Is A Website Designer Needed? Website Magicians Specialize in Creating
Small Business Websites Which Clearly Tell Your Message...
And Which Customers
Can FIND!
Why is it that the vast majority of
freelance website designers only understand the
technical side of web designing? They may be great at adding
flash animation and java script illustrations to your site,
but they seem to have very little idea about how to put
together a website that truly "works"!
Most web designers only know what looks
"cool" or "pretty". They don't seem to comprehend that every
business website should convey a clear message. They don't
understand that if a website is too CUTE for its own good,
it can actually sell AGAINST what you are trying to say.
Why Are
My Websites Successful?
My name is John Souter. When I first needed a website back in 1999
for my brand new Maui wedding business, there weren't
very many people who knew how to create and promote a website
effectively on the web. What little expertise they offered came
with an expensive price tag. I quickly realized that I
needed to create my own website from scratch in order to
compete.
Now let me be honest. I made every mistake
you can make on that first website. I took a LOT experimenting
and a LOT of research with
a lot of different approaches until I finally found something that
worked. But within four short months, my business
exploded. We went from doing maybe 9 weddings the
first year to 175 the second!
Over the years that followed, I had to
adjust my strategy and add new websites, revise old ones
and try lots of innovations to keep up with my competition. Just to survive in my
highly competitive market, I tried one web promotional method after another
until I learned what works on the web . . . and also what does not.
Through the school of hard knocks, I learned
a few formulas for success that have been very helpful both
for my own websites and for those of my friends and business
contacts which I went on to design and build. Let me tell
you some of the
things I believe every small business website needs:
What Makes A Website
Successful?
1. Your website must clearly communicate
the essence of what your business is all about. This
sounds so deceptively simple, but it is often quite
difficult for most business owners. Many businessmen have a tough time
summarizing their web message in such a way that people will
be interested in reading it. Just remember one key here — people are
NOT really interested in you. They are only interested in
how
you can help THEM.
I believe I have a gift for cutting to the
core of what a business is all about, and then communicating
that in words and images so that your website visitors will stay
around long enough to read and learn about you. When you
choose a freelance website designer you will someone
who can effectively communicate
why your business is what your visitors are looking for.
 2.
Your website writer must be clear and concise. Anyone
can write, just like anyone can paint a house, but for both
of those services, people can always tell whether a pro or
an amateur has performed the job. You want to make sure that your
web writer clearly communicates your story. Most website
writers seem to be afraid to talk enough and present enough information to convince the skeptics.
I've written 60 books and lots of websites, so I'm a pro
went it comes to writing. But there is also an art to analyzing
a client's business, asking the right
questions so that you can find the best way to sell your message to your
web visitors. On most of my client's websites, I end up
writing every word of the copy. To do that, I try to "get
inside" my client's heads in order to understand more fully
what they are trying to say on their website.
3. Your website should be better
than your competitors. This may be hard if you have less
money or are smaller in size, but it is still important to
offer your visitors something that they can't get from your
competitor. Even if it is just your smile or your personal
attention, I will help you make your site as unique as I can
but analyzing both your competition and your business.
4. Your website should be appropriately attractive.
I do believe that it should also be attractive. When you are
selling a visual subject like weddings or travel or jewelry,
you simply must have good photos and descriptions of your
products, because that will lure your them deeper into your
website and help sell them on what you have to offer.
Even if you have no images to use for your website, I am
often able to pick up (or create) the photographic images
that are just right to effectively show off your website.
Because I have been a graphic designer for years, being a
web site designer is very easy for me.
5. Your website must be easy to
navigate. It must be well organized with a navigation
set up that doesn't have to be explained. Your visitors must
also know how to reach you either by phone, email, or order
blank. Why is it that so making websites hide their "contact
page"? Why not put your contact information on the bottom of
each and every page? Sometimes your visitors will not arrive
on your home page, so it is wise to have an easy navigation
system so that people can find all of your web pages. This
is a MUST for success.
6. Your website must be found. So many freelance
website designers ignore this fundamental and simple truth,
and so no one can find the sites they build. Very few web designers
understand or appreciate SEO (search engine optimization) or Internet marketing, and
so they have no idea how to promote your website. Because of
this these web designers will often make
mistakes in the way they set up their websites which can
make it
impossible for Google and Yahoo to find your site!
A beautiful website that no one can find is like a gold ring
in a pig's snout! Don't waste your money having someone
create a "beautiful" website with lots of flash animation
that will never improve your business because it can't be
found.
In addition to being a freelance website designer, I am a
website promoter.
Yes, I spent many thousands of dollars over the years
attending Internet marketing conferences, paying for
one-on-one consultations, and buying ebooks to learn the
necessary skills and to find the necessary products to
promote my own websites. As a website promoter, as part of
my web design service, I will do the things that are
necessary to help your website get found by the search
engines.
Am I
The Right Freelance Website Designer For You?
That's a good question. Let me tell it to
you straight. I'm not for everyone. In fact,
I don't really want too much business as I already have a
number of clients and lot of my own websites to oversee.
Take a look at what I have to offer — and what I DON'T offer
— and then you can decide if I'm worth working contacting.
1. I do not create cute sites with flash or javascript. If you want
"cute", I'm not your man. My
experience is that javascript, especially if it is used with
your navigation buttons, can make it more difficult for
search engines to find all of your web pages. I also think
that many flash sites tend to irritate your visitors. A lot of
us would rather not hear navigational sounds or have
pop-ups coming up all over the place. My philosophy and my
design is to keep my websites
simple but functional.
2. I don't create ecommerce sites.
While such sites are very necessary, I'm not enough of a
techie to enjoy creating them. Sorry.
3. I am first and foremost a writer.
While I believe in graphics and a certain amount of
interaction, by background since college has been as a
professional writer. If you want a website writer to craft a
sales page, I am you man. Web sales copy is a different
animal from just website writing. I've spent a lot of money
learning my writing craft over the years and I believe I am
good at what I do. If you think so too, then this alone
might be the reason you would want to contact me.
4. I will design a turnkey website for
you that will work. What I offer is the creation of a
website which includes graphics, navigation, copywriting and
SEO promotion. That means I often do everything on the website,
from designing it, crafting the copy, obtaining pictures from photo
directories, and then when I'm finished with the site, I put
on my website promoter hat.
Most freelance web designers usually don't
want to write
the words on your site, nor do they want to design how the
site should be organized. So you are left to your own
imagination. I don't work that way. After finding out more
about your business and what you want to accomplish with
your website, I will suggest a plan for you. My job is to
create a workable solution that we will try to achieve
together. I
will take charge and make your site happen, which works
especially well for small businessmen who have other things
to do besides working on their website.
5. I charge a reasonable rate. I do
not try to win business by offering low prices. I believe
that I do a better job then most garden variety freelance web designers,
so I charge a reasonable rate for my services. I won't gouge
you, but neither do I give away my services. I will create website
for you that
effectively communicate, at a reasonable rate.
6. I prefer to work fast. I won't take your
project on if I don't think I have the time to complete it
quickly. If we agree to work
together, I will do my end of the job as quickly as possible
because I don't like
to have projects dragged out.
7. I can't take on too many clients. I
am a busy man. So I can only take on so many projects. Butwasn't even sure that I wanted to put up this
website because I feared it might bring me too much free
lance work. I cannot guarantee that I will take on your
project. I only work on projects that are right for my
skills and my experience.
If you need a freelance website designer, a
web writer or a website promoter, we should talk. You
certainly have nothing to lose. Call me or drop an email using the button
below to talk about your website project.
1215 S. Kihei Road, Suite O-526
Kihei, Maui, Hawaii 96753
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