© Copyright 2003 by BasicTips.com, division of BasicTemplates.com
This article is the third in a series where
we will discuss common myths about shopping for a web site template.
We felt that consumers should be aware of what to look for in
a quality design that encompasses everything from metas right
down to copyright footers. Naturally, we would love for our visitors
to purchase our templates, but the long-term goal of this series
is to educate consumers about what templates are, what they should
provide the end-user, and what to be wary of when shopping.
If you have not read our first article,
"How
to Spot a Good Web Template Design", you may want
to read it first. Then take a natural progression onto our second
article, "Multi-Page
Template Packages: Do you Really Need Them?"
So let's get right to the
top 25 questions you should ask your web template designer *before*
you make your purchase. Ready for an eye opener?
- Do they have more than five years of
web design experience?
- Do they have more than five years of
"web" graphic design experience?
- Have they personally designed more than
1000 templates utilizing *external* CSS and not redundant HTML,
inline or internal CSS code?
- Have they personally designed more than
100 fully functional web sites for clients?
- Have they been personally designing
"web site templates" for more than five years?
- Is web template design their core competency
and commodity?
- Do they have Fortune 500 customers or
members?
- Are they the actual designers (not a
third party reseller)?
- Can they offer timely service after
the sale?
- Do they have in-depth web design industry
knowledge (beyond HTML)?
- Do they keep up with all the latest
technologies in web design (not just graphic design)?
- Do they offer *free* customer support?
- Do they keep all customers, members
and other personal data private?
- Do they offer user friendly navigation
of all their templates for visitors, customers and members?
- Do they publicly publish their prices
upfront (instead of hiding them at the bottom of the page or
is it not visible until after you hit the buy button)?
- Are their designs diversified for a
wide audience range?
- Are their web template designs fast
loading, effective and functional for the majority of web site
requirements?
- Are their prices affordable, realistic
and fair for all parties involved (for a non-tangible product)?
- Are their web templates designed to
be compatible with most HTML editors?
- Are their web templates strategically
designed to easily aid the end user?
- Do they include original PSD files or
offer them for sale as an add-on at a discount price?
- Are they open to helping their customers
and members further develop their own design skills by offering
tutorials, how-to's and other helpful resources.
- Do they offer *affordable* customization
services?
- Do they provide their customers and
members multiple ways to supplement their income through affiliate,
partners or other type programs?
- If they say yes to these questions,
can they prove it?
If you ask BasicTemplates.com,
the answers are all YES and we can prove it!
My guess would be that you
never realized there was so much involved in selecting a web template
from a qualified designer. For some site owners, it may not be
that important. It really depends on your site objective or your
target audience. However, the majority of sites online today who
are serious about their online ventures, do require a level of
professionalism to be successful. Competition is tough out there
and if you use a poorly designed web template, it could seriously
effect your traffic, sales and reputation. But that certainly
does not mean you have to shell out large amounts of cash for
an overpriced product either. Since May 2002, there has been another
option: BasicTemplates.com,
Web Site Templates with External CSS via a Membership or only
$5.00 USD per Template
If BasicTemplates.com
does not have what you are looking for in their 600+ design layout
selection, let us know. We will put you in touch with experienced
web template designers who can provide you with quality website
templates so you can design your site properly the first time,
affordably and effectively.
Return to Web Template Design Tutorial Index
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