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Ecommerce InformationHow Not To Get Web Design Work
by:
T. O' Donnell
I get the occasional web design lead from my website. I wanted to find a institution I could pass these onto. So I put an ad on a freelance site. It mere the programming qualifications needed, expressed
that the flourishing candidate should have nice English, and was for companies only.
The replies I got were enlightening. So more so, I ready-made a list of things applicants did wrong. Here it is.
I should point out I was at the start
prepared to give everyone a fair go. After the 1st twenty-odd emails, my attitude changed. I was looking for reasons to delete applicants. I only required one flourishing one; with 100 replies it was effort to be a headache, so I distinct a brutal approach was needed.
1. Failing to see the spec.
Many applicants couldn't write properly in the English language. Many an were individuals only. Result: instant deletion.
2. Failing to address the spec's criteria.
Applicants bragged just about how great they were. Many an copy-and-pasted standard marketing bunkum just about 'solutions' and 'partnerships' into their emails.
To engage anyone's interest just about a proposal you need to talk less just about yourself and more just about the benefits to *them* of victimisation you. One of the 1st things I learnt just about applying for jobs is you need to show how you meet the criteria in the job description; see if you can find the employer's wavelength.
3. Lots of jargon.
You quickly tune this out. Anyone dealing with web companies probably gets a lot of this. Applicants should talk to the client just about *the client's* site and *their* needs, and avoid techno-babble.
Write an application letter. Leave it for a while, then edit it. Brutally. Short punchy sentences, no guff. Talking convincingly just about how you can do the client money would-be be an attention-getter.
4a. 'Coming soon' client-listing pages.
You say you've done activity for lots of clients, then put up a 'coming soon' sign on the web page wherever
your client list is supposed to be. Hmmmm.
4b. 'Under construction' pages on your institution web site.
This looks bad; thing
you'd see on an amateur's site. Another reason to bin your application.
4c. Only put up images of sites you've done, rather than links to the actual sites.
I'd have likeable
to see several working example sites. Images can be faked, and they don't show background programming.
4e. No mention of your main web site URL.
Let us guess wherever
your own site is (if you have one). It's more fun! I tried dead reckoning from the email address. After a spell I didn't bother.
4f. No hyperlinks at all.
Just a short email spiel locution "I am great designer, hire me". Next!
5. Victimisation Yahoo.com or Hotmail.com for your email address.
A pro designer shouldn't use a freebee email address service. Basic web hosting cost $5 a month these days.
I can conceive that a web designer strength
use a freebee account for several special purpose, but your own domain name is a basic advert that goes out in each email you send.
6. Bad orthography and grammar.
Western civilisation is doomed, if victimisation SMS jargon becomes the standard way to write to people. It doesn't impress old frts lik me, fr strtrs :( Especially if you're looking for activity wherever
nice orthography and synchronic linguistics are important.
7. Front-loading Flash designs.
I admit it, I don't like Flash. I especially don't like it once
it loads slowly on my broadband connection. I suppose it strength
impress an ignorant client, who doesn't cognize the economic consequences of having a Flash-heavy site.
8. Don't phone the leader
up.
Unless they say 'canvassing wish disqualify', 'phoning the leader
is a nice idea. Why? Because geeks are magnificently introspective and tongue-tied, supposedly. So if a web site designer can communicate clearly over the telephone, that, coupled with a nice application, puts you streets ahead of the email-only applicant.
No need to jabber. A polite enquiry to establish contact wish do. "Just checking you've got my CV", that sort of thing.
9. Support yourself mysterious.
Emails are impersonal. Thing
that can establish you as a human being, a person, a potential ally and friend, is good. It'll do you more memorable. No need to jump out of a giant cake, 'though!
However, you have to fulfil all the else criteria as well. However great a guy you are, if you're a Unix operating system man and they want Windows, forget it.
10. Effort unclear phone messages.
One chap left a phone message, in which he mentioned his site, twice, but not his 'phone number. His pronunciation was bad, so I guess I'll ne'er
cognize how nice he was.
11. Too far away.
Most replies were from India, Ukraine, Balkan state etc. Anyone who was closer to house (the UK) stood out. I mention it just as a sifting
criterion.
Also, I required causal agency who could land contracts from UK residents; nice English, written and oral, was important.
12. Give your rates per hour.
Forget that. You're not a lawyer. Web design jobs can be clearly defined, in terms of time, activity and computer code required. A definite cost can be in agreement on in advance. It's called a contract. Otherwise, you leave the client open to escalating bills, and yourself to mission-creep.
13. Delay applying.
The 1st few applications were more scrutinised. After that, fatigue set in. After one hundred, only an individual who seems a real prospect would-be be given more than five seconds' scrutiny.
Simply just about the author:
T. O' Donnell ( http://www.tigertom.com) is an ecommerce authority
and old person living in London, UK. His latest project is an ebook on conservatories, accessible at http://www.ttconservatories.co.uk.T. O' Donnell computer code package may be downloaded at http://www.ttfreeware.co.uk.
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