Inside Freelance Design

Issue #23
April 20, 2006

Welcome to Inside Freelance Design (IFD), your free, bi-weekly e-letter from American Writers & Artists Inc. Every other week, you can receive this special alert with secrets, tips, and insights from AWAI's graphic design pros to help you improve your skills and reach your goal of becoming a professional graphic designer in the fastest time possible.

IN THIS ISSUE:

Ilise Benun explains the importance of having a website ... and how to do it inexpensively
Quick Tip: A classy portfolio for under $60
The IFD Mailbag
EXTRA! EXTRA! News and Job Opportunities

Do Your Prospects Know You Exist?
By Kammy Thurman

“In less than a decade, a website has become THE basic sales piece required for any business. “If you're not on the Web, it's as if you don't exist,” says marketing expert Ilise Benun.

“It's not just tech-savvy people who expect you to be on the Web. It's everyone. This is where you present yourself, your persona, your positioning, your offerings, and your credibility. This is where you'll make (or not make) a prospect's short list for further consideration.”

Have you been thinking that you need to get a website up, but you're not quite sure how to get started? Then stay with us as Ilise shares easy, effective, and – best of all – inexpensive ways to create a website that will get your name in front of the right prospects.

IFD: Ilise, you're adamant that every designer needs a website to make that all-important first impression. How should a designer go about it?

Ilise: Start by looking at websites of other designers. Make notes of what works and what doesn't – what you like and what you don't like. Then create a plan for how you want your site to look and what you want it to accomplish.

IFD: What should be the main goal of a designer's site?

Ilise: You'll want to show a taste of what you can do. Don't give away everything, because you want to encourage prospects to have a conversation with you. So the site should offer an introduction to yourself and your skills, with some of your best samples.

IFD: What suggestions do you have for laying out the site so it makes the right impression?

Ilise: You should create a site that reflects the market you're trying to reach. If you're positioning yourself as a direct-response specialist, your site should reflect that style. Perhaps the home page would have longer response-driven copy and the design might look like a direct-response piece.

If you're working with corporations, small businesses, non-profits etc., you'll want a site that has a similar look and feel as those that work for those markets.

IFD: What kinds of information should be included?

Ilise: Sites can be very simple and still be very effective. One of the most important components would be an “About Us” page. Prospects want to know something about the people behind the site.

Then have a page that describes your services and one for your portfolio. If you're new and don't have a lot of samples, put your services and portfolio on one page. You may also want to include a client list, although it's not necessary if you're just starting out.

And, of course, you want a “Contact Us” page. In fact, you should include contact information on every page of your website. Offer as many ways as possible to reach you: via phone, mail, email, fax, etc. Then you can use the contact page to capture email addresses.

IFD: Should designers learn html? Or can you offer ideas for sites that would be easy to create without having to hire a professional Web designer?

Ilise: One way to tackle that is create a site using blogging software like you'll find at www.blogger.com or www.typepad.com. The blog becomes the content for the home page. Blogging sites are easy to put together. Since the content changes often, search engines like them.

Then there are programs such as SitePro, Web Studio, Front Page, and Dreamweaver that require varying degrees of html knowledge.

Keep in mind that design sites tend to have a lot of images but not much copy. However, you need copy to sell your services and for search engine placement. This is where it's advantageous to partner with a copywriter and trade copy for design on each other's sites.

IFD: What's a good domain name?

Ilise: People often choose a business or domain name for personal instead of marketing reasons. Instead, choose names that are memorable to others … names describing your services, such as “Next Day Design.” Or use your name in the title: “John Smith Logo Designs.”

In addition to owning a business domain name, you should also register your name so people can find your website even if they only have your name.

It's easy to create a website that showcases your talents and positions you as a professional. And it's necessary. No matter what size your business is, you must have a website even if it's a simple one-page site. Because if you're not on the Web, you don't exist.

[Ed. Note: Ilise Benun is the acknowledged master of self-marketing. And her winning strategies stretch far beyond building effective websites. You can hear her and master designer Peleg Top in an upcoming GDS teleconference where they'll share self-marketing and pricing strategies that have propelled them to the top. For more information, click here: http://www.thedesignerslife.com/reservemyspot/

We also recommend that you subscribe to Ilise's e-Letter “Quick Tips from Marketing Mentor” at: www.marketing-mentor.com.]

* * * * * * * * Highly Recommended* * * * * * * *

“I traveled to Asia and did something you probably do on vacations too — I took snap shots of the native people, monuments, and scenery. But I didn't stop there. I made more than $6,000 for those very same shots.” – David Morgan

The simple yet profound secret to how David, along with many other travelers, turned their vacation snapshots into cash is detailed in the Travel Writing division's newest course: Turn Your Pictures into Cash: A Comprehensive Course in Taking and Selling Amazing Photographs:

Learn more about it at: http://www.thephotographerslife.com/awai/

QUICK TIP: A Cool … and Inexpensive … Way to Make Your Portfolio

When Dennis Rome decided to attend AWAI's Graphic Design Bootcamp last October, he wanted to take a really “jazzed-up” portfolio – something different, something that would really stand out.

He explained what he did – for under $40 – in Inside Freelance Design #11, using iPhoto and his Mac. To see it, go to the IFD Archives at:
http://www.thedesignerslife.com/insidefreelancedesign/

Because iPhoto only works with Mac OS, many of our PC friends wanted to know if there was any way for them to do something similar on their computers.

PC users can get similar software – MyPublisher BookMaker – free at www.mypublisher.com.

Download the software to your computer, choose a template, fill it in, and click “purchase” to order your own coffee table portfolio book. The PC books range in size from 6” x 8” pocket books at a cost of $9.95 each up to 12” x 16” deluxe hardcover books for $59.95 each.

* * * * * * * * Advertisement * * * * * * * *

DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT RUNNING YOUR FREELANCE BUSINESSS?

Get them answered: http://www.thedesignerslife.com/getanswers/

FROM THE IFD MAILBAG…
by Kristin Schwarz

Hello, everyone!

The first entry in this week's Mailbag addresses such an important question that we asked expert designer Lori Haller to weigh in on the subject:

Here's the question:

I've completed a project for a client. I delivered print-ready files to the magazine people and all is good. A few months later, the client asked me to send them my working files for the project (unflattened files). They want to do the same type of graphics for next year's campaign BUT they decided not to use me.

Am I obligated to give them my working files? Or was the PDF file for printing, given to the magazine, sufficient?

Thank you,
Marie M.

Here's Lori Haller's answer:

I always say any excuse to send something to a possible client, go for it – even if they have said they are just going to re-work it in-house themselves. That does not mean they will not need you for other work in future. Maybe they have a tight budget on that project – are short staffed or in a RUSH.

Take this opportunity to say, “YES. Let me know what you need.” Put the file on a CD perhaps. Make up a nice manila folder and place your business card neatly stapled to outside – with your company name written nicely. Include a nice thank-you note: “Thanks again for the project. Here is the art you need. Let me know other ways that I can help you. No job is too big or too small (etc.).”

Feel free to include some other designs they can keep, maybe a few printouts. Tell them, “I thought I would send you some new designs that I've been working on. Let's talk soon ... and good luck with your project.”

Even if that team does not need you right this moment, they might pass the packet along to a different department. Always be professional, polite, and helpful. And follow up a few months later to ask how it all came out.

Dear Kristin:

I just finished reading your latest "Inside Graphic Design"newsletter and noticed that someone was asking for resources to learn the InDesign program.

The two resource books which I found very helpful are:

* How to Do Everything With Adobe InDesign CS, by David Bergsland, McGraw Hill Osborne, $24.99 (CD included)

* Adobe InDesign CS Classroom in a Book, by Adobe, $45.00

I've found both books to be extremely useful, particularly since they are richly illustrated.

The same goes for Adobe Photoshop CS:

How to do Everything With Photoshop CS2, by Colin Smith, McGraw Hill Osborne, $29.99 (CD included)

Adobe Photoshop CS2 Classroom in a Book, by Adobe, $49.99

These books are also fully illustrated with color pictures.

The "How to ..." books feature 15 -16 in-depth lessons, which teach a new user all of the available features and help him to become comfortable in using these programs. All four books are available at Amazon.com.

I hope this will prove useful for some of your readers.

Sincerely,

Hans

Thank you, Hans for sharing these great resources with our readers. We greatly appreciate it.

That's it for today. Have a productive couple of weeks!

[Ed. Note: If you have a question or comment for Kristin, please send it to:
memberservices@awaionline.com, Attn: Kristin Schwarz.]

EXTRA! EXTRA! News and Job Opportunities

GRAPHIC DESIGNER – Smiths Detection in Pinebrook NJ needs a dedicated graphic designer to join their sales and marketing team. You will work on direct mail, advertisements, newsletters, online designs, and more. You must be skill with InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop. Knowledge of Flash, and HTML are also necessary. Send your resume and salary requirements to hrus@smithsdetection.com.
GRAPHIC DESIGNER – Alert Global Media, a leading publisher of anti-laundering information, seeks a creative graphic designer to design web sites and online advertising campaigns. You must work well on tight deadlines and be happy tackling several projects at once. Send your resume to Debra Bartie at dbartie@moneylaundering.com.
GRAPHIC DESIGNER – VNUS Medical Technologies dedicates itself to discovering new treatments for venous diseases. They are looking for a talented graphic designer to work on a variety of marketing and communication projects. The environment is fast-paced and the creative demands are high. If you think your up to the challenge send your resume to jobs@vnus.com.

COMING NEXT ISSUE:

Lori Haller – What to Put in Your Portfolio to Make It Irresistible
Quick Tip: Are You Using Acrobat's File Browser?

* ABOUT INSIDE FREELANCE DESIGN *

Inside Freelance Design is a FREE bi-weekly newsletter from American Writers & Artists Inc., available to AWAI members and friends.

ARCHIVED ISSUES of Inside Freelance Design can be found on our website at www.thedesignerslife.com/insidefreelancedesign.

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Issue #23 April 20, 2006