beautifully rendered,
artfully crafted,
captivatingly interactive,
…and still be fast
and easy to navigate.
Webdillo Design can see to all of that and more!
• Click on the links below to explore specific Web Site Design services further, or simply scroll down the page to view all topics:
Web Site Design
Web Site Text Editing & Copy Writing
Web Graphics
Photographs on the Web
Web Site "Make-Over"
Web Site Maintenance Service
Visit Sample Web Sites
Web Site Design
Whether you are looking to start small or to make a grand entrance with a bang, Webdillo Design can craft an online masterpiece to your specifications. Specializing in affordable small to mid-sized web sites for small businesses, nonprofit organizations, and individuals interested in putting up personal home pages (for whatever purpose), Webdillo Design can create a site which is clear and easy to navigate, attractive to look at, and loads quickly.
Location:
Located in Oakland, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area, Webdillo Design is owned and operated by Kohlim Jaeger. Click to learn more About Me. Not local to the San Francisco Bay Area? Not a problem. I am able to service clients locally, around the country, and even globally. There are no barriers to communication and creativity with the world wide web! All work can be completed through the use of phone, e-mail, snail mail, FedEx (for those overnight emergencies), and online communication. Access to a private web address allows for your full review and approval of web site work in progress.
Each Site will be Unique:
All web sites designed are custom sites; I do not re-use templates. I believe every site is different and therefore deserves it's own design solution. In addition to original design and layout, I can also design custom, one-of-a-kind graphics for your exclusive use and/or provide you with custom photographic services, if desired.
Clear & Easy Navigation:
Webdillo Design specializes in making your web site easy to navigate. There will always be several ways to get to the same place, and a clear road back “Home.” Navigational elements will be available in consistent, easy to locate places on each page. Every attempt will be made to ensure that users will not be frustrated by dead ends and overly complex site structures. User psychology is taken into account during all phases of planning, design, and layout. The goal is to make sure that, not only do your visitors feel able to find what they are looking for quickly, but they may even have some fun and enjoy doing so — which will provide the motivation for them to return, to consider using your services, or to purchase your products.
Text Services:
As part of the web site design package, services such as text editing, proofreading and copy writing are available, as needed. See the Web Text Editing & Copy Writing section below for full details.
Graphics & Photos:
While it is always appropriate to use graphic elements and photographs gathered from your existing print materials on your web site, you may want to consider enhancing your site with custom graphics or photographs produced by Webdillo Design. An extensive library of clip art is also available for use. See the Web Graphics and Photographs for the Web sections below for further information. I believe that it is possible to produce web sites that are both attractive and informative (balancing graphics and text). All graphic elements are processed so that they load as quickly as possible on your web pages, using the most up-to-date optimization (compression) techniques. Graphic elements will be chosen which work well together in order to create a consistent “look and feel,” and of course their relevance to the overall tone and theme of the site will be carefully considered.
Browser & Platform Compatibility:
Webdillo Design will work hard to ensure that your site looks great and functions correctly on most major browsers and computer platforms. If you anticipate large numbers of clients with specific atypical browser use (such as Web TV) or with particularly slow connection speeds (28 KBps modems or slower), adjustments will be made to ensure that your web site is accessible to this segment of visitors.
E-Commerce Solutions:
While I do not specialize in designing e-commerce web site solutions (such as adding an e-store, shopping cart, or online credit card processing), I am able to research appropriate solutions to these needs, should your site require them. These services are often available as part of a hosting agreement with your Internet Service Provider (ISP) for an additional monthly fee (plus setup costs), or can be purchased as stand-alone applications which can be inserted into your web site (with processing of transactions usually involving a monthly service fee). I am able to work with these applications to customize them to your specifications, performing such services as adding your products and specific ordering information, and setting up the store display as desired.
E-Commerce Work-Around:
Another e-commerce solution, should the monthly fees of the services mentioned above be more than you'd bargained for, is for Webdillo Design to set up pages on your web site which can work similarly to a print catalog. Customers will be able to view the products, see the prices and shipping information, and even be able to print out an order form suitable for faxing and/or mailing. Instead of ordering and having their credit card processed online, customers would either contact you by telephone or fax to place credit card orders, or mail orders to your postal address (the old fashioned method). I do not recommend ordering by e-mail, as it is not very secure. While these solutions are not ideal for a high-volume business, they are usually sufficient for a business entering the web market for the first time. When you get bigger, busier, and have the cash to invest, it is a simple matter to add more advanced e-commerce capabilities to your existing web site.
Web Hosting:
Webdillo Design does not provide web site hosting as part of the design package. Current web site hosting costs range from "free" to well over $100 per month (for very large sites and/or sites with complex databases, some types of e-commerce needs, and other special advanced features). A typical web site can be hosted for approximately $10-15 per month (sometimes with setup charges) using Hostway and other reliable hosting services.
While initially the "free" hosting option sounds like a bargain, it is important to bear in mind the many limitations involved (often these hosts will not allow the use of your own domain name—www.yourname.com; they sometimes forbid sales of any kind; they nearly always require the prominent display of large banner ads either directly on your site's pages or launching annoyingly in a pop-up window each time a page is accessed; they often use slow servers which delay your pages; there is rarely any assistance provided with technical problems; and probably most importantly, they rarely offer a guarantee that they will be up and running).
On the other hand, a good web site host will offer a guaranteed "up-time" of over 99%, good technical support and customer service, a fast and modern server (and several back-up servers) which can easily handle the maximum anticipated Internet traffic volume, and does not require that banner ads or other invasive marketing links be placed on your site. Personally, I use and highly recommend Hostway for webhosting services to meet the needs of most clients. If you should require an alternate web host, for an additional fee, I will do the research necessary to locate a suitable host, based on your budget and the requirements of your site.
Domain Name Registration:
As you have probably heard, domain names (www.yourname.com or .org or .net) are going fast. All the single words in the English dictionary have been taken, and many combinations of words either strung together or hyphenated have also been taken. If you think of a name in the middle of the night, some say get up and buy it, because chances are it will be gone tomorrow. Well, I don't know about that, but I'd say “the sooner, the better” is definitely the best policy. For an additional fee, Webdillo Design can assist you in choosing a name, making sure it hasn't already been taken, and registering it in your name with InterNIC (the central registry). Registration fees range from $7 - $35 per year, depending on the registration company you use. I recommend godaddy or Hostway as inexpensive and reliable registrars.
Time Frame:
How long it will take to complete your web site varies greatly with the level of complexity you require. The best way to accurately estimate the time involved is to Contact me directly with the details of your project. From this free initial consultation, I will be able to make a rough estimate of the time involved (as well as provide you with information about my current work schedule). If you are working with a tight deadline, I will let you know whether I can realistically complete the project in the time frame you require. Once we have more fully discussed the scope of the project, I will be able to provide a more accurate estimate. The actual time involved, and the completion date will vary depending on whether additional services are requested, whether changes or revisions are made to the original plans, and similar factors. Most small scale/simple web sites can be completed within approximately three weeks, while the addition of more complex features, custom graphics, and text editing can substantially increase the time involved.
Follow-Up Service:
Once your web site has arrived online, Webdillo Design can service your site with a routine maintenance plan scheduled to meet your needs. See the Web Site Maintenance Service section below for details.
Further Information:
• See the Client Guidelines for helpful ideas in preparing to go online. These guidelines explain more fully what you can expect from the web site design process, as well as providing you with ideas on how to clarify your vision for your web site (so that Webdillo Design can make that vision a reality), and what kinds of materials you will need to gather together, so that your web site can become the masterpiece it wants to be!
• Visit the Fees for Services page for detailed information on web site design pricing, including the costs of extras such as locating e-commerce solutions, registering your domain name, and locating a suitable web site host.
Web Site Text Editing & Copy Writing
It is highly recommend that you write and edit the text for your own web site, to ensure accurate and appropriate content as well as to lend your personal touch to the site. Words are some of the most important content of a web site, and what you include in your web site, as well as the way you say it, will have a quite an effect on whether visitors stay (and return) to your site. Webdillo Design has put together Client Guidelines to help you determine what to include on your site, and to assist you in your text writing endeavors.
Webdillo Design can assist with editing and proofreading, if required; sometimes a second opinion (from someone outside your company or organization) can be an invaluable part of the text writing process. I can help make your text more easily understood, correct spelling and grammatical errors, and otherwise smooth the "rough edges."
I am also able to take existing product brochures, advertisements, annual reports, and other company print materials and reword as needed for your web site. You, of course, would approve and make corrections to the copy, as required.
• To determine the cost of adding text editing and/or copy writing services to your web site design package, visit the Fees for Services page.
Web Graphics
Webdillo Design can create custom web graphics to enhance your web site, including:
• Buttons• For more information about my custom graphic services, visit the Graphic Artistry page.
• Backgrounds
• Navigational Elements
• Animated GIFs
• Banner Ads
• Custom Icons
• Flash Animation
• Spot Illustrations
• Custom Graphics
In addition to supplying custom graphic work, Webdillo Design also has an extensive library of royalty-free clip art which can be inserted into your web site. I have access to thousands of high quality graphics — simply let me know what sort of image you're looking for, and I will locate an appropriate selection for use on your web site. In addition, I also have a large library of pre-made web graphics (including buttons, bars, backgrounds, animations, and more). While these clip art and web graphics are not exclusively yours to use, they are often quite suitable. I make every effort to match the selected graphics to the overall look of your web site to create the "look" of custom graphics without the expense.
I am also able to take existing graphic elements that you have been using in your print materials and resize and optimize them as part of your web site design or redesign package.
• Visit the Fees for Services page for pricing information on all graphic services.
Photographs on the Web
Webdillo Design can produce custom photographic work for use on your web site, as well as use your existing photographic material (whether it is in slide, negative, print or digitized format). Should you wish to enhance your exiting photographic materials, Webdillo Design can perform computer touch-up, cropping, edge enhancement (such as beveled borders, frames, and other artistic effects), or add typography to an image.
If you are interested in artistic effects (for example, converting your ordinary photograph into a painting in the style of Van Gogh, or texturizing your image so that it looks like it is underwater), I can use exciting filters to create the desired effect. The possibilities are truly unlimited!
Webdillo Design can also locate royalty free and/or licensed photography from outside sources which is appropriate for your web site.
• For more information about Webdillo Design's custom photographic services, see the Custom Photography page. See the Fees for Services page for all photography pricing information.
Web Site “Makeover”
Webdillo Design can upgrade and refresh your online presence, turning your existing web site into a more navigable, faster loading, and attractive site by doing any (or all) of the following site enhancements:
• Optimizing slow to load animations, graphics, and photographsDepending on your vision for your web site, a “make-over” can be a major overhaul (salvaging only the essential content) to simply reworking the navigational system so that existing pages are easier to access. We can get really fancy or just do a little tweaking here and there. Once I have reviewed your site and tested it for functionality, I'll make suggestions of improvements I believe would make the site more attractive, easier to use, more functional, or increase the page loading time. You be the judge as to what changes you would like to see implemented.
• Replacing tired graphics/photographs with new or custom graphics
• Redesigning the site directory and layout so your visitors can more easily and quickly find what they came for
• Replacing text links with buttons and navigation bars
• Rewriting text for greater clarity or to increase reader interest
• Unifying the “look and feel” of your site with graphic themes and a consistent color scheme
• Enhancing your site with Flash animation
• Adding background music to your site
• Assisting with the addition of more advanced site features such as forms, e-stores, shopping carts, and online credit card processing
• See the Client Guidelines for information to help you prepare for a site “makeover”
• If you are interested in adding new or custom graphics (including navigational elements), computer art, and/or photographs to your site, see the Web Graphics and Photographs on the Web sections.
• If you are interested in text editing and/or copy writing services as part of your web site redesign package, see the Web Text Editing & Copy Writing section.
Web Site Design Consultancy:
Interested in having Webdillo Design as part of a creative team implementing your web site redesign? I am available to serve as a consultant in such cases. I can provide invaluable advice on navigation, color schemes, use of graphic elements, content placement, text editing, and other Òuser interfaceÓ processes. I specialize in creating an attractive, highly organized, fun and easily accessed online environment for your visitors.
• Visit the Fees for Services page for information on the cost of web site redesign and consultancy services.
Web Site Maintenance Service
Webdillo Design can perform weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annual updating of your site's content. You set the schedule based on your anticipated needs. Do you:
• Need to periodically update an event calendar?I can help you with your site maintenance needs. A site maintenance service plan is an option for you, whether you have an existing site which does not require a Webdillo redesign (but does require content updates or minor "fixes"), or you have had Webdillo Design create a new site or perform a site "makeover" for you (and this will require periodic updating). Webdillo Design can make changes and updates to your site on a regularly scheduled basis or only as needed — you decide!
• Post the next edition of your newsletter?
• Change the price of items in your e-store?
• Update your contact information?
• Add another page?
• Repair broken links?
• Fix typographical, grammatical, or factual errors?
• Change a photograph or graphic?
• Visit the Fees for Services page for web site maintenance service pricing information.
Sample Web Sites
• To see several examples of
sample web pages I have designed as prototypes, click on the links below:
(A) Artistic Site (a creative page with an emphasis on graphics)
(B) Basic Site (a personal page or small home business page)
(C) Content Site (a page from a site rich in text)
(D) Design Site (a page using strong design principles)
(E) E-Commerce Site (a page from a small commercial site using an online shopping cart system)
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