Most of the time, we designers don’t suck that badly. I even kind of like us. But when the average person comes to us with the desire to build a quality website, we have a tendency to leave them confused by web-speak, cringing at our price estimates, and disheartened by the thought that their desire won’t become a reality. And that’s when we suck. A lot.

Here are some of the main reasons many designers, including myself, suck:

• We’re expensive. Hiring a high-quality designer is going to cost you a lot of money. For a basic brochure-style website, I start my fees at about $800, and I’ve heard that’s on the cheaper side. Most people who have an idea for a website they’d like to make a reality don’t have the extra money to shell out for that idea. And even if you do, most of the time you’d be better to spend that money on other areas of your initiative.
• Design isn’t that important. The design of a site and how it’s built aren’t the most important parts of a site. The most important part of a site is the content you put into it. People come to your site because they’re looking for information. That information is what makes up the site’s content. While great design compliments and supports great content, great design can’t make up for shitty content. But great content can more than make up for shitty design. Just look at craigslist or StevePavlina.com.
• Most of you can do just as well without us. Most of you can make the site you need on your own. This article will show you how to do exactly that.

Instead of making a sales pitch on why you should shell out a grand for a site, I’ll show you how to create a high-quality, professional-level site for nearly free, with minimal technological know-how (if you can make your way through adding photos or writing a note on Facebook, you’ll have no problem making this site). Note that I didn’t say easy. Building a quality site will take some motivation and time, but you’ll come out of it with a website you’ve created yourself that’s got an edge over everyone else’s.

If you are a designer reading this, please share this advice with those who come to you and are considering building a site. I’ve been giving this advice to people for years, and instead of pushing clients away like most designers fear, it has built stronger relationships and generated more referrals than I could ever have imagined, as well as saved me from spending all my time on small projects, leaving my schedule open for bigger, more interesting, and more profitable projects. Both you and your clients can appreciate that. Continue reading →