As you might expect, there are pros and cons to consider when deciding whether to opt for a generic template instead of a custom designed site, unique to your business and your requirements but as the title suggests, here we will concentrate on the cons.

So, why should you not use templates for your website? Well for starters, they are so bloody generic and any designer who uses them for a client’s site, either doesn’t possess a creative bone in his body or is downright bone idle but at very least demonstrates little understanding and even concern for the client and his unique needs.

One of the obvious problems with using templates is that anybody else may use the same. You should know that the better the design is, the more popular it will be and sooner or later you will bump into your clone in cyberspace. Just imagine if that clone is in fact a particularly degrading adult site. How embarrassing could that potentially be for you?

Your template (along with potentially hundreds of others identical to it) will require a certain amount of customising. There is the generic logo or logo placeholder, for example. Replacing it will no doubt mean resizing your current logo at very least, or at worst, could require a complete redesign in order to fit. These prosaic designs insist that you remain within the constraints of it’s design or else accept the consequences and that is not how the design process goes. Web design follows logo design, not the reverse.

The logo is not the only element you will need to alter. There is the text and images to be replaced with your own and so by the time you have actually tweaked it to suit your needs, you may as well have hired a professional to build it from scratch. A word of warning regarding images supplied with templates. Stock imagery rarely comes with copyright permission and by using them in your template, you will often be contravening copyright laws.

Another important issue, although not just restricted to templates, is accessibility or lack thereof. Templates are seldom cross-browser compatible and invariably do not validate according to W3C (World Wide Web Consortium). Any bone fide designer worth his salt should be constructing sites in accordance with W3C. It may not be common knowledge but this is the law! You can easily check any website, web page or template quite simply yourself with the tools found at http://www.w3.org/QA/Tools/.  Use both the Markup Validator and the CSS Validator. If the result is a list of errors, do yourself a favour and walk.

Be aware too, that many unscrupulous so-called designers actually have the audacity to claim that the supplied template is in fact the product of their own creative mind. They are quite willing to claim somebody else’s work as their own. Not only this but they would not think twice about making you pay for the non-existent design work; theft in both cases.

If you ever come across an alleged designer whose very own site is nothing more than a template, I strongly suggest that you keep moving.

Finally, should you decide to take the DIY approach, using a template is a shortcut and like any shortcut, provided you don’t stray too far from the path and you consider the points mentioned above, you should be OK. However, if you are serious about your business and wish to project a professional image, choose a designer.

I am aware that this modest article is not a complete or even a comprehensive contribution to the debate on whether one should or should not use templates and it is by no means a balanced examination of the pros and cons but it may include a few points readers may not have previously encountered and therefore be of some use.

The team from Bendigo Web Design would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and offer a huge “thankyou” for supporting us throughout 2009!

We sincerely hope you have a great New Year and that all your wishes be fulfilled in 2010. Having said that, please be careful what you wish for.

A few dedicated elves will be available for technical support over the holidays in the unlikely event that the Internet breaks or Santa’s mail is accidentally diverted to our servers and so we would like to advise all clients to either email us, post on the discussion forums or fill out a support ticket for a rapid response.

Before we leave you for this year we should mention some news.

1. Referrals – We will reward you with 10% commission for any referral that results in a new web site or redesign. For new hosting account referrals, we will credit you with a free month’s hosting. There are no limits to the amount you can earn so get talking to your friends, relatives, work colleagues and business contacts. All you need to do is point them in our direction and ask them to mention your name and email address. You then send us an email confirming who you referred. As soon as their project in completed and final payment received, we then credit you with your commission. We have made the referral program as simple as possible to understand and use but for further details, please contact us.
2. Do you know Joomla!? – Bendigo Web Design is looking for a Joomla! guru to join the team. If you have no idea what I am talking about, don’t feel embarrassed as not many do but you needn’t apply However,  if it’s as familiar to you as PHP, MySQL, CSS, XHTML, W3C standards and cross-browser compatability, then you are free to get in touch.

Merry Christmas,

Bill & The Team

To mark the first ever computer-to-computer link, established on ARPANET (which grew up to become the Internet) on 29^th October 1969, and in an effort to ease the woes of the recession locally, Bendigo Web Design is offering you the chance to win one of 26 awesome prizes worth over $4000, including websites, blogs, domain names and hosting.

Deadline extended to Midnight Friday November 13th, 2009 to get your entries in.

All you need to do is register on the Bendigo Web Design discussion forum and tell us what eye-popping domain name you would register and tell us all about your proposed website. Finally, answer the tie-break question by telling us why you deserve a website.

Your site idea might be a recession-busting business or perhaps you’ve decided that it’s about time your already established local enterprise joined the Noughties. Maybe you would like an online gathering point for a club, society or organisation, a blog for your own personal musings or perhaps something completely kooky. Whatever your reason for wanting an online presence, here and now is your chance!

Remember, the more interesting, entertaining or eccentric your suggestions are, the better your chances are of turning them into reality.

Have more than one idea? Increase your chances of winning by submitting up to 3 separate entries!

Registration is free and painless and you could walk away with one of the following great prizes:

1^st Prize

1 x lucky winner takes home a fully-featured website package incl. 12 months free domain name registration and secure Melbourne-based hosting.

2^nd Prize

2 x lucky winners will receive their very own feature-rich blog site with 12 months free domain name registration and hosting.

3^rd Prize

3 x winners will receive their own personalized email address package free for the first year.

Consolation Prizes

20 x entrants will receive a voucher code for 20% off any website package from Bendigo Web Design.

What’s included?

Your choice from hundreds of themes and templates, custom graphics including a custom designed logo should you require one, a domain name of your choice*, Australian hosting, free management tools, search engine optimization as standard, complimentary search engine and directory submissions, comprehensive traffic statistics, lifetime* of maintenance and technical support, inclusion in forthcoming press releases, hints and tips on how best to promote your new site and the knowledge that your new site is locally built.

*See Competition Rules.

What’s the catch?

There isn’t one! You do not have to order or purchase anything from Bendigo Web Design to take part. It might sound somewhat trite but we really do believe that our local community is an important asset and an essential pool of resources, especially during the current economic blip and so we would be happy to put something back in.

Don’t forget, you have until Midnight Friday November 13th, 2009 to get your entries in.

Good luck!

How to Win Clients During a Recession

The following are just five simple methods to secure new and existing clients during an economic downturn.

1. Revisit Old Leads

Rummage through your desk drawers, cupboards and filing cabinets for old business cards, flyers, pamphlets and brochures. Don’t forget to check that old business suit gathering dust in the wardrobe. In fact, dig out any business literature you may have and start calling your contacts now. It’s likely that you may not come up trumps on your first, second or even third attempt but remain positive and persevere. After all, what do you have to lose?

2. Make Existing Clients Feel Extra Special

Your existing clients are your bread and butter, particularly during lean times and taking the time to make them feel extra special will validate and enforce their decision to remain your client and not defect to the competition.

Send all of your clients a brief email, thanking them for their business and let them know how much you appreciate their loyalty during difficult times. Consider offering them a reward of special discounts or gifts as a measure of your appreciation and don’t forget to include any news of new services or products, future special events or promotions.

3. Be Flexible To Accommodate New Clients

If you rigidly market towards a particular clientele, consider the potential revenue that comes with flexibility. If you previously excluded smaller clients that generate less income, now is the time to reconsider that policy because multiple smaller clients could make the difference between sinking and swimming during a recession.

Where logistically and financially feasible, look outside your familiar geographical target area and market to a wider audience.

4. Increase Your Service Level

During a financial downturn, competitors may decide to undercut each other. By all means, reduce your prices to a manageable level but avoid getting into a price war. Instead, increase your level of service above that of your competitors. Nothing speaks louder than satisfied customers.

Your clients will feel content in the knowledge that they are receiving more than they expect and bending over backwards for them, to the extent of a strained muscle, will pay dividends.

5. Offer Your Clients Something More

Where possible, the provision of additional services to your clients should not cost the Earth but will go a long way to pleasing new and existing customers. Offering additional warranty on products and services, same day or on-site support, a home delivery service, free gift wrapping or just a hand carrying the shopping to the clients car are but a few worth consideration.

We all feel the negative effects of a recession but these few tips should help, even if they serve to inspire you to develop your own alternative means of economic survival. Here at Bendigo Web Design, we go the extra mile as a matter of course for all our clients and in addition to offering free hosting and domain names with all web design projects, every new client receives a free meat pie in Winter and deliciously refreshing sorbet during the hot Summer!

Be inventive and think out of the box.

Choosing  Bendigo Web Design to visualize your web presence qualifies you for not only a complimentary domain name of your choice but a whole year of free web hosting too! That’s 12 months of ultra secure, Melbourne-based hosting, absolutely free!

In addition, all our web design packages are custom designed and include free Search Engine Optimisation and search engine registration/directory submission, Google Analytics and interactive Google Map, maintenance, free email support and use of our discussion forums. Unlike many of our competitors, all of our sites are developed to strict W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) accessibility guidelines and are cross-browser compatible to deliver your online presence to the widest possible audience.

Bendigo Web Design offers a range of design packages to suit most needs from the simple one-page Webvert to the database-driven e-commerce solution. We also specialise in the award-winning, highly versatile Content Management System (CMS), Joomla!

Prices start from just $295 for a custom designed Webvert and our most popular package is the 5-page business site at $795. Consider the comparative cost of newspaper advert and the choice becomes obvious…….Bendigo Web Design!

The inaugural Bendigo Motorcycle Expo is the first such event to be held in country Victoria.

Saturday 3rd & 4th of October 2009.

Bendigo Exhibition Centre, Prince of Wales Showgrounds, Bendigo.

It is anticipated that the Expo will feature all the major manufacturers of on and off road motorcycles including but not limited to Yamaha, Kawasaki, Harley, Suzuki and Triumph.

The smaller motorcycle manufacturers, scooter manufacturers, leather goods, customised parts manufacturers, after markets suppliers, airbrush artist, motorcycle trailer manufacturers, insurance representatives, pins and badges and motorcycle memorabilia will also be represented.

In fact, if it’s related to motorcycles in any way, shape or form, we sincerely hope to included it.

The cool Can-Am Spyder

Win Your Own Motorcycle!

Included in the modest $15 entry fee, you will receive one complimentary raffle ticket for the chance to win a brand new motorcycle!

To increase your chances of winning this fabulous prize, additional tickets may be purchased at the Expo for a cost of $5 each.

The proceeds of the raffle will go to purchase a life-saving machine that is desperately needed by the RADIOTHERAPY FOUNDATION at the Bendigo Base Hospital.

We look forward to seeing you at this new and exciting Expo and who knows, you may be riding away on your very own motorcycle!

In the meantime please take this opportunity to browse our web site.

The site was created by Bendigo Web Design to promote the inaugural Expo. You can read the latest Expo news or related articles, share photos and video clips, as well as participate in our lively discussion forum.

With a little over three weeks to go, tickets are flying out the door! So what are you waiting for? Get yourself over to the site and register on the forum.

www.bendigomotorcycleexpo.com.au

With the appeal set to officially close on the 17th of April, Bendigo Web Design will follow suit.

We will continue to donate 10% of all projects until this date and would like to take this opportunity to thank those who chose Bendigo Web Design for their development needs, enabling us to donate a substantial sum to the appeal.

Should you not require web development services but would like to donate to the record-breaking appeal, you may do so by using the secure online donations form or by phoning 1800 811 700.

If you have been affected by the bush fires, the following contacts may provide help:

• Victorian Bushfire Appeal Fund: 1800 180 213 email: vicbushfireappealfund@dhs.vic.gov.au web: www.dhs.vic.gov.au/bushfireappeal
• Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction and Recovery Authority: www.wewillrebuild.vic.gov.au
• Victorian Bushfire Information line: 1800 240 667
• CFA website: www.cfa.vic.gov.au
• State Emergency Service: 132 500
• Australian Red Cross Blood Service: www.donateblood.com.au
• VicRoads: 13 11 70 – www.vicroads.vic.gov.au
• GriefLine: 03 9596 7799 – provides caring listening in times of sadness and distress. Hours of operation are 12 noon – 3am
• Bushfire legal help line: 1800 113 432.
• Victorian Bushfire Volunteer Line on 1300 366 356
• Rural Workforce Agency Victoria: coordinating GP and locum services: www.rwav.com.au 

A warm welcome to the Captain’s Blog!

The Captain’s Blog exists to bring you closer to BWD on both a professional and personal level. Although highly professional in our approach and execution of client projects, we often need a place to relax a little and The Captain’s Blog is a more informal means of communication away from the business end of the operation.

In addition to useful articles, news, tips and tricks for our readers, we aim to offer some insight into our world. We will bring you updates, special offers and competitions. There will be a certain amount of duplication and cross-referencing with our support forums so our apologies in advance but if you don’t find what you are looking for here, why not register at the forum.

As always we love to hear your feedback, so feel free to register on the blog and post a comment. Be sure to subscribe to any of our feeds or bookmark the page for future reference.

Thanks for reading!

The BWD Team