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Date Posted: 22:51:17 09/03/09 Thu
Author: Nida khan
Subject: free web hosting & Tips

How Not To Get Web Design Work

I get the occasional web design lead from my website. I wanted to find a company I could

pass these onto. So I put an ad on a freelance site. It specified the programming

qualifications needed, stated that the successful candidate should have good English, and

was for companies only.

The replies I got were enlightening. So much so, I made a list of things applicants did

wrong. Here it is.

I should point out I was initially prepared to give everyone a fair go. After the first

twenty-odd emails, my attitude changed. I was looking for reasons to delete applicants. I

only needed one successful one; with 100 replies it was getting to be a headache, so I

decided a brutal approach was needed.

1. Failed to read the spec.
Many applicants couldn't write properly in the English language. Many were individuals

only. Result: instant deletion.

2. Failed to address the spec's criteria.
Applicants bragged about how great they were. Many copy-and-pasted standard marketing guff

about 'solutions' and 'partnerships' into their emails.
To engage anyone's interest about a proposal you need to talk less about yourself and more

about the benefits to *them* of using you. One of the first things I learnt about applying

for jobs is you need to show how you meet the criteria in the job description; see if you

can find the employer's wavelength.
3. Lots of jargon.
You quickly tune this out. Anyone dealing with web companies probably gets a lot of this.

Applicants should talk to the client about *the client's* site and *their* needs, and avoid

techno-babble.
Write an application letter. Leave it for a while, then edit it. Brutally. Short punchy

sentences, no guff. Talking convincingly about how you can make the client money would be

an attention-getter.
4a. 'Coming soon' client-listing pages.
You say you've done work for lots of clients, then put up a 'coming soon' sign on the web

page where your client list is supposed to be. Hmmmm.
4b. 'Under construction' pages on your company web site.
This looks bad; something you'd see on an amateur's site. Another reason to bin your

application.
4c. Only put up pictures of sites you've done, rather than links to the actual sites.
I'd have liked to see some working example sites. Pictures can be faked, and they don't

show background programming.
4e. No mention of your main web site URL.
Let us guess where your own site is (if you have one). It's more fun! I tried guessing from

the email address. After a while I didn't bother.
4f. No hyperlinks at all.
Just a short email spiel saying "I am great designer, hire me". Next!
5. Using Yahoo.com or Hotmail.com for your email address.
A pro designer shouldn't use a freebie email address service. Basic web hosting costs $5 a

month these days.
I can conceive that a web designer might use a freebie account for some special purpose,

but your own domain name is a basic advert that goes out in each email you send.
6. Bad spelling and grammar.
Western civilisation is doomed, if using SMS jargon becomes the standard way to write to

people. It doesn't impress old frts lik me, fr strtrs :( Especially if you're looking for

work where good spelling and grammar are important.
7. Front-loading Flash designs.
I admit it, I don't like Flash. I especially don't like it when it loads slowly on my

broadband connection. I suppose it might impress an ignorant client, who doesn't know the

economic consequences of having a Flash-heavy site.
8. Don't phone the employer up.
Unless they say 'canvassing will disqualify', 'phoning the employer is a good idea. Why?

Because geeks are famously introverted and tongue-tied, supposedly. So if a web site

designer can communicate clearly over the telephone, that, coupled with a good application,

puts you streets ahead of the email-only applicant.
No need to jabber. A polite enquiry to establish contact will do. "Just checking you've got

my CV", that sort of thing.
9. Keep yourself mysterious.
Emails are impersonal. Anything that can establish you as a human being, a person, a

potential ally and friend, is good. It'll make you more memorable. No need to jump out of a

giant cake, 'though!
However, you have to fulfil all the other criteria as well. However great a guy you are, if

you're a Unix man and they want Windows, forget it.
10. Leaving unclear phone messages.
One chap left a phone message, in which he mentioned his site, twice, but not his 'phone

number. His pronunciation was bad, so I guess I'll never know how good he was.
11. Too far away.
Most replies were from India, Ukraine, Romania etc. Anyone who was closer to home (the UK)

stood out. I mention it simply as a winnowing criterion.
Also, I needed someone who could land contracts from UK residents; good English, written

and oral, was important.
12. Give your rates per hour.
Forget that. You're not a lawyer. Web design jobs can be clearly defined, in terms of time,

work and software required. A definite price can be agreed on in advance. It's called a

contract. Otherwise, you leave the client open to escalating bills, and yourself to

mission-creep.

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