Services
Overview
Vistasmith focuses on providing web and graphic design services for small to medium-sized organizations that are looking for well-designed communications for a reasonable cost.
Web design and redesign
Much of my web work has involved taking a basic site and redesigning it to present a more professional experience, or in helping small organizations take their initial marketing materials and extending that brand to the web. I have also worked with very large sites; I am able to bring that expertise to bear on much smaller sites through Vistasmith.
Web standards and accessibility
In recent years, I have had a special focus on designing sites built to modern web standards. Accesssible sites such as these help not only those with disabilities, but also your bottom line, by making your site more flexible and more accessible to search engines. I work to ensure your site is usable and easy to navigate for as many people as possible to help prevent your losing potential business due to a poorly built site.
Related web services
While helping you with designing or re-designing your site, I am glad to help you with other services that go along with that, such as registering or transferring a domain name, arranging web site hosting, and setting up e-mail accounts.
E-mail marketing
I often also help with designing effective e-mail marketing campaigns. E-mail can be a great, cost-efficient tool to drive potential customers to your site on a regular basis.
Supporting marketing communications
I can also help design supporting marketing communications you may need. I know how to work with printers to ensure a quality finished product. If you need a brochure, flyer, poster, business card, newsletter, or more, I will design your communications to match your brand and convey your message effectively.
Learning more
Below you can find more details about what I focus on during our work together to ensure a quality finished product.
What do you need?
Today, a website is almost as necessary as a business card. A website which looks professional conveys legitimacy, and a website which clearly conveys the essence of your company helps to generate business.
Some companies need large and complex websites to allow customers to directly conduct business online. These websites can be wonderful tools, but they are also expensive to develop and maintain, costing from thousands to millions of dollars. Such an investment is simply not necessary or possible for many small businesses and organizations.
What is necessary? A site which clearly answers the following primary questions:
- What does this company do?
- What products or services does this company offer?
- Why should I choose this company over another?
- What experience and qualifications do the staff have?
- How do I contact this company to learn more?
In addition, websites are a tool that can make your life easier. If people call you a dozen times a week asking the same questions, posting answers to those Frequently Asked Questions on your site can save you time and energy. If you have a printed brochure, then you may want to consider having that information available online on your website. Some people like to have a brochure in hand, but others are perfectly happy to look at that information online, saving you money in printing and mailing costs.
However, simply having a website is not enough. If your website is confusing, difficult to navigate, or visually unappealing, then visitors to your site may become frustrated or simply uninterested. That’s where Vistasmith can help.
How we work together
I work with you to learn what information your company needs to convey. Then I help you develop a structure and design for your site that is easy to navigate, easy to read, and pleasant to visit. We work together to develop your site. You provide the information and images necessary for the site, I design the site, and then we revise the site till it clearly matches the image you want your company to project. Once the site has been finalized, it is published online for all to view. And if later on you need to revise or update the site, I can be right there to help you.
Principles
There are four principles I believe are key to the sites I design. They are Simple, Elegant, Informative, with a Reasonable Cost.
Simple
- The KISS principle: Keep it Simple, Silly!
- Consistent navigation throughout the site.
- Interactivity is a tool… not an excuse for needless bells and whistles.
- Sites should load quickly.
- Visitors should only need to make two or three clicks to get to any area on the site.
Elegant
- Your site should look professional.
- Consistent use of fonts throughout the site.
- Great images where appropriate keep the site visually interesting.
- The “feel” of the site should match the style of your company.
Informative
- The content of your site is the heart of your site.
- Information should be clear and easy to understand.
- The design of the site serves only to highlight the information on your site.
- A site visitor should be able to answer the primary questions about your company.
Reasonable Cost
- After an initial discussion of the needs of your site, I provide an estimate of the cost.
- An initial deposit may be necessary to begin work on designing the site.
- Additions or modifications to the draft of the site may incur additional costs.
- The cost of the site design will be reasonable and fair for the value provided.
Please feel free to take a look at the information on this site about me and my qualifications. If you are interested in learning more, please contact me, and I will be glad to help you design a site right for you.