What’s in store for you in 2010?Well, it’s now 2010 and what a year 2009 has been!
The economic downturn has been quite kind to the web design industry; I guess lots of people have been smart and seen the importance of a website in a recession.
Version three of my website was launched in January 2009 and one of the new features was this blog. A year on, I’ve had some excellent feedback and it’s helped me present information that has been useful as a reference point to me and my clients. It has helped me explain the things you need consider before getting a website commissioned and also that oft–asked question: Why do web design quotes differ so much?
You can get lots more free advice from the blog too such as answers to the questions: Should you get your website built overseas?, What is the difference between web design and print design? and Should you use an open source CMS to build your website?
If there’s a specific web design question or issue you’d like addressing on the blog then I’d love to hear from you.
I was lucky enough to be involved in some varied and interesting projects in 2009. I built a CMS–driven website—including an agents’ portal—for a property company in the Cayman Islands, I created a bespoke eCommerce solution for a seller of rare and antique books and developed a new corporate site for a local infection control company. There are lots more; you can take a look in the portfolio.
2009 saw a big rise in the work I do for agencies (about a third of my workload). Although agencies are very different to freelancers, a lot of them use freelancers like me as it’s not viable for them to employ web people full–time. Are you an agency that is in need of a reliable web designer/developer? If so, call me on 07843 483 078 or get a free quote online.
What’s going to be new for me in 2010? More of the same, I guess. Building more great looking websites, growing my client list and generally spending my time finding more interesting things to do with websites.
So that is what’s new for me in 2010. How about you? Are you going to use your online presence to catapult you out of the global recession?
Make sure your website is a part of a prosperous 2010 for you. Call me on 07843 483 078 or get a free quote online.
Hi Tim,
I agree Wordpress and some other free CMS sites are not worth the hassle, but I have been working with Joomla for the past 2 years, and you can customise absolutely everything with it, we have never been hampered by the CMS.
I am lucky to work with a top developer and we have integrated any custom feature or system clients have requested. There are lots of tweaks you can do to really press ahead with SEO too.
I have had big businesses contact me to set up joomla sites for their different operations, as they have seen what I can do with it. The problem with custom made CMS packages is that you are also relying on one person who knows the build and design to support it. People will have to rely on you, whereas with other CMS packages, if it is popular, at least there are other peope who are familiar with it.
The only issue with Joomla is you need a designer who ensures your site is regularly backed up and updated to prevent hacking attacks. Also a designer who knows how to add extra security to the site, which comes through experience. A standard joomla site is quite easy to attack through knowing default information of the CMS, such as database names, usernames and admin access.
Good luck in 2010 Tim, you have some nice websites and I enjoy reading your blogs!
Richard, your old buddy from university days