Hello everyone. I recently started up a buisness and have very little capital to work with. I have to this point been doing everything on my own to which designing my own website is no exception.

I have been using microsofts OLSB site to develop and build a site which has worked out pretty well. However im starting to get frustrated with the lack of options ofr personalizing the layouts anstructure.

I purchased a domain and hosting service only a day ago and am realizing that i probably cannot just carry my exsisting OLSB site over. Im also realizing that i may not want to anyway.

So im considering hiring a web designer to do the brute work for me, however im not sure where to start looking. I need the service to be extremely affordable, but not look like a little kid put it together.

If anyone is intrested i can provide a link to my exsisting site which will give a good idea of what i need from my site.

Alternatly if anyone can recomend a affordable yet professional service please provide any information possible.

Thanks

There are a lot of people here who do design work so my first suggestion would be to spend some time poking around the forums and get a feel for some of the members who are also designers.

Pick a few to contact and ask questions. You should be able to develop a trusting working relationship with your web designer.

Also I wouldn't make the choice based on price alone. You do get what you pay for and web design is no exception. Quality web design does cost some money, but there's a reason why it does. Price should be part of the equation, but it shouldn't be the whole equation.

Well, there are a lot of things to consider when hiring a designer. As mentioned above, dont base your choice solely on price. First, it is important to have a good idea of what you want... I have written a little about planning your site on my webpage.

Then, you need to look at designers portfolios... usually a designer will have a specific style.. try to find a style you want for your site and pick a designer that is good at the style you want.

A tip.. try to avoid designer that offer a real cheap price... you will get what you pay for.. if its too good to be true,,, its probably not. You can expect to pay at least $300 for a decent site... depending on what you have in mind.

Hope that helps..

Sam

Well, cost is my number 1 issue as i cant spend more then i have, however i definatly agree that there has to be a risk to reward ratio in my favor. I want as much quality as i can get without breaking the bank.

Thehuskybear provided a starting point of about $300 bux. Gives me a good idea of what a website may run, as i was thinking itd be in the thousands for a decent one (which i cant afford). $300 bux to me sounds reasonable as long as the work is professional.

Thanks for the input guys.

Sure, cost is ALWAYS the No.1 factor. I firmly believe being cost conscious. Especially in the times we are living in.

I would do exaclty as vangogh suggested. Don't be afraid to ask for a quote.

This is a great way to get a feel for what web person would charge for what you have in mind.

The above will also better assist you in your overall decisions in what you want vs. what you need.

One thing to keep in mind. Just like any other industry, everything you want eventually adds up to time and we all know time = money.

Look for a web guy that practices w3c standards, tableless css layout, and concentrates on less is more and your on the right track.

And oh, $300.00 were I come from = about 4 hours of work, I can't imagine getting too awful much for that price unless you buy a ready made template. Even then, just a good template might run more than that?

Good Luck!

And don't hire anybody who pops into this thread with a

"Help with that can I! Contact me you will"

kind of post.

To be honest chrishirst ill probably buck up and go at it myself before hiring someone. Getting someone to do it for me will be like the last resort if when im done trying myself it looks like something picaso would have done at 3 years old.

Ok Sydpix, i get it and i guess thehuskybear was using $300 as a starting point. So its what i expected im probably looking at more along the lines of $1000ish to get done what i want.

Not that what i want is really all that complicated, beleive me when i say i wish i had paid more attention in highschool and college...

Thanks guys.

Yeah, when I said $300, I meant you could expect that for maybe a one page website with decent graphics. Of course, the more you want, the more you will pay. One thing you could consider is trying to find a local designer in your area.. their service and prices may be more competitive.

The internet is full of people who do "web design" its really about finding the right match of skills and abilities. You want find someone that can first, meet your budget, requirements, and can present it in a package you want.