The Death Of Web Designers..

[denchomsky]

Most small business owners don't need "web development" they just need a simple, clean-looking site that conveys the essential information about their business in a polished, professional way. Most web design firms either don't understand this or deliberately ignore it.

Sure, there are thousands of businesses that have ecommerce needs, but there are hundreds of times as many that don't - and many of those are underaddressed by the typical web design/development service.

Remember, you don't have to have a template that nobody else is using if you're a 'local' business - you just have to have one that no other business in the same area and niche as you is using.

For instance, if you're a plumber in Dover it shouldn't matter one jot if a plumber in Aberdeen, or in Whitby or in Faversham has started with exactly the same "plumber template" and a couple of hours of simple customisation (by that, I don't mean "coding" but a bit of tweaking of colours, perhaps column widths, and a custom logo, plus sticking the basic content in) since there is no way that those other businesses can be considered "competitors" to your own.

But you probably would care if you're the third plumber in Dover to have the exact same template-based website, because then you (all) look like cheapskates!

For most small businesses, any discussion that includes the words "content management system" or "programming" or "database" or "development" or "custom *" (where "*" is anything other than a logo) is going to be super-duper-overkill for what they need.

What you say Edwin again is true to a certain extent, that's if all the client needs is is a way for the customer to contact/locate them, but alot of small business want something in between bells & whistles and bog standard, if this is the case a landing page isn't enough, and inevitably once you get started they want more functionality adding.

I am not denying that the rise of the simple to set up template isn't going to effect devs/designers like myself, but like most things it's not one size fits all.

Do you buy the 2 for 1 groceries just because they are 2 for 1 , regardless of the quality, or do you sometimes opt for the more expensive quality version?..they will both fill you up.

Personally I will never purchase anything from a site that looks crappy and dated, not just because it looks crappy and dated but my view is if the site looks that bad what is the payment security like?, is my informations safe?, am I going to get spammed to kingdom come if I give them my email address?...how many back doors are there because of crappy javascript?

 

[ceomp3]

An interesting discussion. I joined this forum to gather more information on acquiring domains, but as my business builds WordPress theme based websites for local businesses I got drawn to this thread.

One of the key questions (in my mind) is the use of the term Web Designers. We actually tried very hard not to call ourselves Web Designers. We would rather be called website constructors or assemblers, but the big problem with this is that the vast majority of people wanting a website think they need a Web Designer, so that is what they are looking for, even when they don't need bespoke design.

We have learnt a lot of lessons over the last few years about the 'low budget' end of the market, but I won't bore you with it in my very first post. I'll save that up for later.

 

[devilsrefugee]

I disagree its dead. I do agree bespoke work is dying. Why pay for a bespoke design (that will be inspired by a previous design or trend anyway) when you can pay a hell of a lot less and still have a professional looking site?

 

[ceomp3]

Dead & dying are emotive words.

What actually is happening is it is changing.

Who designs the WordPress themes? Obviously web designers. And you can make a lot more money by selling your design 5,000 times at £50 each than you can by selling a single design at £5,000.

All our work involves tweaking WordPress themes, however we constantly use graphic designers to either create full PSDs that are used to convert 'base themes' into unique websites, or they are providing elements that are 'slotted in' to existing designs.

p.s. just want to add last month the same client had two websites built by us, one was a full bespoke design -> PSD -> theme and the other was a customisation of a $45 theme to requirements. The cost of the theme customisation was actually 25% higher than the bespoke build. So in that particular instance it demonstrates once you move away from the themes base design & capability a bespoke design can be more cost effective.

 

[Retired_Member38]

Dead & dying are emotive words.

What actually is happening is it is changing.

Who designs the WordPress themes? Obviously web designers. And you can make a lot more money by selling your design 5,000 times at £50 each than you can by selling a single design at £5,000.

I think this only holds out for very good designers though. The guys who are great at their jobs can do some very high end designs and sell them multiple times, using membership schemes or packages of themes or whatever.

Its the guys churning out sub £500 turds and passing them off as quality designs that are going to be decimated here. The quality clearly isn't there for them to sell memberships etc.... and they can't provide any value to one off customers. All they can continue to do is rip off their customers by selling them what they know is an inferior product to a Woothemes design with a £30 logo.

 

[ceomp3]

I agree that is the change.

People that are poor designer and selling junk will die out.

An analogy with clothing design.

Caveman - get some skins, stitch it together him self, sort of works and keeps warm.

Pre industrial revolution - either your mum or your aunty made your clothes, or if you could afford it, a local tradesman (tailor) designed made them for you, and they looked rubbish, but sort of worked. Unless you were very rich then you'd get a top designer (Saville Row) and you would be dandy.

Now - if you are not rich, you buy your clothes from Asda / M&S / The Gap etc they are designed by top designers, but mass produced.
If you are rich, you still get a top designer from Saville Row.

Is clothing design dying? No. Has it changed? Yes. Are there any backstreet cheap local tradesman that custom design/build cheap clothes that are rubbish any more? Not in this country.