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Can You Make Money from a Website?

August 30, 2010 – 3:05 am

It seems everyone and their mother now has a website or a blog. We hear the success stories like the woman who blogged about cooking and had a major studio buy it to make the movie Julie & Julia. But how can the average web designer make any money without waiting for that kind of luck?

Here are three off-the-beaten-path ideas you should consider:

Direct Banner Advertising. Use your web design skills to create an eye catching banner that advertizes a particular company or service. You probably won’t be able to charge much if you don’t have a big audience, but if you’ve built up a following then ask relevant companies if they want to buy reasonably priced ad space.
Sponsorships. Does your website have weekly podcasts, monthly surveys, an interview series, or specific columns? Contact companies about sponsoring one of them. This allows the company to target a very specific audience. Both Mashable and Problogger demonstrate this tactic.
Highlighted Posts from Sponsors. To get an idea of how successful this can be, check out Techmeme. They created a sidebar for sponsor posts that can help direct traffic to their sites. If your website has a big enough audience, you can charge a few thousand dollars for one of these spots. Techeme, for instance, charges $5,000.

Of course, if your website is still in its infancy and doesn’t have enough traffic to generate big advertising sales, you can always start by asking for donations with a “Donate” link. If your blog or website offers valuable information, people may be willing to send a few dollars your way.

By admin Posted in Publishing Ads & Monetizing Your Website No Comments

Minimalist Website Design Can Now Improve Search Engine Position

August 18, 2010 – 6:47 pm

Google has begun using the speed of websites as a criterion in their search engine positions. After all, Internet users get frustrated when any website takes forever to load.

Minimalist web design may now be considered classic rather than new and trendy, but sometimes styles endure for a reason. The less data on the page, the faster your site loads, and the higher your website can display in Google search listings. Moreover, a cluttered website can be confusing to visitors, causing them to click elsewhere for their information or shopping needs. With a minimalist design, you can easily create a focused, user-friendly site.

Graphic designers often have trouble with a minimalist approach, either thinking that the final design looks unfinished or because they can’t resign themselves to creating a page with so few elements. Remember, though, that “minimal” doesn’t necessarily equal “boring.” Yes, the page remains somewhat bare, but creating a powerful focal point keeps it interesting.

Start by stripping your site down to its essential elements. Get rid of excess widgets, social media graphics, unnecessary descriptions, and anything else that doesn’t enhance the site. Then, take a look at your overall web design to ensure you’ve used the whitespace effectively. Whitespace can be a powerful tool in directing the user’s attention. Then step back and consider the other elements graphic design schools drill into you during your first year–color, balance, alignment, and contrast. Use them wisely and your minimalist web design may stand out from the rest entirely because of its simplistic beauty and, of course, its inherently user-friendly nature.

Tips for Taking the Guesswork out of Web Design

July 30, 2010 – 4:39 am

Web design can sometimes feel a little like mind reading–clients trying to express abstract ideas about what they want, you trying to divine what they mean, all of you hoping to land on some kind of common ground. But the design process doesn’t have to be such a scary leap into the unknown.

Expert user experience designer Daniel Ritzenthaler has broken down a few simple strategies for taking the guesswork out of design over at A List Apart. His exercises are a great way to add some structure to the creative process and get the clients involved in a productive and meaningful way. Check out some of his best suggestions:

1. Set clear goals.

You can’t move forward unless everyone is on the same page about where you’re going. Ritzenthaler recommends using a simple statement to produce less ambiguous goals:

We want to __________ because ____________ so that ___________.

For example:

We want to update our header because it needs to be more SEO friendly so that we can get more search generated leads.

2. Organize the website’s pages.

Sometimes the best way to organize is to go low-tech. Ritzenthaler uses old fashioned index cards. He marks each one with the title of a page, then lays them out on a table, rearranging until the flow of the content makes sense.

3. Nail the layout.

Ritzenthaler suggests taking the mystery out of layout by sitting down with a client before the designing starts. Together, assign weight or points to each piece of information or item on a page, and sketch it out on a plain piece of paper accordingly. For example, a really important registration button might take up 50 percent of the page. The least important item would only take up 10 percent of the space.

By admin Posted in Web Design & Layout 5 Comments

Quick Ways to Bump up Your Web Design Skills

July 23, 2010 – 9:51 am

MediaBistro is offering one killer deal for anyone looking to bump up his/her web design skills. Right now you can get a year subscription to their On Demand Video library for just $97–that’s more than half off the usual price!

The On Demand Videos are a great resource for any designer, and include practical online tutorials showing you everything from how to get the most out of design programs to solid career advice. You can even download the juiciest clips from MediaBistro’s design conferences.

MediaBistro does an excellent job recruiting subject experts, oftentimes design professors, to lead each how-to video. They’re perfect for busy professionals who don’t have the time for an extensive course or the resources to go back to school. If you’re looking for other easy, efficient ways to hone your design skills, consider these options:

1. Conventions and Seminars

Attending a one or two day convention like An Event Apart is a great way to re-energize your passion for web design and learn from some of the best designers out there. What’s even better–you may be able to get your company to foot the bill.

2. Summer Classes

Many design schools and community colleges offer short, intensive summer courses. These are a great option for someone who wants more web design education, but can’t commit to a full-time program.

3. Online Courses

Want more than a video tutorial but less structure than a formal web design program? Consider an online design school. Many let you work at your own pace, wherever you can find an Internet connection.

By admin Posted in web design education 5 Comments

How to Design an iPhone Application: Part 2

July 15, 2010 – 3:51 pm

So the last post started you down the road to iPhone app stardom. Now let’s talk about how to execute your big idea and actually get it up and running in the iTunes store:

5. Get going on the design work.

While you’re waiting for Mac’s Software Development Kit (SDK) and Xcode files to download, work on designing your app. Storyboard on paper or in Photoshop so you know exactly how everything works and flows together.

6. Develop your app.

Once your app is storyboarded, choose from the templates in the SDK and start developing. Don’t miss the YouTube tutorials that offer great guidance on using the templates.

7. Program your app.

If you don’t already know Objective-C for Cocoa, you’re going to have to get a good book and teach yourself. Not confident in your programming skills? Don’t panic. Enlist a freelancer or friend to help with this part.

8. Test with the iPhone Simulator.

Never skip this step. The SDK comes with a handy testing tool for a reason. So upload your app to the iPhone Simulator and test, test, test. Think about all the different ways your app will be used and keep track of your test scenarios as you work out the bugs.

9. Time to pony up.

Loading your developed, thoroughly tested app into the iTunes store costs a one-time member fee of $99.

10: Let the app community take a crack at your creation.

Once you pay the fee and load your app, you’ve reached the final de-bugging stage. Other app creators can take your creation for a test drive and give you feedback.

11. Submit for approval.

Once the de-bugging is over, it’s time to submit for final approval from iTunes. Approval could take some time, but be patient. Soon enough you can watch the money (or traffic, if your app is free) roll in!