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Hey Guys, I wasn't sure if this was the right spot to post this, but I assumed that no one better than code junkies to ask about building a website. I had a designed all lined up to make a website for my business and he flaked out. I'm not needing anything amazingly fancy or world class, just a simple/function website that looks good and performs equally as well. I also am in need of a logo for my business, something that I can use online as well as have printed on a few polo tees. Anyone interested? If this was posted in the wrong area, please feel free to move it moderators. The Bargain basement just seemed too dead for it to get noticed at all.

Thanks again guys.

I've worked as a front end web developer for the last three years, and I'm just about to complete my degree in New Media with a specialty in web development. For a simple website, design and development, with full functionality (perhaps a contact form, image slider, embedded google map, etc.) I tend to charge around $1,500 (plus domain/hosting, which is dirt cheap). That number can go up if you require anything of especially high complexity or if you have a ton of content/pages. I can do logo design as well, but that's typically a couple hundred dollars by itself (separate from site design/development cost). This is just a ballpark base-level estimate that could go up or down depending on your exact needs, but if it sounds reasonable shoot me your email in a pm and we can discuss further.

Eh... I hope that the poster above doesn't get too mad, but as far as the site goes, if your needs really are simply, buying a premade template is usually a better option, if you're comfortable messing at least a little with HTML+CSS to customize it.

As far as the logo is concerned though, I do suggest professional work, always.

No offense taken, although I do disagree. Templates might be okay for a teenager making a WoW guild, but for a business they're a pretty bad idea. Design, functionality, SEO, actually managing the site, having it look professional rather than a cookie-cutter design that a hundred other sites are using are all important. It's really as much a marketing issue as it is a development issue; it's about branding and your website and logo establish that. It's the face of your business, how you first present yourself to paying customers. There are so many factors to be taken into account from a design that's professional and gels with your logo, to building in a way that's cross-browser compatible and performs well, to SEO friendly semantics so Google takes notice.

Oh, I fully agree with you (I do webdevelopment for a living). However, I prefixed what I said with "if your needs are simple...". Having said that, if the OP is looking for a proper custom logo, he probably wants some custom web design and site management to go with it.

To be honest 1500 is quite a bit more than I was looking to spend. Not that I don't think having a site built is worth that, its just at my current size/volume that would be very much overkill. But I'm also in a situation where templates just don't cut it. I've install so many websites via templates using many different CMS, but that doesn't make me qualified to say I build websites by any means. I agree that in order to give your business a good first impression, you need to have a clean and useful website. Even though times have changed, websites are still what people come across for second only to google map/google phone listings. So its best to make sure you have something that looks professional. I've actually got a friend of a friend working on the site now for about $200. I'm not expecting to get an award winning site, but I do expect it to look professional, clean and functional. In a few years when my volume increases, perhaps I will call on you . Do you have a portfolio site?

morphine wrote:

Eh... I hope that the poster above doesn't get too mad, but as far as the site goes, if your needs really are simply, buying a premade template is usually a better option, if you're comfortable messing at least a little with HTML+CSS to customize it.

second that one, and http://www.brandcrowd.com/logo-design this place should cover your logo needs nicely

Get Gimp for whatever platform you like. It has an assload of logos built into it's alpha to logo facility.

PenGun wrote:

Get Gimp for whatever platform you like. It has an assload of logos built into it's alpha to logo facility.

Technical means and design ability are two nearly completely unrelated things

morphine wrote:

PenGun wrote:

Get Gimp for whatever platform you like. It has an assload of logos built into it's alpha to logo facility.

Technical means and design ability are two nearly completely unrelated things

Agreed. A good friend does Web "design". Once the client is happy with the look, he ships it off to someone else to make the HTML magic happen.