To all you web designers out there... help/advice please!
Discussion
Judging by the number of you who seem to be involved with computers/software etc. I was hoping I might get a bit of advice and help:-
My company currently uses Actinic to run our site and on-line shop (www.hannainst.co.uk if you want to have a look). We feel we have pushed Actinic to it’s limits, and now want to redesign the site(s) to allow multi-currency, dealer log-in areas specific to the dealers, video downloads, podcast etc – and to make it much easier for the customer to find the right product for them.
To this end we have decided to employ a full-time web/ecommerce designer to build a new site and then to have responsibility for increasing revenue from it.
What I don’t know is what I need to ask prospects with regards to their skill set, or, where to find them – is there an industry journal/web site that you all would look at for your next job? What sort of skills should I be looking for? What sort of annual salary (incl. bonus) is typical for this sort of position do you think?
Any help and advice would be greatly appreciated –
Thank you
Nick
My company currently uses Actinic to run our site and on-line shop (www.hannainst.co.uk if you want to have a look). We feel we have pushed Actinic to it’s limits, and now want to redesign the site(s) to allow multi-currency, dealer log-in areas specific to the dealers, video downloads, podcast etc – and to make it much easier for the customer to find the right product for them.
To this end we have decided to employ a full-time web/ecommerce designer to build a new site and then to have responsibility for increasing revenue from it.
What I don’t know is what I need to ask prospects with regards to their skill set, or, where to find them – is there an industry journal/web site that you all would look at for your next job? What sort of skills should I be looking for? What sort of annual salary (incl. bonus) is typical for this sort of position do you think?
Any help and advice would be greatly appreciated –
Thank you
Nick
igg said:
To this end we have decided to employ a full-time web/ecommerce designer to build a new site and then to have responsibility for increasing revenue from it.
You have stated two requirements. You are very, very unlikely to find someone who can do both those jobs.
If you take on a full-time technical person to develop your web-application they will need to come with application design skills, systems analysis skills and programming skills. This is already quite a lot to ask of one individual - they do come like that - but not cheaply. Whilst you might pay a programmer £30K someone who is totally self-sufficient and proactive who will document requirements, analyse, design and build your webapp and ecommerce site is unlikely to come so cheap...maybe £50K?
Don said:
igg said:
To this end we have decided to employ a full-time web/ecommerce designer to build a new site and then to have responsibility for increasing revenue from it.
You have stated two requirements. You are very, very unlikely to find someone who can do both those jobs.
If you take on a full-time technical person to develop your web-application they will need to come with application design skills, systems analysis skills and programming skills. This is already quite a lot to ask of one individual - they do come like that - but not cheaply. Whilst you might pay a programmer £30K someone who is totally self-sufficient and proactive who will document requirements, analyse, design and build your webapp and ecommerce site is unlikely to come so cheap...maybe £50K?
50k to do both?
Think its time to have a word with my boss! It does sound like there is a lot of work there in the first instance and then you require the site to begin generating revenue.
I'd go one step further than Don and say there are three specialised areas all put into one job. Programming, design and then marketing and search engine development to get that revenue.
Sounds like a very special person will be required, would it not be easier to build a small development team of say three people?
Edited by schueymcfee on Thursday 24th August 12:50
Thanks for the feedback - I guess I was probably looking for the impossible!
From what you both say, it would seem a better solution would be to work with a web development company for the initial design, database, ecommerce bit, and then recruit someone to 'run' and promote the website once it is built?
From what you both say, it would seem a better solution would be to work with a web development company for the initial design, database, ecommerce bit, and then recruit someone to 'run' and promote the website once it is built?
igg said:
Thanks for the feedback - I guess I was probably looking for the impossible!
From what you both say, it would seem a better solution would be to work with a web development company for the initial design, database, ecommerce bit, and then recruit someone to 'run' and promote the website once it is built?
From what you both say, it would seem a better solution would be to work with a web development company for the initial design, database, ecommerce bit, and then recruit someone to 'run' and promote the website once it is built?
Yes. That sounds more reasonable to me. If you wanted to take the technical ongoing support and maintenance of the web-site "in-house" after the initial development you could probably do that with a relatively inexpensive technical person. But more likely a support agreement with a specialist company will be cheaper!
As to the person doing the promotion. What do you want them to do? As davidd suggests you might even be better off outsourcing the promotion of the web-site as well. They will have experience of search engine submission and on-line advertising campaigns...
Like davidd we also build web-applications - not ecommerce particularly, though. If you get a quote that makes you fall off your chair you could do worse than ask us (and davidd) to cast an eye over your detailed requirements and give you a ball park figure.
We stopped using Actinic for our clients' sites - we found it too inflexible, buggy and unreliable and are now using OSCommerce. Unless you have lots of very specific and peculiar needs that require a completely bespoke system then you're going to save a lot of money by outsourcing this to a development company who can build your system based on an open source package like as OSCommerce. They should also be able to help you in all aspects of promoting your site.
I can understand you wanting to have in-house control of a very important aspect of your business, but you'll be hard pressed to find someone who can build a bespoke e-commerce package *and* be able to turn their hand to what is effectively a marketing role and if you do they won't, as others have pointed out, come cheap.
I can understand you wanting to have in-house control of a very important aspect of your business, but you'll be hard pressed to find someone who can build a bespoke e-commerce package *and* be able to turn their hand to what is effectively a marketing role and if you do they won't, as others have pointed out, come cheap.
igg said:
Thanks for the feedback - I guess I was probably looking for the impossible!
From what you both say, it would seem a better solution would be to work with a web development company for the initial design, database, ecommerce bit, and then recruit someone to 'run' and promote the website once it is built?
From what you both say, it would seem a better solution would be to work with a web development company for the initial design, database, ecommerce bit, and then recruit someone to 'run' and promote the website once it is built?
I'd suggest that as a better option.
Drop me a mail if you're interested in going down that route... we're more than happy to help, with plenty of e-commerce experience for household names, amongst others. 
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