IN SEARCH OF A WEBSITE DESIGNER! ~ COULD IT BE YOU?

A friend chatted up with a few weeks ago and asked me if I have a proper website that focussed on the services that I am offering. Clueless, I said No. I recalled browsing the internet for similar sites and stumbled upon a few links that are pretty engaging and interesting.

Fast forward, I reckoned what this Blog actually need is a proper website. My friend was right.

So I went on to Google to seek for an affordable Freelance Website Designer and found a few that are pretty capable. So I short listed a few and started to contact them.

I have a budget in mind (every new Startup must start small!) and I wonder if these aspiring designers are able to understand my requirements and subsequently cook up a brilliant proposal. Unfortunately, instead of working around my budget and make a good proposal (they are running a business aren't they?? Cant they be at least creative & enterprising when selling & promoting their ideas?), they quickly quoted me on their fees first. Whoaa....some would even cost me a good 15 grand! I almost fell off my chair...

This is a new startup peeps, I am yet to run an empire to be able to pay that much :-(

No doubt we have a lot of good designers out there, but what I have observed so far is that most of them are lacking with the ability to work around customer's needs / requirements, they are not very good at 'selling' their ideas or creative in their approach. Some takes all their sweet time to revert to me with a short reply to my queries (I am expecting more info please?). Perhaps they are still young? Hmmm.....

I seriously think, in order to be successful in any businesses at all, whether as a full time, part timer or freelance entrepreneur, one must have the ability to relate to customer's needs, vision, with the ability to propose an idea and sell the concept. 

Its not like a Hi and Bye kind of transaction here folks. Its way beyond that! Its about building long term relationships so people like myself could leave a good word about your work and subsequently this will reflect on you, as a talented young entrepreneur. Business relationship doesn't just stop after you build the website, think about the possibility of the client enhancing the site in the long run and engaging your service to be part of it! Imagine he/she recommended your service to others.

Sadly, till to date, I am yet to find one (still trying to get a few to revert).

Nevertheless, I am considering the idea of submitting my application in O'Desk or Elance and I believe that there are hungry and talented aspiring website designer out there that is waiting to be discovered.

Until then, I will keep you posted about my quest. Stay tuned!