Web Design is an art form.  There are many variables to consider which is unique to the internet.  You have about 10 seconds to grab someone's attention on the net so a site really has to speak to people quickly.  To do that you need a site that's clean, simple and carries a strong message.  Once you have their attention then you have the luxury of time to explain things to them.  My designs focus on being easy to read and quick to load.  I'm not a fan of doing really fancy stuff because the load times tend to turn away more people than it captures.  A site should be elegant and easy to read.  All information should be at most three clicks away and in a logical place.  

I charge a flat hourly rate of $40 for actual work done, you don't pay for my lunch hour or the time I spent talking on the phone while working on your site.  I can even provide you a complete work log if you request it so you can see exactly what your money has purchased, but please let me know at the start if you need this.  At this rate I find most clients receive an completed website for around $200-$400.  The more information you can provide me with the less time I need to spend, so you can save substantial amounts of money by submitting your own written text to me. I actually prefer this because then the website is put into your voice, not mine.  No one knows your product better than you.  If you already have a site with another host I can usually move the site within an hour which means not having to repurchase a site all over again.   Also, the site is yours not mine so you own the final design.  I can even pop your site onto a CD so you can take your site elsewhere.

In the end you the client are the one who decides what their site should include.  I will advise what will and will not work but if you are really set on having a certain something then you'll get it.  I don't believe in over riding the clients wishes because I think I know better.  The fact is your idea might very well be more valid than mine so if I see it work I'll learn something new.  I mention this because in my experience many web designers are very closed minded about what is right and wrong so they stop listening to a client if they think the client is wrong.  I'm not afraid to let you know what might not work but I only offer suggestions, I don't 'tell'.  

Free Initial Consultation

Web Sites can be complicated so the best way to start is to sit down with you the client and talk about your vision.  It's possible what you want is something beyond my abilities so why waste your money and my time pretending to do something I cannot.  Better to discuss things up front and sort it all out from there.  I do this initial consultation of up to an hour entirely free because it's as much about helping me understand the site as it is about you getting your message across.  If I understand your wishes at the start then you are far more likely to be happy with the end result and it tends to be much faster and easier for me to make a site I understand.  If your concept isn't that well formed yet then I'll pitch you a couple ideas to consider.  If you already have a firm idea then I'll suggest things you can do that will reduce my time and therefore reduce the cost to you.  This consultation is also about working out if we can actually work with each other.  Everyone is different in their likes and dislikes and some times you just don't 'click' with someone.  Better to work that out at the start before anyone commits any time and money.  So this initial consultation is entirely obligation free.  If you don't like my ideas, or me personally then you walk away without it costing you a cent.  At the least it should have helped you create a more solid idea about what you want your web presence to be.  Likewise some people are just jerks so I find it better to fire them before the work even starts because it saves us both a lot of headaches.

Web Solutions

HTML

HTML is a language used for designing websites.  Most simple sites are still done in old fashioned html because it's fast, does not work the servers hard and with the number of html editors out there now it can be easy to use.  I personally like a nice clean HTML site as it always runs well.  However, it does have it's limits.  If you need to do a major update such as changing the overall look of the site then you are pretty much back to square two in the design process.  You have to rebuild the site almost from the beginning.  

Pros: Runs fast and takes up little space on a server

Cons: Hard to make larger updates

CMS

Stands for Content Management System.  These sites are quickly becoming the most popular because they are easy to create and very easy to update.  They work by having a framework that manages the pages of the site, much like a filing system.  They are very easy for the complete novice to update pages and for that reason I now recommend most people take this option as it allows you to regularly maintain and update your pages without having to pay someone else to do it, thus keeping your costs down.  It can be a little slower to load initially which is generally only an issue for people on Dial Up connections.  

Pros: Exceptionally easy to update, even creating complete changes of appearance without having any downtime. 

Cons: Require 1 SQL database.  Can be slightly slower than HTML sites.  Does take up more server space for the framework.

My Recommendation: I prefer Joomla because it has regular security updates and offers a huge range of easy to install add ons.  

eCommerce

An eCommerce site is an online shopping cart.  They manage your products even keeping track of stock levels. Even if you just craft as a hobby then a simple shopping cart might allow you to make your products available to the rest of the online community.  Once set up they tend to be fairly easy to run and update.

Pros: Easy to maintain. Offers heaps of tools for running a retail business.  Can even handle payment systems for you.  Easy to make wide updates in overall appearance and function.

Cons: a little complicated to intially set up.  Requires 1 MySQL database.  

My recommendation: there's a few eCommerce solutions available but I prefer Zen Cart.  It's easy to use, has a strong community behind it who provide many plug in modules and is supported by most merchant facilities like PayPal, Paymate and many others.  It can also be made very secure so your client details are kept safe.

Forums

A forum is an online discussion board where people can come on a talk about whatever subject you want.  You can make these as restricted or as open as you like.  They tend to be fairly simple to maintain although most forums work best if they are moderated by someone to ensure the content being posted there is suitable.

Pros: Simple to run.  Good control over who may use it.  Easy to update and alter the appearance.

Cons: Tends to attract spammers (though there are ways to avoid them). Uses a MySQL database.  

My recommendation: I personally prefer PHPBB, but only because it's the one I have used the most.  It's easy to install and update and has a number of security features built into it.  To be honest though, most forums are fairly similar and all are fairly easy to use once you get used to them.

Other Solutions

Although the above solutions are the most common there are many many others.  Photo galleries, news sites, classified ads you name it.  If I don't already have the programming to provide what you need I'll either find it, write it or have it written.  There are limits mostly imposed by your own budget, but we can work out if that's a concern for you in the initial consultation.

If you would like to see examples of Sites I've build then please visit my Portfolio.