-People want to see a certificate
-Don’t trust: certificate = legitimate experience
-Don’t think: they’d rather pay twice as much for the same thing
-Skeptical of talent/ability when examples are right in front of them.
-Don’t research cost of a website
Everyone wants a web page these days. Most people are completely happy using a free service online with pre-coded templates they litterally drag-and-drop some pictures and text to call their own. For those who want to add a little more personalization, a domain purchase (around $6.00/year) will suffice. For all others, there are 2 choices, aside from coding, imaging and creating the site from scratch: Contract a web design firm to make it for you, or get a freelance web designer.
Going through a company to create your site can be a little pricey. Upwards of $400 for a simple site and over $1000 for a flash website. Freelance designers can get away with charging less because they benefit from the profits 100% where a company would have to pay their employees who worked on the project.
Going through Craigslist, I’ve found a few people who were searching for freelance web designers. Working with html, css, javascript, php, and a little my-sql over the past 6 years and having extensive Photoshop CS experience, I figured I would be a likely applicant for this one-time job. I called, set up an appointment, and then was amazed by the ignorance displayed by these two individuals.
When I first met them, they seemed very polite and professional (both are pretty much a given in any meeting of this sort). After talking for a short while, they asked about my qualifications, examples, and experience. I showed them the homepage for a website I made (as a joke) which happened to show good design properties, my deviantart account, and a handful of pictures saved in my photobucket albums.
I told them a little about where I work, and the fact that each newsletter I create is a single-page website. They seemed to be impressed so far until they asked about classes I’ve taken and certifications I’ve gotten. It was hard for them to grasp the concept that I’ve never taken a single class nor had any certifications in the web design/coding field. They then started questioning the legitimacy of my job! “Why would any company hire you without classes or certifications?”
I talked for a total of about an hour going back and forth about my ‘lack of qualifications.’ Then they asked about my age… this is always downgrades my ‘experience.’ When they found out I was 20, and had 7 years of coding/ graphic design experience, they really flipped.
I decided to tell them about my AutoCAD certification and my job at the NRAO in 12th grade. In the end, I figured they weren’t even worth my effort. Some people just assume that if they aren’t capable of something, no one else is.
After they explained a little about what they wanted their webpage to be like, I asked them how much they were planning on spending. I let out a little laugh when they said $200-$300 dollars. They wanted about 9 pages, flash banner (with links) and custom (full screen) background images for each page. I told them they should call around and see what kind of prices they could get a company to charge. I always charge about half of what a company will charge (I’m still making about 40-50 dollars an hour).
Flash websites (even flash banners depending on the intricacy) can start the cost around $700-1000. Simple websites with a few pages, custom graphics, etc generally start around $300-$500. Again, they didn’t believe me. I was managing to stick around and continue the conversation until they started saying I was naive… “You’re too young to understand what you are talking about,” and “Your 7 years experience probably inst as full as someone who’s gone through college for experience.”
I almost flipped a verbal shit on them! First, I explained that smart individuals do not get a Web design degree. The field doesnt pay enough to rationalize all the loans they would have to pay back. Then I realized I was talking to two very dogmatic people. There was no convincing them. I wished them good luck w/ their websites and finding someone to make it on a low-budget. I gave they my number (they wont be calling) as a nice gesture and went along my way.
Just thought I’d share this with you all.
Posted by Tatum 