Web Design outsourcing

[renaldas22]

STRAIGHT QUESTION
Is anybody using outsource contractors for web site design? Who do you use? Any links, please.

IN DETAIL
We at Sign D' Sign www.sign-dsign.com generally produce in house vinyl and sandblasted signs, banners, car wraps etc. When we need something like dimensional letters we outsource this part of job to gemini http://www.signletters.com/. When we need to print lets say 1000 Flyers we use http://www.4over.com/. These companies are suited to serve users like us and they do great job.
Time to time our customers ask us if we do web sites. And we have to admit that we can't help them there. So now we are looking to find a well suited company to help us with web site design. Any references, links, thoughts?

 

[WildWestDesigns]

I do mine and I have done a couple of others(mainly just tweaking, although one I did overhaul quite a bit).

I have seen a couple of places that do this as their sole business, but I have no experience with them. I'm trying to keep that stuff in house as much as I can.

 

[mikey-Oh]

Are you pitching a service?

Coding webpages in Notepad since '94 here

 

[WildWestDesigns]

Are you pitching a service?

Coding webpages in Notepad since '94 here

In a way. It's not something that I mention to everyone, but it is a service that I do. The 2nd link in my testimonials is one website that I have done for someone else.

I remember coding in notepad. I'm thankful for Dreamweaver now.

 

[mikey-Oh]

In a way. It's not something that I mention to everyone, but it is a service that I do. The 2nd link in my testimonials is one website that I have done for someone else.

I remember coding in notepad. I'm thankful for Dreamweaver now.

Oh I can dig it WWD, and really appreciate what you provide. You're a MM. +1 for dreamweaver
... just curious about the OP's 4over and signletter name drop

 

[bigben]

We do web sites for others (piratically 80%). We work on regular web site, CMS, online store, etc. Name it, we can do it. I have a team who make this full time.

Basicaly, you do all the design in photoshop with all the layers for the effect you want (like button on/off). After that we do all the cutting, programming, etc. We can host the web site on our servers so if there is any problems, you only have one guy to call/email.

 

[weaselboogie]

(piratically 80%).

Arrrrrrrr

 

[WildWestDesigns]

Basicaly, you do all the design in photoshop with all the layers for the effect you want (like button on/off). After that we do all the cutting, programming, etc. We can host the web site on our servers so if there is any problems, you only have one guy to call/email.

Photoshop is good, but it's not exactly what I would use for button and button effects.

 

[renaldas22]

Initial design in PhotoShop sounds good for me. We can do this. To my understanding it would work for simple and cost effective web sites.
On other hand we are looking to offer our customers choice of broad online solutions. So we are looking to establish good cooperation with reputable web design company who's business model is oriented to help marketing companies provide web solution service.

 

[Dan Antonelli]

Initial design in PhotoShop sounds good for me. We can do this. To my understanding it would work for simple and cost effective web sites.
On other hand we are looking to offer our customers choice of broad online solutions. So we are looking to establish good cooperation with reputable web design company who's business model is oriented to help marketing companies provide web solution service.

Our link is below. We work with many sign companies who refer their work to us and we handle the entire process. They get commission for the referral.

 

[iSign]

Our link is below. We work with many sign companies who refer their work to us and we handle the entire process. They get commission for the referral.

That commission idea is the only way to go in my opinion... web development is not something appropriate to stay in the middle on when the developer is a reputable professional... to get a commission for a referral is a great way to justify the less typical avenue of just handing over a client, instead of trying to outsource the work... good to know you offer that Dan!

 

[renaldas22]

Dan: Great portfolio, nice sites! I would definitely recommend you to our boss as our web site is far away from how it should be. Thanx for link.
Referrals may work out, but I would like to find service which has all needed tools to help us serve our customers online marketing needs.

 

[renaldas22]

That commission idea is the only way to go in my opinion... web development is not something appropriate to stay in the middle on when the developer is a reputable professional... to get a commission for a referral is a great way to justify the less typical avenue of just handing over a client, instead of trying to outsource the work... good to know you offer that Dan!

Commission is way to go, I agree. Still I am not convinced that on other hand you can't be in the middle of client and producer(s) i.e. be in help to client and in control of project.

 

[Dan Antonelli]

Commission is way to go, I agree. Still I am not convinced that on other hand you can't be in the middle of client and producer(s) i.e. be in help to client and in control of project.

How many web projects have you run? DO you know all the limitations of the web, what to say to a client when they want something they can't have? Do you understand the fundamentals of marketing a business online, and proper SEO techniques? There's so much to learn, what to say, what not to say.

We work through only a handful of third parties - but they are from other ad agencies that run web projects all the time. The rest send the client to us, get a check - and know their client is being serviced properly.

At the end, the client loves you for the referral and you look like hero, plus you've got several benjamins in your pocket. Win win---

 

[GypsyGraphics]

ah helloooooo... where were you guys when i posted my Web Work Woe's thread?

 

[mikey-Oh]

ah helloooooo... where were you guys when i posted my Web Work Woe's thread?

Sorry GG! Looks like I was visiting my mom's during that time :Oops:
While I understand webdesign... almost every project's caused me

 

[VinylLabs.com]

I'm a web designer by profession, trying to get into the sign field