[thelist] Are Web designers a dying breed?

Rachell Coe rachell at coeville.com
Thu Jul 20 14:00:40 CDT 2000


At 10:44 AM 7/20/00 -0700, you wrote:
>Can you name some of these niches? It would be important, perhaps, to 
>define what the horizon should look like.

I think Roberto was just wanting an example of some niches.

Here are some of the 'niches' (targeting) that I see:
--Small Mom & Pop businesses  (I find these through my Chamber of Commerce, 
and they are wonderful!  They are quick, fun, and I don't have to deal with 
the bureaucracy of the larger businesses.)

--Various business types, such as real estate agents, bed & breakfasts, 
crafts, cultural activities, rodeo products and services, and so forth.  I 
knew one designer who had more work than she could handle from designing 
sites for those businesses involved in the rodeo circuit.

Also, as far as 'Web designers [being] a dying breed'.  I don't believe 
that at all.  You may be able to buy a design template for cheap -- but how 
much service and support will that include?  I doubt very much.  One of the 
main things that I can offer my clients is service -- if they are having a 
problem with there email, they know they can call me and I can help them 
fix it.  I also act as their advocate when they have problems with their 
dial-ups, hosts, and so forth.  This may seem like a lot of work, but since 
I started almost 3 years ago, I still have almost every client I ever 
signed on -- either doing updates, redesigns, and/or promotional work.

Also, how customizable is one those design templates?  What if the client 
gets bored with it and wants a different layout, or wants to add 
javascripting, or wants to add a cgi form -- how easy is it for them to do 
that?

I kind of look at web designers like accountants -- sure you can buy Turbo 
Tax and do your own taxes, but does that mean it is putting accountants out 
of business?  Definitely not!  There are still plenty of people who want to 
have their taxes done by professionals, whose job it is to stay current 
with all of the latest tax laws, and who can offer them knowledgeable 
individual support if the need arises.   Are we so different?
Thank you!

Rachell Coe
<http://www.coeville.com/>www.coeville.com
<mailto:rachell at coeville.com>Rachell at coeville.com
(541) 434-8007






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