Clean, Easy to Navigate Websites

[GravelyGuy]

I am considering getting a website designed. I was quoted $1500 and up depending on what I want and whether or not I want it set up to come up at the top of google searches. I'm being told that designing/maintaining it to come up at the top of searches will add big money.

I want it to be nice and don't plan to waste any time/money on a crappy hard to navigate site. I will not be doing any of the maintenance or changes to the site so I will have to pay for everything.

Please post up the most professional, easy to navigate sites that you have come across so I can starting building some ideas. Green industry related would probably be best, but anything that has grabbed your attention may help.

Here are two sites that look pretty nice to me and are layed out pretty good IMO. Mine will not be anywhere near extensive as this first one, but it just needs to be nice.

http://www.calvinlandscape.com/index.html

http://www.michaelscompletelawncare.com/

Thanks for any help:)

[Turboguy]

Well, both the sites you seem to like are flash sites so it does seem you are drawn to those. Flash can present some problems but you can do some cool things with it as well. The first site could be done just as easily and better without flash.

$ 1500.00 sounds a little high to me for a site like you show that you like. It seems to me that they could be blowing some smoke up somewhere. I would suggest talking to a few more web designers before you jump the gun.

This part of what you said bothers me a little.

depending on what I want and whether or not I want it set up to come up at the top of google searches.

Any web designer should be setting the site to be as optimized as possible.

[GravelyGuy]

Thanks for the info. This designer has put graphics on 3 of my trucks and has done an excellent job up to this point, but they don't specialize in website design and definitely aren't the cheapest on anything.

They were telling me that Google just changed the way that they determine whether or not you will come up at the top when searched. They told me that if you want to stay at the top that it is an ongoing maintenance type of thing.

[steveparrott]

Here are some sites, specifically for landscape lighting, that I recently designed:

Landscape Lighting Designers Plus (http://www.landscapelightingdesignersplus.com) (Check out the cool image gallery!)

Treasure Coast Landscape Lighting (http://www.treasurecoastlandscapelighting.com)

BPA Lighting (http://www.bpalighting.com)

I charge a lot less than what you were quoted.

[GravelyGuy]

Here are some sites, specifically for landscape lighting, that I recently designed:

Landscape Lighting Designers Plus (http://www.landscapelightingdesignersplus.com) (Check out the cool image gallery!)

Treasure Coast Landscape Lighting (http://www.treasurecoastlandscapelighting.com)

BPA Lighting (http://www.bpalighting.com)

I charge a lot less than what you were quoted.

Those sites are very nice! I like the way you have the galleries set up.

Do you sell landscape lights or design websites???

[steveparrott]

Those sites are very nice! I like the way you have the galleries set up.

Do you sell landscape lights or design websites???

My day job is communication and marketing for CAST Lighting (http://www.cast-lighting.com).

On the side I do web design, SEO, and SEM - mainly for CAST customers.

[GravelyGuy]

My day job is communication and marketing for CAST Lighting (http://www.cast-lighting.com).

On the side I do web design, SEO, and SEM - mainly for CAST customers.

I sent you a PM.

[Turboguy]

Nice job on those Steve. I think they are a lot cleaner and more attractive than the first two sites that were referenced.

[gasracer]

What do you think of my site? I try to keep it clean and to the point.
Here is the people who designed it. They give 10% discount to anyone from lawn site.
http://www.liquiddatafl.com/

[GravelyGuy]

Thank you guys for putting up your websites.

Earthly, your site is looking very good. The earth tone colors go together nicely. Can you give me an idea what that cost to have done. If you don't want to say that's fine.

[earthly]

The price is right! If you are serious e-mail her to get a quote, she does search engine optimization with them so you come up on google and the others. Our site just went live yesterday so it will take a little while for us to come up. Like I said she is awesome, you wont find a better company to give you a quality site!

[GravelyGuy]

The price is right! If you are serious e-mail her to get a quote, she does search engine optimization with them so you come up on google and the others. Our site just went live yesterday so it will take a little while for us to come up. Like I said she is awesome, you wont find a better company to give you a quality site!

Your site is very clean and easy to get around. Pretty much exactly the kind of layout I'm looking for. Thanks again for posting.

[mikey.hill]

I'm not going to rant for too long, but here's my opinion. 1500 is actually a very reasonable price. People tend to undervalue web development and design but from the perspective of a contract programmer, most of these same people fail to realize the actual impact that a properly constructed website can have on your business. It always perplexes me that business owners will go out and drop a few grand on a mower, but when it comes to paying for a tool that can actually provide you with lawns to mow the product looses importance. This is a problem not only in the lawn industry, but in many service fields and the only explanation I can think of for it is that since it is not tangible, it holds no value to some people. Doing business in the US is expensive, we all know that and it's no different for designers and developers who are often self-employed and are responsible for their equipment, insurance, retirement etc... In the 10 years I've been doing what I do, I have seen more designers/developers/programmer/system admins go out of business because they simply don't understand that there is a value to their work and they need to be compensated accordingly. This leads to a couple of side effects mainly the quality of work goes down and the designer is forced to take on more work to make ends meet and then deadlines suffer which ends up costing everyone time and money.

Anyways I recommend people check out the book 'Peopleware'. It's focused mainly towards the IT industry but it has some very interesting ideas and stats that easily translate to all types of business and is also a good primer for people who are not familiar with the IT industry and it's inner workings.

[earthly]

$1500 doesnt sound like that much for a website, what does everybody else think?

[earthly]

There are website design firms around Des Moines that charge 4-5,000+ dollars and I dont think they are that impressive. I dont think that $1500 is a bad price at all.

[mikey.hill]

There are website design firms around Des Moines that charge 4-5,000+ dollars and I dont think they are that impressive. I dont think that $1500 is a bad price at all.

Firms usually do have a much higher rate mostly because they have an actual B&M office staff and other office related costs. They also usually have a wide range of people working for them (SEO/SEM, Programmers, Designers, Project Managers & Strategists). IMO, the quality of the sites they produce is usually not as good if you were to find a high quality freelancer/contractor. I worked at one firm in Nashville which was a national award winning firm. We would charge anywhere between 50k-100k for a decent sized site for a major brand - 3 months of development and planning for 2 developers. The sites were not all that great and although it was nice not having to deal with all the ancillary stuff that I do now with clients, it was nearly double what a freelancer would charge and the client in that freelancer case would walk away with a better site.

[bolc5150]

Hate to butt in but mine was $400.00 with a $40.00 mo. hosting and maintenance.

[bolc5150]

The guy that done mine will do from all over the us if any of you guys have any questions. Plus, double sided, laminated bus. cards @ $69.00 for 1,000.

[Turboguy]

Hate to butt in but mine was $400.00 with a $40.00 mo. hosting and maintenance.

His is probably actually cheaper than yours. You are paying $ 480.00 a year for hosting that others are paying $ 15.00 - 100.00 for. It won't take long for the $ 1500.00 price to be cheaper.

[grass disaster]

OMG YOU GUYS ARE CRAZY.

i said before i have a guy that does them start to finish like mine for around $200 finished!. you get your own host too.

he did most of the writing too. i can make my own edits.

but no one seems to care what i have to offer.

no freakn way would i spend $1500 must be nuts. WOW WOW WOW

[earthly]

Grass disaster, your website is a little weak! Could be improved, it looks like a $250.00 website.

[earthly]

Grass disaster, your website is a little weak! Could be improved, it looks like a $250.00 website.

But if you are mowing lawns for $22.50 maybe thats all you can afford

[grass disaster]

But if you are mowing lawns for $22.50 maybe thats all you can afford

yeah i could maybe bump that up a little. my cheapest lawn is 25 for a senior. most start at $30


the web site works for me since mowing is basically my main service. no landscaping or anything like some of you guys