Website Designers

Parent Q&A

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  • Hi everyone. I need someone to help me maintain my Squarespace website. I just need someone I can call infrequently to help me make changes or address problems. Thanks for your recommendations.

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  • I’ve started a travel blog and am struggling with the Wordpress learning curve. Looking for a few hours of tutelage (paid, of course) to get me over the hump. 
    thanks

    steve

    (Moderator note: If you want to offer your own services, please contact Steve directly using his Contact link below. If you are recommending someone, reply to this post. Thanks!)

    Hi Steve,

    I too have struggled with Wordpress. It's supposed to be easy but I always got stuck. Then, I found Gillian L. She's a graphic designer and tutor on Wyzant, a website that offers online tutoring. I've met with Gillian about five times online. She's excellent at Wordpress blogs. I have a website that used Wordpress and she's been able to help me with it. She's got a great sense of humor and is really fun. After a few sessions, I could start doing all the things I had wanted to do with the blog. We schedule sessions and communicate through Wyzant,  but we meet on zoom and use screen share of my screen. She can see my blog and then help instruct me on how to make changes to it. Good luck!

    I built my own website using Wordpress… pretty intuitive once you figure out how to start. Playing with templates and formatting can be a bit tricky but I can definitely get you started if need be.

    Hey Steve, I would suggest getting a “theme” that is user friendly. Also, look for help on the app “Fiverr” for help like this. If it is too hard, maybe ditch Wordpress and try a GoDaddy host site instead. Good luck! 

  • I'm looking for a website designer to create a new website for my business. It will be a pretty simple and straightforward site, nothing fancy, but I'd love to find someone who can also advise and help implement a plan for SEO.

    The recommendations on bpn are several years old. 

    Thank you!

    I would contact Studio 678. https://www.studio678.com/ They are an small local ( Oakland) awesome web design firm. I have used Michael Waters to help with SEO and Google my Business as well as their content writer, Hilary Zaid, to help with website copy. Top notch team! Lmk if you have any questions.

  • I run a local small business and have been using a website I created myself on weebly.  I'm to a point where I want to upgrade my site and get an official logo created for the business.  I need to hire a designer who can 1) design a logo, and 2) make my website way more professional-looking.  I want the website to be informational for clients but also have the ability to capture leads when people land on the site from social media or google searches.  I also need help organizing all the information on my website in a way that makes sense for how people read and click through a website when they land on the main page, and I need to be able to make changes to the website on my own about 3-4 times yearly as my services change.  Please send me recommendations for designers who are fun to work with and who do great work! And if anyone has any ballpark idea of how much this service might cost me, I'd love to get an idea so I can budget for it. Thanks!

    Check out Nancy Cutler at Midnight Oil Design.  She designed our website -- see mmdglobaladvisory.com.  Nancy is warm, personable, and understands a budget.  We trust her and have been working with her since 2002.  There's no one better.

    I just went through that entire process, so let me share with you what I learned along the way: I worked with an amazing marketing professional named Leeann Alameda at Alameda Marketing Solutions first. She did a ton of research, coordinated with my graphic artist, Ross Turner of Ross Turner Designs, presented an entire marketing plan which could work in a number of different ways depending on my time commitment and budget. I also created a short video which is on YouTube, that has brought my SEO numbers way high. I worked with Stu Sweetow at Audio Visual specialists on the video. Every step was coordinated by Leeann, she hired writers, she's amazing. Check out her credentials . . . Good luck!

    I have worked with Ross Turner Design at RossTurnerDesign.com who designed my book cover for "Wired Child: Reclaiming Childhood in a Digital Age," the cover of which gets a lot of praise. He's local, easy to work with, and gifted with design. 

    Best of luck,

    Richard

  • I'm a local therapist who has been reading a lot about content-based (or educational-based) marketing and lead generation.  I really want to re-organize my website to offer valuable educational content to families for free, rather than marketing my services.  My current website is set up in weebly and doesn't offer the capacity I need to have landing pages for email list sign up and doesn't allow me to offer downloadable PDF e-books directly on the website.  (Currently I have a sign-up on the webpage, which links to mail chimp, which then sends an email with the PDF in the email.)  I also could use help integrating an automated customer relations management platform (Aweber?  Convert kit?) into my website somehow.  My current email list is about 60 people but I expect to see that grow over significantly in the coming year as I begin offering more valuable content to my readers.  I'd like to send regular newsletters with valuable content to stay in touch with my audience.  Also would like to host a podcast on the site at some point, or be able to embed educational videos for families.

    Based on this information, I need a web designer who is familiar with setting up websites to do these things, and who can help me transfer my weebly site to a new platform.  I'd like to be able to manage it on my own as my business grows, with help from the web designer as needed for major changes.  Does anyone have someone they can recommend? 

    I use Weebly for my biz. It's time-consuming to set up these things ourselves. If that's true for you and are looking for help, I dont have any local referrals to share.

    1. However, there is a fab site with
    folks in other countries who can earn a living wagewhen you hire them. The site's name is odesk. (include the"o.")

    2. Re: Weebly. Call them and lay out what you need. Who knows? They might be helpful.

    BEST OF LUCK
    Tralee Johnson
    www.GreatMathTutoring.com

    I'd like to recommend Pagepoint Web Solutions, based here in Berkeley. 

    The owner is Aaron Gobler, and his company helped in the design of my website. At the same time, you might want to consult with his wife, Lisa Cain, in terms of help with marketing — especially free social media. Lisa has a Ph.D. in marketing from the Wharton School and teaches at Mills College. Her company is called MarketingU, and she offers a free 30 minute initial consultation.

    My web designer is Sarah Lenz.  She is amazing.  Here is a link to my website if you'd like to get an idea of her work. www.familyplaytherapy.com.  Many of the specific things you are requesting are not part of my website but I have never had an idea and had Sarah say it can't be done.  I recommend giving her a call.  510-590-7699 or check out her website at www.smartloftstudio.com.

I can't offer any recommendations for the legal or tax stuff, but I had Sophia Renn rebuild my website (www.pettooth.com). She was wonderful to work with and very responsive to my particular style requests. She really markets herself as a writer, but she does a lot more. 

http://www.sophiarenn.com

Recommended:

Archived Q&A and Reviews

 


Need a great web designer

Jan 2013

I work for a small design-build company located in Oakland. We do high-end residential work with a modern sensibility. We are looking for guidance in revamping our whole line of publicity materials including our website, brochures, email newsletter, other social media, t-shirts, etc. The goal is to create a more polished and coherent image which reflect the type of architectural work we do. We prefer to work with a local firm or an individual designer. Portfolio includes design or architectural clients would be most relevant. Thanks in advance.


Check out Sarah Lenz of Smart Loft Studio. She designed my law firm's logo, website, business cards, and also fixed my many technology troubles. She's affordable and organized, in addition to being fun and arty. . www.smartloftstudio.com . Scott


For great web design, check out Elisa Lewis at www.burningearmedia.com. Elisa is creative, efficient and great to work with... she created an easy to maintain website for me and showed me how to manage it. The whole process was a great experience and I have recommended her a number of times. Check out her website and see if she might be a good fit for you. Heidi


I have someone great to recommend. Her name is Irena Becker and her company is Creatage. It can be found at www.creatage.com. When I started my business, I looked around locally for someone who could do what you are asking and was actually pretty disappointed by the lack of artistic vision of many of the developers using wordpress. Everyones sites looked the same as everyone else's. So I went on ODesk and found Irena. She is based in Milwaukee but that posed no problems. Most of our correspondence was through email with a few calls. I am so pleased with the final result. And she really helped me keep costs down. Linda


Lawrence McKendell did my logo, wordpress site and business FB page. He was extremely open to find ways to work with my ideas and needs and went way above and beyond what I expected. I'm very pleased with his work on the design and the ease of using the website. His website is mckendelldesign.com  Sydney


I'd highly recommend Petra Andersson-Pardini. I've worked with her on logos, business cards, flyers, web design, etc and her work is beautiful. She really understands the brands and can capture the brand essence in every design piece. She is also very quick, reasonably priced and is a pleasure to work with. Her information is: petra andersson-pardini, graphic design | brand consulting | web design Her portfolio can be seen at: http://petra-andersson-pardini.com/Petra-Portfolio-2012.pdf Good luck! Berit


Hello, I would highly recommend Sail White of Wicked Cleaver Designs. http://www.wickedcleverdesigns.com She will be able to get you what you are looking for, she also writes the code for it all, so it always works! Her designs really come to life, and she is fun to work with. Feel free to mention me Eric Sterken, of E Builders Inc. Eric


Hello, I would also suggest checking out Lisa Cain of Marketing You. http://marketingu.com/about I have talked with her, and she works only with small businesses. She is pretty well qualified for it to, a PHD in Marketing, formerly running a Wed site company she can get results. Good luck in all your endeavors. Eric


Need a good freelance designer for my aesthetics

Nov 2012

I am looking for a designer who can help me translate my ideas into my website, and add their touch and talent for my biz collateral. Certainly they must be, i) good with Illustrator, ii) have a great skill in translating aesthetic ideas, and iii) able to interface with php and theme development with Wordpress (even if this ends up being a different person ). I am developing my own professional service, and it is important to me to have this incorporate my feel. I have a basic mock-up of my content in a Wordpress dummy. I have a graphic, logo from a biz card . I need someone who can take my ideas an make them into a beautiful, clean website design that you add your vision to, esp. a first page. I want someone to work with me now and as a resource for my business in the years to come. Need a nuanced designer


Larry Almonte is a great designer/web guy who is also an excellent photographer and artist. I've worked with him on a couple of projects and referred him to others who have loved his work. He's also honest and meticulous. larryalmonte [at] sbcglobal.com Toadlee


Looking for Free Lancing Web Developer

Sept 2012

I am looking for a Web Developer for a project in the education field. An ideal candidate would be an individual who free lances, has good knowledge and experience on UIs, designing databases, is familiar with programming languages relevant to web development (both open source and use of paid widgets). Sri


I would like to recommend Michael Wong. He is an extremely talented web designer who has been doing this work since 1997. He is very skilled both technically and in the design aspects. He is also an expert in UI. In the past he worked for Greatschools.org so he is familiar with the educational aspects as well. Full disclosure: he is my husband but he has also designed my graphic design business website. For more information visit: www.serpentvenom.com/design or mdwong [at] serpentvenom.com 415-290-3969. He is located in Berkeley. Leslie


Web Designer for Open Adoption

Sept 2012

We are adopting through open adoption and need to create both a brochure and website for potential birthmothers to be able to contact us. There are some recommendations for websites on BPN, but they are more business oriented, and our adoption agency has some referrals, but we want ours to stand out. Can anyone recommend a designer who might be more family oriented? Thanks,


I know a Berkeley husband and wife design team...Michael Wong and Leslie Firestone (who have also been through open adoption). I've worked with them on a couple of occasions over the years. They are quite talented and super attentive. check out websites if you would like to see some of their works and to contact them. www.serpentvenom.com/design www.lesliefirestone.com/graphicdesign Devin


In need of a great web designer

June 2012

I own a yoga/dance studio, and would like some help with putting up a website. I would like to have an elegant, well designed site to attract new people and communicate the overall sensibility and approach of our unique studio. I know there are a lot of web designers out there, but can anyone suggest a designer who is creative, has excellent follow-through, is fun to work with and affordable? If you have worked with someone you really like, please post! Thanks so much! Maxine


Hello, I've used Steve McKiernan of EyeGravity.com for my website and I've referred him to about 6 friend/colleagues and they've been satisfied as well. Good luck! Bill


Looking for website designer

May 2011

I'm looking for someone to update my professional website and convert it from HTML to WordPress. If you know of a good website designer who charges reasonable rates, I'd appreciate their contact info. Thanks! -A Berkeley self-employed professional


I would like to recommend Michael Wong. He is an extremely experienced web designer who charges reasonable rates. He is talented, easy to work with and located in Berkeley. He can be reached at 415-290-3969 or at mdwong [at] serpentvenom.com Leslie


I use Emma Barker of Rabbit Hole Designs for all of my website updates. I found her while screening Craigslist candidates last year. She is very affordable and professional. She isn't local but that hasn't been an issue-- she's quick to respond and she now updates my mother's professional website as well. She doesn't do Flash though (my website doesn't use Flash). Her website is www.therabbitholedesigns.com and her e-mail is therabbitholedesigns [at] gmail.com KP


I highly recommend Michael Waters at Studio678, phone (510) 991-6685, website (with portfolio) at http://www.studio678.com/portfolio.php I'm working with him now on a wordpress website, and I'm pleased with how it looks and how easy he is to work with. He pays attention to what I want, knows SEO, has a sense of humor, and gets things done on time. I'd be happy to talk with you more about working with him, or you can look at my (not yet finished) website at www.berkeley-neurofeedback.com. Good luck


I'd recommend Gustavo Sandi. His email address: gus [at] insightsonline.com Gus did a beautiful job re-designing my website: www.grandmatellmeastory.com He was also tremendously capable and helpful at repairing some major problems created by my original designer. Gus is a great listener a good collaborator as well as being reasonably priced. amma


You might want to call Justin Franks for web hosting and design. He can be reached at jfranks [at] inetassociation.com or 415 839 8353. Vanessa


HI! I highly recommend Karen Nierlich and Todd Abbott of 'Almost Everything Communications.' They are long standing members of the chamber of commerce and have great reputation in the community. Not to mention reasonable rates on my website! http://almost-everything.com 510-527-9920 Sara


I can wholeheartedly recommend Yvonne Day-Rodriguez at ydaydesigns.com. She was incredibly responsive and prompt and got my site up very quickly. She is easy to work with and will design exactly what you are looking for. She has a great eye and uses color beautifully. I was very happy with the final product and would use her again in a minute. Check out her website for her web portfolio. She designed my site at colicsupportgroup.com and took the stress out of creating a great website. Good Luck! Anon


I highly recommend Mike Waters with Studio678. He created my website many years ago, then recently updated it to WordPress because it a) gets better google hits and b) I can easily update it anytime. He's been doing this a long time, really knows his stuff, speaks fluent English (and not just techno-geek) and pays attention to not just creating a good looking website but ensuring the world finds you. geraldine


Website designer for law practice

March 2011

I would like to create a website for my law practice and I am looking for a person to help me create it. Does anyone have a recommendation for a good designer who is willing to take on a small project and who charges a reasonable fee? solo attorney


You should check out Jason Boyte at jasonboyte.com. His designs are clean, elegant and professional. You get the results of a design firm without the firm prices. Maria


I am thrilled with my new website, built by Kern Toy in El Sobrante. He's wonderful to work with and completely understood what I wanted for my site. He's a graphic designer, and a professor at one of the Art colleges, so has tons of experience to back up his reputation. He can be reached at (510) 669-9916, or kerntoy [at] comcast.net. Julie


Rocky Laber at DSD Interactive is a web designer who handles lots of small businesses, but specializes in Lawyers...That is where he has the most experience. So he already knows your language. The best part of working with Rocky is that he empowers you to be able to update your website on your own. So he sets you up then teaches you how to maintain the site which will save you money over the years. Contact Rocky at 510-482-5591 rlaber [at] dsdinteractive.com Nina


Poulson/Gluck Design is a great team of two women that could help you with your web needs. They are very easy to work with, have amazing aesthetic sense, years of experience, and are all around great people! You can contact Lory Poulson at lory [at] poulsongluck.com or calling 510-236-4143. Check out their website and some of their work. They have definitely done some great work for attorney's offices as well as many other businesses in the area. Best of Luck! Leah


Web designer for GoDaddy CMS

Jan 2011

I am looking for someone to design my website using the GoDaddy Content Manager System. It will be an e-commerce clothing store for nursing moms. I need a logo designed and may also want an integrated blog site. If you have worked with anyone that has that experience I would love to talk to them. Thanks.


Hello, I recommend Steve McKiernan of Eyegravity.com Right now Steve is transferring over my website to GoDaddy from another webhost. Steve designed my website and the websites of 4-5 of my collegues. He does great work, is very reasonably priced, and is very easy to work with. I've actually only met him in person once but I've succcessfully worked with him for about 6 years now and included a blog and other nice widgets on my website. Try him! He can be reached at: steve [at] eyegravity.com Warm wishes, Bill


I highly recommend Julia Kocs. She just finished creating my logo and it looks fabulous. Check our her website- www.kocsbrand.com. She's great to work with- very professional, easy to talk to, and replies to emails/phone calls quickly. She can help you wit just the logo, website design, both, etc. I will be returning to her to create a website later on.  Mai


Hi - I know of two web designers- on specializes more in web site maintenance and set up (Justin Franks jfranks [at] inetassociation.com) and one more in design/photography (Guillermo Prado guiprado [at] 8point2.com). Good Luck!


Web Designer for Holistic Practitioners

Dec 2010

I am looking for a web designer for my massage therapy practice. I currently have a website but would like to enhance it to include features that would enhance my business. Ultimately, my desire is someone who is really good with graphics as well as in the web marketing/sales end of it who has experience with websites for massage therapists/holisitic practitioners and is reasonably priced. I currently have someone who is very inexpensive (a major plus and why I haven't sought out anyone else) but lives on the East Coast and does not seem to be too interested in working with enhancing my profit margin. Thanks. Rita


I can highly recommend Pagepoint Web Solutions in El Cerrito; I've used them for my own website and am very pleased with their work. They have a complete in- house team with a graphic designer on staff. They can do the whole job for you. Best of all, Lisa Cain (the owner) is extremely good with marketing; she has a Ph.D. in marketing and teaches at Haas. Call Pagepoint at 558-1534 or check out their website - http://www.pagepoint.com/ David


Hi, I recommend Kathy Canfield here in Berkeley. Great person, smart, effective. http://www.canfielddesignstudios.com Eric


Website Designer for non-profit organization

Dec 2010

I'm looking for a recommendation for a reasonably priced web designer. The nonprofit organization I volunteer for needs a new website, the site has to accommodate online donations and a regularly changing calendar. Thanks for your responses. Hardworking Volunteer


Hi, I recommend Kathy Canfield, a Berkeley local. She specializes in arts and non-profits. She did my site (www.ericpomert.com) Best of luck. Kathy Canfield Shepard President Canfield Design Studios, Inc. Web Design & Development ? Print, Logo & Identity Design Creative Marketing Solutions ? Consulting & Training http://www.canfielddesignstudios.com Eric


I would like to recommend KOCS, a small web development business with a background in non-profit management, fundraising and marketing. The owner, Julia designed and created our website, www.gppaarchitects.com, a firm who specializes in Accessibility and Universal Design. We are really pleased with the results and the attention to detail during the development process. You can reach her via her website at www.kocsbrand.com Sincerely, Architect, Owner


I have retained KOCS Branding, a small web design firm in El Cerrito to develop my business logo/online identity and website in October. The owner, Julia, worked with me to define my marketing goals, ensured that they were within the service mission of my company, and delivered a site that is professional, yet creative and unique. The website she created, www.Napatax.net also has a Content Management feature, which means that with minimum amount of training, I can edit all text and photos myself, eliminating any additional or monthly recurring expense after completion of the web site. As a former director of a non-profit agency, she would be the perfect candidate for developing your site as she has a keen understanding of the financial limitations that small businesses and organizations face. Overall, I would absolutely recommend KOCS to any company in need of creative, cost-effective and user-friendly design for their web site and branding and marketing materials. You can ask for a free consultation by going to the website at http://www.kocsbrand.com/ or call the owner at 510-364-0730. Best, Marcus


Website Designer and Blog Master needed

Nov 2010

I run a small garden design company and need someone who can create a website for me as well as help me make some changes to my blog. I would like someone who can create a simple, clean and well-organized website that is not too animated or too commercial looking. Quick and affordable are pluses too! Thank you.


I have a small video production company and we use Rocky Laber at DSD Interactive http://www.dsdinteractive.com/ He sets up sites so you can add content and blogs yourself using Wordpress. It is easier than I thought, and Rocky is very skilled in his craft. info [at] dsdinteractive.com (510) 501-4883 stu


The best web designer and programmer I ever found-and I have worked with many- is Saill White: saill [at] waillwhite.com She is amazing. She designed and programmed my site so check out her work: http://incultureparent.com She is local here in Berkeley as well. Stephanie


Web Site designer - freelance consultant

Dec 2009

All of the recommendations for web site designers are old. I'm looking for a local person to do freelance consultant work for small e-commerce site who is up to date, understands SEO, is detailed oriented, and good problem solver. anon


I have been very happy with the website work done by Tod Abbott and Karen Nierlich, of Almost Everything Communications. I wasn't sure that I'd be able to work with them, because their own website doesn't appeal to me personally. Nonetheless, they created a site that really suits me (check it out, if you like: www.uniquelaw.com); unlike other designers I tried, they didn't insist that my site had to look like every other legal site in the country. Even better, they managed to create a design that I really love, without much helpful input from me at all. Most people would be stymied by a customer saying ''I don't know, I just don't like it THAT way'' and ''make it, you know, prettier'' without anything more specific, but Tod and Karen handled the entire process with grace and aplomb. They're friendly and approachable, and their rates are very reasonable. You can reach them by phone (510-527-9920) or through their website at www.almost-everything.com. Kathleen


Hi! I would like to recomend to you Karen Nierlich with Almost Everything Communications she is a great website designer and she can also offer you the search engine optomisation, she is highly experience her phone number is (510) 527-9920 you can also see her work at www.almosteverythingweb.com give her a call you be glad you did. Best Regards. Mr. Martinez


Have a terrific web site designer. Has done my husband's site (sculptor)and many updates. Contact: jd [at] kaleta.net Carol


Web designer who is familiar with FTP

Oct 2009

I'm looking for a web designer who can update my website and is familiar with FTP. I'd like to have the site adapted so that I can maintain/update most of it myself in the future, and am looking for a designer who can help me with that. monika


Jana (pronounced Yanna) Branisa is our web designer, and she is great. She set us up with FTP so we can exchange large files with our clients. She uses a system called Wordpress, and she showed us how to make changes as we wish. She has trained our staff person to update the website. She knows business and marketing, and she is very sweet. We now appear on the first page in a Google search for Oakland Video Production, thanks in part to her. Her company is www.stellaritsolutions.com phone: (510) 385-4154 email: info [at] stellaritsolutions.com Stu


Reasonably-priced Web site designer

May 2009

I'm searching for a reasonably priced web-site designer who can help me realize my vision. I have very specific ideas about how I want the site to look but am clueless about how to do it. I'd love to find someone to create it for me, incorporating my aesthetic needs and preferences while staying within my modest budget. Thanks--Lyra


I would definitely check out PowerWebResults.com. They build beautiful sites that you can update or maintain yourself, and are wonderful to work with. Happy on the net


I have worked with a superb web/graphic designer. She is has an impeccable sense of style, knows how to create elegant yet simple and functional design, met all deadlines, and was a very easy to work with. I think her bids are in the low to average range. Her name is Emily Ahlvin and she can be contacted through her website: www.emilyadesigns.com


Perry Bleecker Designs. Perry does graphics work both web based, and print- including invitations, annual reports, magazines, logo and business system design, etc. He works with a variety of clients from individuals- like artists, small business owners and non-profits to large companies like Kaiser and has even done work for the City of Oakland. 510-761-4865 or pbleecker [at] gmail.com Juliette


A former secretary for our church hooked us up with her friend JP Collins at Pylon Studios. He took our project seriously and did a complete and professional job for us (even though we were a pro-bono project for him). He even designed the site in such a way that it would be easy for us to update and add to. I highly recommend him! check out his site: www.pylonstudios.com and ours www.sothb.org. Give me a call if you have any questions. Pr. Katie


I have just the person for you! Sarah Lenz created my logo, business plan and website and I could not be happier with her work. I have received tons of positive responses for the website she designed. Sarah is very creative- she is an artist- and I found her to be exceptionally reliable and responsive. Check out her website at: www.smartloftstudio.com Ariel


Creating website - godaddy.com?

March 2009

I am creating a website for my small business and would like to try to do it as simply and inexpensively as possible. I've heard about www.godaddy.com. Would love to hear if anybody has used it and what you're experience has been. Also, if you can recommend any other sites that have worked well, I'd love to hear that as well. Website Newbie


I use godaddy to create my website. godaddy has a web based tool for doing this which does not require you to know HTML. The tool is called website tonight... it isn't perfect but it works. I am an experienced geek but never created a website before i created mine. I use godaddy to host my site as well for about $5 per month...

It took me about 2 days (that's 2 days of work, 16 hours) to create something i wanted to publish (that included some edit time). And the best part is: it's empowering, it feels great to have done it, and i can keep it simple or make it as complicated as i want.

The downside: the website tonight application is kind of slow at times and has crashed the browser on occasion. It's best to back up your text and images on your own computer (using offline back-up procedures)... As for intuitive? Well, it's ok, probably on a scale of 1 (hard) to 10 (easy) it's a 7... it does take some work to understand it.

I say go for it, start with simple, but start! It's inexpensive and it's yours. there are a few tricks to getting the godaddy logo off your site...


Go Daddy's website and web building tools are a nightmare to work with; just really hard to navigate, so many ads, not even the cheapest, etc.

I recently built a website using Wordpress on an ISP called bluehost.com. I liked it because the price was very reasonable. I got unlimited disk space, bandwidth, lots of subdomains, a hundred Mysql databases, lots of email addresses, etc. I've heard good things about pair.com and laughing squid.

If any of this sounds greek to you, or no fun, you might not want to create your own website. Wordpress.com lets you create a blog for free, and then you can add on other features and get rid of the ads. Wordpress is very easy for newbies to use. You can make it look just like a regular website, not a blog. I haven't worked with them directly, though.

Any way you go, have fun! Wendy


Hello, I did not create my website via GoDaddy, but my web designer suggested Go Daddy as the host. I've had zero technical problems and their rates are very reasonable. I recommend them, but can't speak to the design aspect. lisa I use Hurricane Electric (http://www.he.net/) for hosting my small business web page. They are extremely reliable and affordable and are a local company based in Fremont. Deborah


If keeping a strictly limited budget is your goal, I would go with a blog style site. You can use services like blogger.com, vox.com or wordpress.com to get your site up and running very inexpensively.

Just because they are called a blog, doesn't mean you don't have static pages and hosting is included. The primary downsides to the free services is you don't own the domain name and they aren't as customizable.

One of the keys to having a website is making sure people can actually find you. You will want to spend a little time making sure your meta title and description are unique and use keywords people may use to search for your product. The text in the body as well should be very relevant.

For my own site, I use SF based Laughing Squid: www.laughingsquid.com which runs about $10/month + cost for the domain name.

There are a lot of additional considerations so feel free to reach out. Rick


Website updates for small non-profit

Jan 2009

I work for a small non-profit. We have to change/add things to our website monthly, and I think our current website person is charging a lot, mostly because he's slow. Usually, we need to add a few events to our listings. Occasionally, we need to change content. For a 3-month period of adding events (3 per month, already written out), we were charged over $700!! My husband also has a web person for his website, but she doesn't charge nearly that amount. Unfortunately, she's unavailable to us. Can anyone recommend a decently-priced person to help with our site?


I have a fabulous webmaster/designer. Hold on to your seats, he is 16 years old. I worked with professionals who drove me crazy, being late, or not doing what I asked for, not answering calls or emails and were expensive. This young man is smart, responsive and very skilled. I had clear ideas about what functionality I wanted on my website and basic ideas about how I wanted it to look. He has been resourceful, quick and extremely professional, much more so than any of the several ''professional'' adults I had worked with before. I cannot recommend him more highly. When I first started working with him, I had a deadline and he met it. The site is not completed, but that is because I have been slow getting him the information. He has always implemented whatever I need within 48 hours or sooner. You cannot go wrong.  Elizabeth


Here's a solid, efficient solution for your website maintenance needs. My friend Harry Orner has provided this service to small businesses and a nonprofit, and he agreed the fee that you paid seemed way out of line. Harry charges an hourly rate and is fine with routine, modest needs. He also serves on the board of a non-profit so he gets it! \ He'd be happy to talk with you about what your nonprofit needs and expects. Fan Of Reasonable & Honest Work


Web design for small business

June 2008

I have a small business and was looking for someone to design a website for me. We have an existing one but it needs updating. Any recommendations? Thanks lh


Jennifer Curry Pham is a fabulous web designer and user interface designer. She has worked at many internet companies including Ofoto, AOL and Macys.com. She has also designed and build internet sites for many small businesses, including my husband's: www.orenskitchen.com. She can be reached at jennifer [at] 21march.com Tammy


I had a website previously with Yahoo Small Business Web Hosting. It was quite affordable, had lots of web-design tools, or you can use FrontPage software to build your site on it if you like. Overall a good choice for small business needs.

Just an FYI, consider what kind of traffic, what you will offer such as just information & pics, product sales, referrals, mailing list, etc. on your website you are expecting on your site and that will give you an idea on how much of a site and support that you need. Here is their link: http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/webhosting/ Hope this helps! Maya J.


Web design help

March 2008

Can anyone provide updated suggestions for a person or company who could update a fairly simple web page and provide help in maintaining it? I'm working with a volunteer soccer organization that doesn't have too much money. Thanks! Anon


Chris and Christian of E Photography are really nice local guys who do great photography and web design. They might be willing to work with in your budget. You can check out their web site @ enbphotos.com Crystal


Looking for an high quality web designer

Feb 2008

Hello! I am looking for a high quality professional web designer for a new start up company. We need someone as soon as possible and would be super appreciative if anyone had any leads. Thanks so much! Melanie


I just had a website designed for my organic children's store - www.wilddill.com - and the web designers were great to work with - very professional, creative and responsive. Their website is www.aeolidia.com Hope this helps! Jennifer


Jenene Chesbrough designed my logo and website, and I highly recommend her. You can view her work at my site at http://www.thebullingtownegroup.com/ (she also took the photographs on the site) and also at her site at http://jenene.org/. Leila


For a meticulous, highly creative and responsible web designer, I recommend Thomas Bachand. He has worked with a great many very picky people under deadline with fantastic results. Thomas Bachand www.steamingmules.com High Standards


2004 - 2007 Reviews


Affordable graphic and web design

August 2005

I would like to ask for more recent names of people who can do graphic and web design for a small business. local business owner


I can highly recommend Emily Favors, graphic designer for print, web and more, here in Oakland as just what you want. EMILY FAVORS redeyedesign [at] jps.net She is bright, creative, artistic and affordable. She specializes in small business owners, and as one herself understands all the issues. She is dedicated and fun. She also does high end work for big companies when their internal depts. cannot handle the volume, so she knows what is working now. Louise


I would like to recommend a friend of mine, who has done several projects for me in developing a web-site, ads, brochures, etc. He can do very simple things for individuals or non-profits, and also has worked for larger corporations doing complicated web-sites and e-commerce. He has a great eye for design, is a very careful listener to find out what the message is you are trying to get across, a joy to work with, dependable, quick turn around, and affordable. Please contact him directly at charles.mazzanti AT sbcglobal.net or (510) 526-1624. ymansell


Christina Cappelletti just did a great job on my business cards and I've hired her to do my website. Her approach works well for me. She said, ''Tell me how I can help you and take this off your hands.'' I like her style, her follow through, her warm personality and her PRICE Christina Cappelletti http://cappellettidesigns.com 910-4324 Rebecca


I've known Kristine Nedderson for some time. When I needed a logo and a website I had seen enough of her artwork to know she would be able to work with what I asked of her. Anyhow, she did my logo and helped me with getting my website set up. If you want to check out her website for products and services the address is: http://kyotedog.com If you want to see the logo she did for me go to: http://www.gatewaytoreading.com/ Carol


I can highly recommend Thomas Bachand. He is highly creative,easy to work with and multi talented. Tom's been doing websites, etc. since 1997. Visit www.steamingmules.com to see his work! Satisfied Customer


I highly reccomend graphic designer Emily Ahlvin. I've worked with Emily on several projects now and she always seems to come up with a design that is perfect! She's professional, meets deadlines and has an fabulous sense of style and design. Her rates are reasonable - middle of the road, but her design and work is top notch. She can be reached at 510-558-1256 or emilydesigns [at] pacbell.net Jen


I would like to recommend Rick Jonasse of Birdseye Studio. http://www.birdseyestudio.com/. He works with small businesses and non-profits. He did a beautiful job on my friend's website, was responsive and easy to work with.


Try Jean Matuska at http://www.jmdgraphics.com. She was the web designer at my husband's company until relatively recently. She nows works on her own. She does great work and has her portfolio online. Check it out! Lori


Susan Weeks designed my website -- www.selkcommunications.com -- as well as her own -- www.sjweeksdesigns.com She's a pleasure to work with, affordable, and has a great sense of design. You can call Susan at 898-1033 Merry


I highly recommend a good friend of mine, Kathy Allbright. Her website is www.allbrightdesign.com, where you can check out what she's done. Her design is very clean looking, sharp, and professional. Heather


I would like to recommend Bruce Rohrsetzer [brucevr18 [at] hotmail.com] as a website designer. He is reasonably priced and reliable. He even took the digital pictures for my site! (www.leighcostain.com) Check out his site at: http://www.maukachamber.com/ You can contact me if you want more info. leigh


Digital photo for company website

March 2005

I need to have a digital photo taken of myself for my company's website and possibly my business card. Can anyone recommend a decent, reasonably priced photographer? Thanks. Emily


My friend's husband is a great digital photographer, with professional portrait experience, as well as photographing products for retail companies. His name is Tom De Carlo, and you can see samples of his work and reach him at his website www.poutyhoney.com. FYI - he also has a lot of experience in web design & development, both for corporations and for small busineses, such as a yoga studio and jazz musician. Ebba


Designer for small web site

March 2005

Hi -- I'm a single mom trying to start a small, in home business and I need a web designer in a big way. My budget is small. A h.s. or college student would be fine! I'd like some current info. The website stuff seems a little dated. Help!!!! Please write directly to me, if possible. jari


I've purchased a host site and registered my domain name, but I'm techno-impaired and need someone to create and upload a web site for me. What's the going rate for something fairly simple and straight forward (I believe) - probably not more than 5 pages. Any recommendations? Thanks. Ready to Have a WebPresence


I would like to recommend a friend who designs and maintains websites, Keith Fehlberg. He can be reached at 510-628-0327 angela


Web design and hosting for small business

Nov 2004

Hi, I need a reasonably priced individual or company to design and host a website for my small business. Does anybody have a recommendation? Thank you jackiez


I can recommend Chris Dunaway as a web designer. chris AT hankmagee.com 510-653-8253 http://www.hankmagee.com/ She did not design my site, but maintains it. She has designed a number of sites for my colleagues and they are listed on her site. Her fees are very reasonable. Sherry


I imagine that you can find a wide range of prices for web design. We used ESP for our design after having a not so great product from another (overseas) company. We found the people at ESP to be incredibly helpful and thorough, as well as local. The references I checked were all of small businesses, as well as a few non-profits, so I imagine they were in-line with what was out there. I went with them because of the kind of service they offered - direct personal contact, thoughtfulness, as well as other computer stuff - web hosting, email, networking, etc. They do it all. Give them a call: ESP Interactive Solutions 1225-A Solano Ave. Albany, CA 94706 510.526-2592 phone 510.559.8698 fax, and if you talk to Tim (the owner) tell him I sent you. Shahana


I can highly recommend Doug Asherman. He does very elegant, clean and efficient work at reasonable rates. His number is 510-653-8445 and email: doug [at] italcorner.com. You can see examples of his work at www.italcorner.com/wdb Sandy Der sandy [at] taodekitchen.com


Ebers Garcia has his own company, EBERSGFX, that does web design and hosting. His company also has other design services. Ebers Garcia designed the cover of a book of a good friend and professional colleague at UC Davis and he did a beautiful job. You can learn more about his company's services by visiting their website at www.ebersgfx.com ceniza


I'd recommend Kohlim Jaeger for web design. You can see her work on my site http://www.focusingresources.com Look at the bottom of the home page for her contact info. We use OLM (On-Line Marketing) for web hosting, and they're marvelous--low-cost with excellent free support. Ann


Someone to get my website up and running

Feb 2004

I am looking for someone to help me to design a website for a new feminist organization. I will supply all content and have some design and navigation specifications and hope to find someone to get the initial site up and running, and follow up consultations as the site grows. I would also like the person to train me to continue to update and expand the site myself. I prefer to use a widely used commercial program like Dreamweaver. Ideally this would be a person with some experience creating websites for themselves or an organization who is looking for a small project to do from home. I would be ready to begin in the next few weeks. Thanks!


For my web site, I used Pat Smith at Yellow Belly Web Design. Working with her was a great experience. She really listened to the look I wanted and integrated it into her design. She's done a lot of web sites, including her own, so you'd have a lot of examples of her work to look at~ Pat Smith, 848-7256 (in Berkeley), E-mail is pat AT yellowbellywebdesign.com.


I highly recommend Greg Bertoldo. He designed the website for our (now closed) business, and I believe its still up at www.carterbrown.com. He also did all the photos!! He is a great guy and very talented and we loved working with him. He can be reached at bertoldo AT trailtopia.com. Let me know if you have any trouble reaching him, I can send along his phone number. Also, he is more than happy and willing to teach you how to maintain/update your own site. Can't recommend him highly enough. Rebecca


Professional website needs revamping

Jan 2004

Hi, We are professional photographers who have a site that needs to be updated and revamped. If you know a good web designer or are one and interested in photographic services in exchange for your work, please let us know.


Misha says: try Alan Medeiros, a recent transplant from Brazil, where his business was web design. He's thoughtful, imaginative, attentive to detail, and his English is getting better and better! His contact info: alan AT webgeyser.com


2003 & Earlier


Someone to make a few changes to my website

May 2003

The woman who designed and put up my web site is no longer in the biz. I'm looking for someone who can make just a few changes to what I've got, and is fast, accurate, and inexpensive. Thanks in advance. Helene


I've got a great recommendation for you: Aleksandra Menzel, at www.aleksdesign.com. She's reliable, responsive, and talented - I'm sure she'd be able to help you get your website up to speed. She just designed a website for me, and was a pleasure to work with. tamarah


Try Mona Escudero at Escudero Web Services. She's fast and efficient. 916-689-8446 Susan


For your website, contact Susan Weeks, SJ Weeks Designs in Berkeley at 898-1033 or susan at sjweeksdesigns.com She is (as you have requested) fast, accurate, reasonable - and has a great sense of design. She can do a great website from scratch, also. merry


We used http://www.eloquencemedia.com to do our newest site, http://www.holtzkids.com Fransje is reasonably-priced, perfect for tweaking and very pleasant to work with (unlike some designers we work with who do fancier sites). Holtz Kids


My friend does web design on the side. Her name is Michelle Edgar and she can be reached at michelle at womanborn.com. Some websites that she has done:
www.womanborn.com www.nationalmidwiferyinstitute.com www.californiamidwives.org
Laurel


Peralta Partners (http://www.peraltapartnerts.com/) is a Berkeley-based web shop that works with small businesses and non-profits. They work on a slidings cale, with lower rates for non-profit business and web sites p


Someone to create an author website

October 2001

I'm looking for a local web site designer that is not too expensive, can work quickly, and is detail oriented, to create an author web site. Thanks in advance. Helene Hi. I love the opportunity to promote my friend Gwen Harlow's extraordinary web design skills. She rocks!! She's efficient, friendly, creative and affordable. She's helped me design my identity for my business cards, letter head etc. Check out her website: http://www.gwenharlow.com Tell her Beth sent you to her! beth


You might try Michael Behrens at (510) 524-7542. He is the best! Great,very knowledgeable, easy to talk to and creative. You can check out his personal portfolio at http://users.lmi.net/mbehrens/ or email him at mbehrens AT lmi DOT net. Good Luck! Liza Liza


I can highly recommend Fluid (in SF, South of Market Street). I used to work there and my brother is part-owner of the company. They have a top notch designing staff. If the job is too small for the company to take on, they will refer you to one of their staff members. They are all really wonderful people to work with and I'm sure you'll be pleased with the product. They can be reached at 415-369-3200. You can ask to speak with Tamir Scheinok or e-mail him directly at Tamir AT fluid DOT com shalva


You might want to take a look at the resumes on craigslist. There's lots of freelance web designers there.


More recommendations

May 2005

I would like to recommend a friend who designs and maintains websites, Keith Fehlberg. He can be reached at 510-628-0327 angela