross browser. Try it and see. The only thing that doesn't display properly is the transparency in the PNG's. I have included all the hacs necessary to make it work in every other way in IE. 6 and even 5.5. If I couldn't be bothered, I wouldn't have worked for all these hours for next to nothing would I? All my pages but 2 validate in Wc3, and they would all validate if I could sort out the problems. I have sorted out all the other pages. I don't think these comments are entirely fair. Sure, I have probably asked for some of them because of my own tone in this post, however - some jobs end up not worth doing in the first place. This is probably one...

Good point. £1200 was closer to my original quote. Thats what i'm saying. It isnt a mistake I will repeat. No work is better than working for nothing.... In terms of the comments above - im not sure how many other people would have included flash work and database development for this time and price. (My own fault admittedly) - but please bear in mind that I had to spend hours scanning and cropping images and typing out text that my computer illiterate clients couldnt even supply me with in word. The Wc3 errors on my front page (90%) are due to the fact that I have embedded a flash banner into the page. I haven't clue how to sort these errors out, as I have simply just clicked the 'add flash movie' element in dreamweaver. Most of the other pages validate - and I will continue to try and sort them out. The question over the main banner not rendering properly in IE. 6 is more a failing in the browser rather than the standard I have crafted it in. How long do we continue to patronise sub standard browsers at the expense of utilising the web to the full? I think the lesson here is to simply not quote until you know exactly whats involved and you can uncover any surprises...

Yeah, sorry guys - maybe i wasn't clear... I was interested in how much you would have charged for a simmilar site with a PHP/MYSQL database to run the products at around 9 days full time work... Thanks. PAul.

I agree Rob. You would think that if you pay that for a domain name that you would have a very clear corporate stratergy all laid out and ready to go to start maximising your returns and several franchises to get up and running to create a corporate brand that you can sell around the world. Looking at the copy - it looks like they have almost run out of ideas what to include - and ploncked any old thing in there so long as it has something to do with pizza. Amazing.... Shall I email them and ask?? lol

Hi Guys. Just wondered if you could share some thoughts with me on my latest site. I haven't put it in the reviews section as i'm not particularly wanting to get it reviewed 'per-se'. However if you want to comment on it thats fine... Its: www.gardenfactors.co.uk The reason i'm posting here is because I actually took this site for £500, which was less than half of my original quote because it was for a friend of a friend so to speak. I would guess (as its taken me 8 days full time) - I would have been more on the mark at £1200 for this. What do you think? The site is fairly simple, but ive crated the showroom in php/MYSQL so it will be easier to add/edit new products etc in the future. (no it doesnt include an admin system for the client). The brief they gave me was terrible. They gave me half an hour and rushed off - even though I tried to go through a proper plan. Grrrrr..... 50% of the site validates. However, they are a small outfit - and I have done my work on keywords, SEO as best I can with no text - and am loath to spend much more time on it without payment. I would say the site is certainly functional as it is - but I would really like to add more copy, tune it and validate each page. What do you do when you've gone double over budget?? Another thing also is ive produced the design with mostly PNG's in div layers with a progressive jpeg for the main picture in the banner. Its well optimsed and works well in all browsers apart from IE. 6 because it doesn't support transparency on the PNG's! Again, I don't really want to change it to JPEG as in this particular case - it will 'de-optimise it' The client is stuck with a 56k modem. What do you think??

OMG! Iv'e just had a look at the site! Wow! You would think they would have paid for a decent web designer!! LMAO!

Couldn't agree more. In fact: http://www.webdesignerforum.co.uk/index.ph...amp;#entry34256 Already been there and done that this week! I would honestly say that your dads prices aren't particularly that high. He seems to be charging a good rate for a good job. Problem is, a lot of people want something for nothing - and as you say (quite rightly), web design is constantly devalued by the 'have a go joes' who will do it from a back bedroom for pocket money and a compliment (even if the website they produce is crap). So there you go! Lets not be politically correct about it. Hey! don't forget weve had a labour government for too long! Bring back freedom of sppppeeeeeccccchhhhhh! Sorry, bit eccentric i know...

Yeah, I quite like it too. Looks quite tidy. Just one suggestion. Add a little more contrast to your tent banner (+20 i would suggest) and kick the brightness up a little to (+5). Good design.

I read somewhere recently that .gif format should really be replaced with .png as it offers more clarity and power with transparency. Lets face it - the only reason we still use gif's is because a lot of computer illiterates haven't upgraded internet explorer for 5-6 years! lol PNG all the way. That way - when your really complex layered transparency dependent design breaks in IE. 6 - you can tell people it's because they have a crap browser and they shoud upgrade to one not made by microsoft! hehehe (Sorry couldnt resist) Paul.

Hi, Welcome to the forums! In answer to your first question it varies. Web designer in employment tend to work for anything between £14000 - £26000 per year. Generally between £18000 - 24000 would be the norm. Freelancing is a different matter, and can vary widely. Some part timers with an interest in web design might do you a site for £100. There are a few of those around. Basically, they use a template - put your logo in and post the site online to your domain name with your text in it. A guy near me charges £40 per hour - and his design isn't as good as mine. I'm stuggling to get £10-£15 an hour for my work on web design. This is ironic considering I was charging £55 per hour for e-learning work in flash 4 months ago... Happy hunting Paul.