Yesterday morning I spent my pre-work time signing up with webdesignfinders.net. I opted not to pay $190 for a platinum listing and went for gold. The gold listing requires you to cross link on page your home page back to the website.
I immediately woke up this morning and checked the analytics on my website to see if I had any new traffic. I am on a mission to spread out my traffic sources. Currently ( am very heavy on direct traffic and very sparse on search engine and referral traffic. My two clients have signed up with local agencies for their industries - their traffic on their websites have been even spread.
I did come up as the last listing on the first page for houston, tx, which I was plased with. Here are the links for the search results and the link, I think, to my info page:
http://webdesignfinders.net/texas/houston-web-designers.html
http://webdesignfinders.net/details/7765.html
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Monday, March 29, 2010
Marching On
Every once in a while, I have to advertise and sell myself on my business. I have to put the dreamer against the accountant and hope they come to an agreement. I have to believe I can do what I do. One day came recently where I wanted to throw in the the towel for a round. The respect for a boxer comes after he fights round after grueling round, and he only breaks for water and fix up before he gets back in the ring and continues to fight. Many of us wouldn't last the first few rounds, especially after brutal blows, our confidence gets shaken.
I lost my first client last night. After getting paid for designing the website, the client had not responded to proceeding on to develop the website. They went with an industry organization that sells templated sites. I went through my natural reaction of disappointment as I read the news on my Blackberry in bed with my girlfriend. My curiousity is why she would pay for the design and not extend the payment a little further for the development. And I fell asleep forgetting my victories and remembering my losses.
Currently I am working with an old employer as a contractor. Recently, my hours have increased and at one point, my business was quiet. I had a thought of trying to approach my old employer with hopes to work my old job again. I was going to do it with a need for stability. But before I approached it, I put out the feelers to all the quiet clients. Out of five quiet clients, two of them got in contact and are active clients again, two have not responded, and one chose something else. The victory was the two that chose to proceed on. As promising as the lost client site was, the active clients' site is just as promising. The most positive aspect of the lost client is that I now have a templated site to sell to a future client.
And in the corner, I have my client that has been supplying me work for the last couple years. Although his website has no bells and whistles, he is the client that I have developed a work relationship with that I shoot for with other clients. And as I write this, I become as grateful for this client as I do for the active clients and the lost clients. Regardless of the outcome, I have had the opportunity to do this work. I have a computer, the skills and the know how, the time, and the home to work from. I have the family and girlfriend and friends that support and encourage me in my endeavor. I have the fans, the cheers, and the manager in the corner that takes my spit. I have the ability to change my perception of what is going on and how it affects my present and future. And finally, I have the present and the future which means I March on through the end of the March Madness and continue to work.
I lost my first client last night. After getting paid for designing the website, the client had not responded to proceeding on to develop the website. They went with an industry organization that sells templated sites. I went through my natural reaction of disappointment as I read the news on my Blackberry in bed with my girlfriend. My curiousity is why she would pay for the design and not extend the payment a little further for the development. And I fell asleep forgetting my victories and remembering my losses.
Currently I am working with an old employer as a contractor. Recently, my hours have increased and at one point, my business was quiet. I had a thought of trying to approach my old employer with hopes to work my old job again. I was going to do it with a need for stability. But before I approached it, I put out the feelers to all the quiet clients. Out of five quiet clients, two of them got in contact and are active clients again, two have not responded, and one chose something else. The victory was the two that chose to proceed on. As promising as the lost client site was, the active clients' site is just as promising. The most positive aspect of the lost client is that I now have a templated site to sell to a future client.
And in the corner, I have my client that has been supplying me work for the last couple years. Although his website has no bells and whistles, he is the client that I have developed a work relationship with that I shoot for with other clients. And as I write this, I become as grateful for this client as I do for the active clients and the lost clients. Regardless of the outcome, I have had the opportunity to do this work. I have a computer, the skills and the know how, the time, and the home to work from. I have the family and girlfriend and friends that support and encourage me in my endeavor. I have the fans, the cheers, and the manager in the corner that takes my spit. I have the ability to change my perception of what is going on and how it affects my present and future. And finally, I have the present and the future which means I March on through the end of the March Madness and continue to work.
Monday, March 22, 2010
March Madness Update
With one week left in March Madness, and one week left before I turn older by another year, I am somewhat satisfied with this month. I have felt like the Madness and the March have both been present, but will I reach the finals?
Maintenance clients have driven the court for these games. The guys on the bench stepped up and scored financially while the draft prospects and future stars trained for their day in the sun. And it's the quiet ones on the end of the bench sometimes that give you the reward.
Two web designs were completed. And I am waiting on the clients' responses. One client has been promising, the other has gone dark for now. A T-shirt design came out of nowhere and was completed and printed. A maintenance client returned for an update to his site and is now working with a technical writer to enhance his content. Another client has increased his speed ad kept me busy throughout the month, developing a new photo gallery for his site.
More details later, as I write this hours after I should be sleeping, and now am ready to sleep hard and well.
Maintenance clients have driven the court for these games. The guys on the bench stepped up and scored financially while the draft prospects and future stars trained for their day in the sun. And it's the quiet ones on the end of the bench sometimes that give you the reward.
Two web designs were completed. And I am waiting on the clients' responses. One client has been promising, the other has gone dark for now. A T-shirt design came out of nowhere and was completed and printed. A maintenance client returned for an update to his site and is now working with a technical writer to enhance his content. Another client has increased his speed ad kept me busy throughout the month, developing a new photo gallery for his site.
More details later, as I write this hours after I should be sleeping, and now am ready to sleep hard and well.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Excited about March Madness
What I hope March Madness to be in terms of this business is an addition of many new jobs to work on and a closure to the handful of jobs in design and development.
Currently working on two website designs, one which the design is done and I'm waiting for the client to give the go ahead on the development, and the other is a new design in which I have created two design options and have to finish up the secondary page on the first design and finish the entire wie screen design.
Also working on a business card in which I have a little bit of cut and past and doctoring to do to a background image. If all works out, it will be a very nice business card with a new logo to post also. If not, I will be stuck with an overworked project which I had high hopes for. In addition, I created a t-shirt design a few weeks ago. The client said he had put the printing on someone else and feared it would not work through to an actual shirt, but if it does or doesn't I will still post the design somewhere. Probably on this blog if it never gets printed. Finally, back in January, I created a half-page ad for Yellowbook and am waiting for the new phonebooks to come out so I can add that sample ot my portfolio. If all works out, I will have strengthened my graphic design portfolio. And let's not forget about the new BH Creative Design logo.
For the business side of BH Creative Design, I have recently drafted an Agreement and a Website Form which are both in review. I also look to create a Rate Sheet and post portions of that on my website. I still have to gather generic samples of alot of my work with my former employer. After 3 yrs and many projects in Flash and other interactive project, I have little to show that reflects my experience and skill becuase our main client and those projects were not for public viewing.
So, February was a bit of a frenzy. Hopefully March Madness will get the gears turning and then April will result in more consistent and continuing projects and clients.
Currently working on two website designs, one which the design is done and I'm waiting for the client to give the go ahead on the development, and the other is a new design in which I have created two design options and have to finish up the secondary page on the first design and finish the entire wie screen design.
Also working on a business card in which I have a little bit of cut and past and doctoring to do to a background image. If all works out, it will be a very nice business card with a new logo to post also. If not, I will be stuck with an overworked project which I had high hopes for. In addition, I created a t-shirt design a few weeks ago. The client said he had put the printing on someone else and feared it would not work through to an actual shirt, but if it does or doesn't I will still post the design somewhere. Probably on this blog if it never gets printed. Finally, back in January, I created a half-page ad for Yellowbook and am waiting for the new phonebooks to come out so I can add that sample ot my portfolio. If all works out, I will have strengthened my graphic design portfolio. And let's not forget about the new BH Creative Design logo.
For the business side of BH Creative Design, I have recently drafted an Agreement and a Website Form which are both in review. I also look to create a Rate Sheet and post portions of that on my website. I still have to gather generic samples of alot of my work with my former employer. After 3 yrs and many projects in Flash and other interactive project, I have little to show that reflects my experience and skill becuase our main client and those projects were not for public viewing.
So, February was a bit of a frenzy. Hopefully March Madness will get the gears turning and then April will result in more consistent and continuing projects and clients.
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