Web Page Design

[bago]

hi does anyone know a farang that can design and produce a web page for me, i live in the khao lak area , so khao lak, takapa, or ranong would be handy for me.

thanks.

[draftvader]

As a web designer myself I would say that your description needs a little beefing up.

This website, what is the intention (i.e. getting new clients, informing people about your services, maintaining a client base, education?)?

What is your offering (i.e. product, service or both)?

Do you need to be able to edit the page yourself after the site is launched?

How do you see the website growing in the future?

What branding statements/imagery do you already have?

Where will you host the page? Do you have the domain?

Let us know more about your expectation and some of the more experienced designers might be more interested. Without this you might only attract the "Dreamweaver" boys and you will be back at square one within 12 months having gained no use from your site.

You may well find that a decent web designer will not need to meet you face to face to complete a fully functioning site that will work with you, the client. This is, after all, a virtual product you are buying and it would seem a little inadequate if your web designer couldn't take advantage of the available technologies to ensure that your page could be completed without direct, face to face, contact. For example, the majority of my clients are in the UK and Australia and I have no problem servicing them professionally from my home in Bangkok. With this on your side you needn't limit your search to designers/builders in one geographical area.

Let me know if you need more help.

[Rama]

try http://www.scriptlance.com/

[w11guy]

I got a website designed at http://www.getyourfreewebsitetoday.com/. Pretty good as well.

[matt111]

Any falang orientated bar will have a falang web-designer/expert

Most people looking for their own website DONT actually need one, they need some online presence, which could be a twitter account or a facebook fan page will suffice, you can register a domain and most registrar will provide url forwarding so you can point it at your facebook/tumblr/twitter.

As a rule of thumb unless you have at least 50k baht to spend per year on a dedicated website, then don't bother, you'll end up with a shitty wordpress or joomla based site, with a crap theme, security ridden within several months on a dog slow cPanel server somewhere in the states..

[w11guy]

Any falang orientated bar will have a falang web-designer/expert

Most people looking for their own website DONT actually need one, they need some online presence, which could be a twitter account or a facebook fan page will suffice, you can register a domain and most registrar will provide url forwarding so you can point it at your facebook/tumblr/twitter.

As a rule of thumb unless you have at least 50k baht to spend per year on a dedicated website, then don't bother, you'll end up with a shitty wordpress or joomla based site, with a crap theme, security ridden within several months on a dog slow cPanel server somewhere in the states..

Completely untrue. You can get fantastic websites that are fast and very secure for well under 50K. Unless you have a major business there's no need whatsoever to spend 50K. If you're spending that much then you're most likely being ripped off.

I've no idea why you think you'd get a crappy WP theme. Some of the very top themes are under $100. cpanel servers in the US are very fast. No idea why you think they are slow.

[w11guy]

Most people looking for their own website DONT actually need one, they need some online presence, which could be a twitter account or a facebook fan page will suffice.

and you're also claiming to know what other people need. Many people want and need websites. A facebook page is no substitute for a website. And neither is a twitter account.

Do you actually know what a website is?

[Darrel]

Without this you might only attract the "Dreamweaver" boys and you will be back at square one within 12 months having gained no use from your site.

Hmmm.

I have made some large and heavily-visited sites with Dreamweaver which is a very useful tool in the right hands. I've also used Dreamweaver to create WP-based and Joomla-based sites for people who need that sort of thing, and they work fine also.

[WilliaminBKK]

Look at free options/templates before you hire one of these so called experts-I've never met one with a marketing degree. They'll ask you to host with a certain company because they get comission, they'll use fonts you cannot replicate, they'll charge you for minor changes after publishing, they'll listen to your vision but simply copy one of their other sites. Don't be fooled thinking you need a farang, hire local and save 80%. Dreamweaver and others are user friendly, start with godaddy free templates and see if that satisfies your needs, look at fotolia for images.

[brit1984]

I made my own (free) website using google sites for a UK based business; the site doesn't look particularly sexy but it drives an extra 10k sterling through that business each month.

While a nice website is nice (by definition), the key is for it to be SEO'd and to be backed up by first-class offsite SEO (I spend 400 sterling per month for the UK based SEO consultancy to do this for the aforementioned site).

I don't know who the best SEO consultants are in Thailand but I suggest you find out and let them drive things forward.

[Darrel]

......the key is for it to be SEO'd and to be backed up by first-class offsite SEO (I spend 400 sterling per month for the UK based SEO consultancy to do this for the aforementioned site).

SEO consultancy is hugely rewarding for SEO consultants but I doubt that you are getting much back from it at all.

[brit1984]

......the key is for it to be SEO'd and to be backed up by first-class offsite SEO (I spend 400 sterling per month for the UK based SEO consultancy to do this for the aforementioned site).

SEO consultancy is hugely rewarding for SEO consultants but I doubt that you are getting much back from it at all.

Let me put it like this... the key is getting as close as possible to top of the front page of google (for relevant key words/phrases).. there are various ways to get there; SEO consultants can certainly help

Sent from iPhone; please forgive any typos or violations of forum rules

[w11guy]

Look at free options/templates before you hire one of these so called experts-I've never met one with a marketing degree. They'll ask you to host with a certain company because they get comission, they'll use fonts you cannot replicate, they'll charge you for minor changes after publishing, they'll listen to your vision but simply copy one of their other sites. Don't be fooled thinking you need a farang, hire local and save 80%. Dreamweaver and others are user friendly, start with godaddy free templates and see if that satisfies your needs, look at fotolia for images.

LOL. Why would you need a marketing degree to design websites? You don't even need a degree. I've used some fantastic web designers that are self-taught. You sound like someone who made the wrong choice and now think all web designers are the same. If you pay for a website to be designed that's what you get. Can can host wherever you like But there's nothing at all wrong with your designer suggesting a hosting company where they get commission. If you're no happy with it then choose your own.

Free templates don't work for most people because they don't have enough design skills to make them work. It's much better to pay a designer and get teh job done properly. If the website id being used for a business then it is foolish to try to do the design work yourself if you don't have the skills. A designer will do a better job and do it more quickly. That's why you pay them.

[miksguevara]

Without this you might only attract the "Dreamweaver" boys and you will be back at square one within 12 months having gained no use from your site.

Hmmm.

I have made some large and heavily-visited sites with Dreamweaver which is a very useful tool in the right hands. I've also used Dreamweaver to create WP-based and Joomla-based sites for people who need that sort of thing, and they work fine also.

i thought dreamweaver as part of the adobe CS design suite was industry standard nowadays for the pros? it seems to me there are alot of people commenting on this thread that are ill informed. At the end of the day OP if you want a pro website which functions perfectly you are going to have to pay for it. Remember you are free to choose a designer from around the world not just local. i also believe the post above suggesting to go local an save is wrong...have you visted thai websites? garish colours and numerous mistakes....

Edited May 14, 2012 by miksguevara

[Darrel]

Let me put it like this... the key is getting as close as possible to top of the front page of google (for relevant key words/phrases).. there are various ways to get there; SEO consultants can certainly help

Let me put it another way; I do the SEO for the sites that I have created so the keys are clear to me. It doesnt cost GBP400/month to do this and anyone paying out that sort of money is just lining the pockets of the SEO consultant as far as I'm concerned. Of course, it's your money and you are entitled to do what you want with it.

But of course I'm just a Dreamweaver user.

[Darrel]

i thought dreamweaver as part of the adobe CS design suite was industry standard nowadays for the pros?

Me2.

[draftvader]

Without this you might only attract the "Dreamweaver" boys and you will be back at square one within 12 months having gained no use from your site.

Hmmm.

I have made some large and heavily-visited sites with Dreamweaver which is a very useful tool in the right hands. I've also used Dreamweaver to create WP-based and Joomla-based sites for people who need that sort of thing, and they work fine also.

I have also used Dreamweaver to assist with code-hinting/error checking for php and css, but you probably well know plenty of people that quote "I'll build it in Dreamweaver". That kind of attitude is not the start that of a project that will end with a usable, professionally managed and attractive website.

i thought dreamweaver as part of the adobe CS design suite was industry standard nowadays for the pros?

Aptana, ActiveState Komodo Edit and Araneae would probably be the more popular choices amongst more knowledgeable programmers as they are all free, open source and have plenty of 3rd party tools to expand them for specific needs.

[draftvader]

By the way, is anybody actually interested in doing this project or are we all just waving our penises at each other?

[MoTewada]

Hi there,

Check out WordPress (http://www. wordpress.org ) - there is a reason why 60 mio use it to create websites.

It comes preinstalled with most quality hosting plans through the Fantastico script collection.

If interested, I can coach you a bit to get you off the ground quickly and inexpensively.

Cheers.

[miksguevara]

Without this you might only attract the "Dreamweaver" boys and you will be back at square one within 12 months having gained no use from your site.

Hmmm.

I have made some large and heavily-visited sites with Dreamweaver which is a very useful tool in the right hands. I've also used Dreamweaver to create WP-based and Joomla-based sites for people who need that sort of thing, and they work fine also.

I have also used Dreamweaver to assist with code-hinting/error checking for php and css, but you probably well know plenty of people that quote "I'll build it in Dreamweaver". That kind of attitude is not the start that of a project that will end with a usable, professionally managed and attractive website.

i thought dreamweaver as part of the adobe CS design suite was industry standard nowadays for the pros?

Aptana, ActiveState Komodo Edit and Araneae would probably be the more popular choices amongst more knowledgeable programmers as they are all free, open source and have plenty of 3rd party tools to expand them for specific needs.

ok mate u use any of the cs adobe suite? I was planning on learning web design but started comptia A+ instead, my impression was that dreamweaver in the hands of an accomplished web designer would be a great package , especially with the integration into onther adobe products

Edited May 14, 2012 by miksguevara

[matt111]

Company I consult for now pay our SEO guy 1600 per month sterling, plus link building, plus expenses (the various tools used alone about 150 quid a month), we have metric in place to ensure we getting good value, Im told he works one day a week on our project. I havent seen last months reports but our Google Analytics we can pivot data in various way to estimate our cost per enquiry, its working out well for us and we're happy to progress without bringing in in-house.

Basic SEO from the all-rounders, jack of all trade, specialist at none (the people that remove viruses from computer, but also do web design, manage VPS/WHM setups, do SEO, do CAD, so anything you ask, the goto IT guys in the bars) - granted we need these poeple - simply dont understand that not a small bit of onsite (to be fair most have progressed beyond meta tag now for on-site advice, thank god for that) and some off-site link spamming.

The last company I consulted for the SEO staff costs were >50k per month, plus about 1.2million sterling on PPC, at one point we were told we were biggest UK PPC spender for that sector, and we were not a content aggregation. We did have some industry speaker/SEO-celebs on the team but I guess they werent paid more than 400.

These also take care of some business development, suggesting partners that we can work with, making the initial phone days, bringing in other contacts when needed, serious game they command serious money and they can be worth every penny and more.

Sorry this sounds harsh but I have to defend the reality of the industry.

I dont offer SEO, and I will not refer in the spirit of this board.

Edited May 14, 2012 by matt111

[samsiam]

How much you wanna spend ??

[miksguevara]

Company I consult for now pay our SEO guy 1600 per month sterling, plus link building, plus expenses (the various tools used alone about 150 quid a month), we have metric in place to ensure we getting good value, Im told he works one day a week on our project. I havent seen last months reports but our Google Analytics we can pivot data in various way to estimate our cost per enquiry, its working out well for us and we're happy to progress without bringing in in-house.

Basic SEO from the all-rounders, jack of all trade, specialist at none (the people that remove viruses from computer, but also do web design, manage VPS/WHM setups, do SEO, do CAD, so anything you ask, the goto IT guys in the bars) - granted we need these poeple - simply dont understand that not a small bit of onsite (to be fair most have progressed beyond meta tag now for on-site advice, thank god for that) and some off-site link spamming.

The last company I consulted for the SEO staff costs were >50k per month, plus about 1.2million sterling on PPC, at one point we were told we were biggest UK PPC spender for that sector, and we were not a content aggregation. We did have some industry speaker/SEO-celebs on the team but I guess they werent paid more than 400.

These also take care of some business development, suggesting partners that we can work with, making the initial phone days, bringing in other contacts when needed, serious game they command serious money and they can be worth every penny and more.

Sorry this sounds harsh but I have to defend the reality of the industry.

I dont offer SEO, and I will not refer in the spirit of this board.

Im sorry m8 butwhat has this got to do woth the ops original request?

[Darrel]

Company I consult for now pay our SEO guy 1600 per month sterling, plus link building, plus expenses (the various tools used alone about 150 quid a month), we have metric in place to ensure we getting good value, Im told he works one day a week on our project.

What that probably means is that he subcontracts out 2 hours a week to some nice chapati-eating guy in Bangalore and pockets the rest. Happens all the time.

SEO is one of the world's biggest rip-offs at the moment, because most marketing people dont have a clue how it works and so all they can do is throw money at it and hope for the best.

I'd be interested to know what "tools" are being used on your site that cost GBP150 a month.

[Darrel]

By the way, is anybody actually interested in doing this project or are we all just waving our penises at each other?

As I'm retired and have no work permit I have no choice but to stick to waving it about.

[Darrel]

I have also used Dreamweaver to assist with code-hinting/error checking for php and css, but you probably well know plenty of people that quote "I'll build it in Dreamweaver". That kind of attitude is not the start that of a project that will end with a usable, professionally managed and attractive website.

True enough. As I am not really an artist I generally let someone who thinks that he is one do the artwork and then I build the site with Dreamweaver based on his layout. The integration with Photoshop, Flash, Bridge and Fireworks is very convenient, and I find that the code that modern versions of Dreamweaver builds is pretty clean and tidy.

[Somtamnication]

The op, BAGO, has not responded. Tons of experience in this forum.

Do you need a domain or just a website as a subdomain off someone?

Budget?

Give us "dreamweaver lovers" something to be able to respond "intellllligentely and collectlely and cheapalilly".

Without a basic understanding of what you need, no one can help you.

[manarak]

This thread is hilarious and a good example of what happens in any debate on webdesign.

I design websites too, but only for clients I meet personally.

Clients met over the net tend to be difficult and bad payers.

[w11guy]

Let me put it like this... the key is getting as close as possible to top of the front page of google (for relevant key words/phrases).. there are various ways to get there; SEO consultants can certainly help

Let me put it another way; I do the SEO for the sites that I have created so the keys are clear to me. It doesnt cost GBP400/month to do this and anyone paying out that sort of money is just lining the pockets of the SEO consultant as far as I'm concerned. Of course, it's your money and you are entitled to do what you want with it.

But of course I'm just a Dreamweaver user.

It depends how big your site is. Some companies have large teams doing SEO work, so that's not something one person can do. Also, SEO is grunt-work and it's easier to pay someone to do it than do it yourself. You may save some money by not doing it yourself, but how much do you lose by not spending that time doing more productive work. Personally I don't see the point of doing things myself that others can do cheaply. I can cook but that doesn't mean that I don't eat out just to save money. It all comes down to how much time it saves you, how much money it makes you, etc. I'd rather pay $400 than work a 40-60 hour week doing SEO.

[w11guy]

Hi there,

Check out WordPress (http://www. wordpress.org ) - there is a reason why 60 mio use it to create websites.

It comes preinstalled with most quality hosting plans through the Fantastico script collection.

If interested, I can coach you a bit to get you off the ground quickly and inexpensively.

Cheers.

Old Chinese proverb... Just because 60 million people do the wrong thing doesn't mean it's the right thing.

WordPress has huge limitations. Many themes are so badly written that they can negatively affect ranking. I know of people who changed their WP theme and drop from top to bottom of page 1 in Google. They change the theme back and their site went back up. Changing themes can also mean losing all your data - doesn't happen often, but it does happen. Too many security issues, too much hassle choosing plugins. Updating to latest version can cause huge problems. The reason many people use it is because they think it's easy. But they don't understand what goes on behind the scenes. Only a minority of people use WP. Around 20-25% of new website use it. But many of them are spam sites.