Advice For Web Designers/hosters

[jackyseymour]

It defies logic the number of ads I see both here and in my local paper by so-called web designers and hosters who don't include their own web address in their ads. There's one long running one in the Phuket Gazette stating 'An interesting website can help your business', and then gives a hotmail address Are they all hoping we won't notice and just punt out SiteReptile sites to us at a nice profit?

[Guest Reimar]

It defies logic the number of ads I see both here and in my local paper by so-called web designers and hosters who don't include their own web address in their ads. There's one long running one in the Phuket Gazette stating 'An interesting website can help your business', and then gives a hotmail address Are they all hoping we won't notice and just punt out SiteReptile sites to us at a nice profit?

The problem for many of that self designed Web-Designer didn't know the real basics beside of of just creating a nice looking website! But a Web-Designer need to know much more!

How to hosting a Website and the use of an, maybe in house Mail-Server, which is for real professional Websites, special those which will having high traffic, important to know and how to handle.

Web-Designer using e-mail accounts like Hotmail, Yahoo or even Gmail, are directly suspicious and indicating some lack of knowledge IMHO.

Cheers.

[Crushdepth]

Basically yes, anyone can claim to be a 'web designer'. Don't waste your time talking to people unless they can show you a high quality portfolio of prior work. And if they don't have their *own* site/domain you'd have to wonder whether they have any clue at all. Web hosting is also an extremely dodgy business.

Quality web design and hosting does cost a bit, but 'extreme low cost' providers can cost you way more in downtime and poor quality work.

[OxfordWill]

Free email account = instant sign of amateur.

[niller74]

Free email account = instant sign of amateur.

I'm surprised how many people use free email account for professional use.

Some of them even have a website and their own domain, but are not using this domain for mails.

I don't think many people are aware of the signal they send with using free email accounts.

[klikster]

Free email account = instant sign of amateur.

Amateur what?

That depends to a great extent on what you need the email for. If it's just for contact info, a gmail account has excellent SPAM filtering. It may not have the snob appeal of [email protected], but someone who makes a decision about another based on their email provider is surely picking nits, IMO.

Edited August 10, 2008 by klikster

[stumonster]

If it's just for contact info, a gmail account has excellent SPAM filtering. It may not have the snob appeal of [email protected], but someone who makes a decision about another based on their email provider is surely picking nits, IMO.

I don't have a business but my I have my name domain , and I have the snob appeal email address - but all mail is set to be forwarded to my gmail account

I believe it looks a lot better on my resume and also does not allow a potential employer to google the nickname which I use with my gmail address.

I agree that a business with a hotmail/yahoo ( gmail marginally ) address does not put forward a competent image - especially those businesses that are technical/internet based.

[A_Traveller]

^^Not really, after all in many cases people are offering all-in-one services, so it is not unreasonable to expect that such a supplier would, to use that odd tech phrase, eat their own dog food.

Regards

[GmB]

If you want to contact CAT telecom in Phuket you will have to write at an hotmail account.

[niller74]

If you want to contact CAT telecom in Phuket you will have to write at an hotmail account.

Unfortunately not uncommon here in Thailand that even big companies don't have or use their own mail server.

[filingaccount]

It defies logic the number of ads I see both here and in my local paper by so-called web designers and hosters who don't include their own web address in their ads. There's one long running one in the Phuket Gazette stating 'An interesting website can help your business', and then gives a hotmail address Are they all hoping we won't notice and just punt out SiteReptile sites to us at a nice profit?

Yes, it is quite surprising to see a large number of people use hotmail addys for their professional correspondence. Puts most people off from making a serious enquiry.

It doesn't take much to have your own domain, and proper email addy. At least it gives an impression of professionalism (true or not is another story).

I'm dabbling in a web business as a hobby/semi seriously in Thailand and I never get used to the same frequent extremely basic questions from Thai companies.

Eg.

"Why I have to pay every month? I pay you for the design already." They forget that hosting is not "magic". The hosting fee (and other fees) is clearly stated in the contract and has been clearly mentioned several times before signing.

"Why you so expensive? I can have website for 1000 baht." Yes, sure you can, and then I tell them that myspace is totally free and that the 1000 baht is a rip off. Their heads almost explode. There is a difference between having a "website", and having a professional site done right. Sadly, not many see the difference locally.

Then there is the issues with support. Their PC crashes, electricity is off, they didn't connect the PC to the LAN, they spilled their drink on the laptop etc. Yet they call me strongly stating that the website/email is offline and why I didn't make sure it was online. 2 questions later and it is sorted and nothing is wrong on the site side, and their network, power, human error casued it (and this repeats ad naseum).

There are many more fun examples, but I don't want to thread jack too much

In my own personal opinion Thailand, generally, is falling behind more and more regarding IT. It's sad to see as there is so much potential here for each business to expand and realise the profit opportunities they have.