Can you really afford to hire an amateur?

If you think it is expensive to hire a professional, imagine the REAL cost of hiring an amateur?

As Kermit would say – “It is not easy being green”, it is very similar for design firms – “it is not easy being in the business”. One of the difficulties is that in some aspects the cost-of-entry appears low. If you say that I have a computer, some graphic programs, templates, and html editors, I am a designer. I guess this is somewhat true.

The fallacy is where or when do you start considering the cost-of-entry when it comes to creative talent and visual communications skills. So often this is both an art and a science. The past 10 years have seen too many false or instant solutions.

“I have Word so I must be a writer” or
“I got Publisher with my computer – I am now a graphic layout person” or
“I can use PhotoShop – I am a graphics designer” or
“I got Homepage or can use one of the free web template services – I am a web designer” or
“I bought the book built my own website – of course I can build yours”

You must be kidding me!
. . . and it is hard to fight this lack of logic or knowledge until it is too late – “My collateral/web site is not helping my organization to grow” Well what do you expect.

This whole scenario really becomes disastrous when applied to your website. Remember websites are not just electronic yellow pages anymore. They are the first place one goes to find out about you and be introduced to your products/services. I do not care what you are offering this is still true. Your first impression will make or break you – don’t care if you are selling products, introducing your Church services, or running for political office.
For your web site you MUST consider three domains:

Look/design “ugliness does not sell”. Your web site better be building up your brand and not weakening it

Functionality – does it provide the services, correctly processed, that are aids to your viewers?

Marketing – how are people going to get to your site and more importantly how are you going to distribute your site outward.

Many may disagree with me, but your visual communications are so important that in some cases doing nothing may actually be better than publishing/posting something that weakens your brand image.

So for you designers or people that work with designers – you get what you pay for. Crap is still crap!