Tag Archives: Web Design

Why Copying Another Website’s Code May Be Harmful

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Why Copying Another Website’s Code May Be Harmful

We all have a favorite website and a favorite website design. We are impressed by some websites and also detest many. We try and incorporate what we have seen and felt about other websites, into our own web design, sometimes copying large chunks of the other websites. While this may achieve a short term goal of having a website which is pleasing, it may not be a very good idea in the long term. This article explains why copying the code of another website may be harmful for your website in the long run.

Security Flaws

When you mindlessly copy code from another website, you also copy over the flaws and vulnerabilities associated with it. This means that you may be exposing your website to several threats and exploits, which you may be blissfully unaware of. 90% of website developers use template based code or reused code snippets for page elements like menus, slideshows, banners and even animation. There is never any improvements or modification made to the code and they just adapt it to suit the needs of the client. Little do they realise that if and when a security flaw is discovered in that code snippet, their client will also be affected. Once a website is made, very little care is given to updating the code or replacing old technology with new, thereby offering little hope for security. Once of our client’s website was defaced more than 3 times in one month, because the developers kept restoring the old site which contained an inherent vulnerability in its menu system. Despite repeated warnings and inconvenience, they were completely unaware about how to solve the issue and correct the menu.

Efficiency

Large companies very often have carefully planned websites, proportionate to the web hosting resources that they possess. This means that their systems are capable of handling heavy animation, large data processing and truckloads of visitor traffic. Simply copy pasting their code onto your website can drastically reduce the efficiency of your website, causing it to repel visitors rather than attract them. A lesson can be learnt by an upcoming online retail shop, which tried to introduce features similar to Amazon, on their own website. Little did they realize that Amazon had monster servers with tons of RAM and Processing Power, which their Shared Hosting was no match for. Their site started ranking lower and served up pages slower, due to the great disparity in what they wanted the website to do and the resources given to the website.

Copyright Infringement

Copying source code of a website is a Copyright violation. Large companies sue their competitors for copying their source code, thereby claiming damages worth millions of dollars. Although in developing countries like India, China and Brazil copying of source code is rampant, enforcement is weak. Even then, in all these countries, copyright infringement is a criminal offence and the punishment can be very severe. In India, the police can search and seize computers and devices used to copy the website code, without a warrant from a magistrate. This has greatly helped reduce copyright violations as far as software source code and websites is concerned.

SEO

Although there is no concrete indication to show that if your website has copied source code then search engines will penalize you, there is a large probability that your website will not do as well as the site from which you have copied. If you copy text from a website and use it on your own site, search engines are sure to give you a lower ranking. However, as mentioned earlier, many large websites which are our role models, have given great thought before designing their website in a particular way. Their website has been specifically designed for their website, their business, their brand, their target perception and their environment. It is exactly like a tailored outfit, which has been crafted as per the specific measurements of the customer. It just wont fit as well on anyone else.

Should You Employ A Web Designer Or Outsource The Design Work?

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Should You Employ A Web Designer Or Outsource The Design Work?

One of the most daunting tasks on the list of a business owner or an entrepreneur is about employing a web designer. Everyone wants to know whether it is better to employ a designer on a full-time basis or to outsource the work to a free-lancer or a design studio. There are pros and cons for each of the options and we always want the most cost effective and long-term option for ourselves. This article explains what are the different aspects which you must consider before employing a designer or outsourcing your design work.

Fresh Ideas

When employing a designer to do your work “in-house” you will need to constantly pump him / her with fresh ideas and new perspectives to doing the work. This may not always work out the way you expect it, as an experienced designer may be too rigid to change his / her ways and a novice designer maybe totally overwhelmed with the ideas. After a certain point of time, an employee will get saturated and will stop being able to produce new ides without external influence. He will be unable to see things from an outsider’s perspective. This can usually be overcome by getting in multiple people with different levels of expertise, so that they can bounce ideas off each other and also share their knowledge and perspective. If this turns out to be very expensive without yielding the necessary result, you may be better off outsourcing the work to an external ad agency or design firm.

Cost of Resources

You may also want to consider the cost of resources that you are going to bare when employing a designer. This would include all overheads like electricity, telephone, internet access, hardware and software, salary, benefits and even office space. If you cannot afford the overheads or feel that it is better not to bear that headache, then hiring an external agency would be the best option. Do remember that fixed expenses can eat into your business, especially if the designer is not doing productive work or his work is not generating enough sales to sustain his requirement.

Security and Confidentiality

The downside of hiring an external agency to do your work is that you have very little control of the information that you share with them. As their employees leave or change profiles, your information is also going to be passed on and will change hands many times. If you have some confidential information or are concerned about security, it is best to employ a designer and make him do work in house.

Training

Keeping the minds and spirits of your design team sharp is an important aspect of employing them. Sending them for regular refresher courses or trade fairs or event workshops in their subject or a related subject will motivate them and will also keep their knowledge fresh. In house designers usually stagnate after a point of time and are unable to cope up with industry standards, since there may be little or no pressure from within the organization. Since there is not much expectation of anything new or innovative, the designer will also not strive to learn new things or stay abreast of the latest technological advancements.

Scaling Up

When you want to increase the scale of your online operations, it may not be very easy doing it with an in-house team. Recruiting and training up your new recruits may be an uphill task, which you may not have enough time for when you business is booming. A design agency or development team is usually ready for such overnight scale-ups, especially when they have a large team and are well-reputed. This will relieve you of the headache of hiring, training and even building up trust with a new team.

When Should You Pay Your Web Designer?

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When Should You Pay Your Web Designer?

Majority of disputes which people have with their web designer or their design team is over payments and payment schedules. Everyone wants the most out of their money and many people like to haggle over payments all the time. This article explains the growing need for setting out clear terms for payment with your web designer or a design professional that you may hire for your website.

Written Agreement

It’s best to draft a written agreement and get an online confirmation or a written contract signed with your design team, before they commence work. Not all designers are professional and systematic, hence the client may need to fill in that gap to streamline things. Infact many brilliant web designers are scatter brained and in their own world of art and creativity. This may make them appear very stubborn and rigid. However, when it comes to payments, they expect you to keep your promises the same way that they would keep theirs. Getting a creative genius to reduce his work into a paper document may not be easy, but you will realize that it is most essential for the long-term growth and safety of your website or online business. The agreement should cover all important aspects of the contract including payments, timeline for delivery, liabilities, copyright information and even non-disclosure. Don’t feel shy in clarifying about payments and talking about money as most people do. Not only is it more professional but it is a motivational factor which shows your level of commitment to the project.

Milestones

To set up a comfortable system of making the payments, it is best to breakup the entire work into easily distinguishable modules and make payments for each module as and when they are completed. This is keep the motivation up for the design team as well as ensure that you are not duped or left hanging high and dry, without your money or your design. Setting up payment milestones based on the completion of each module ensures that at any time if either party does not fulfill their side of the promise, the other one’s inconvenience will be limited. This ensures that your design team works in a disciplined manner and sticks to the delivery schedule.

Timely Payments

It is best to make payments on or before the date due for the payment. This gives a sense of security for the designer and also adds to some motivation to do your work faster and better. It also indicates your interest in the project and how seriously you are taking it - as they say “Putting your money where your mouth is”. Delayed payments or post dated payments create anxiety in the minds of the designers. It creates unease and demotivates the person. Late payments also hampers the design team’s resources which they have dedicated for your project. Not paying on time may force them to allocate their persons or hardware and software for some other client’s work.

More for more

You have hired a designer, because you trusted him with your design and you felt that his services were within your budget. Only when both of these are fulfilled do you actually go ahead and start the work. When you make changes to his design or come up with more work, you should be ready to shell out those extra bucks too. You should understand that not only do the changes take up effort and resources, but the changes may require a rethink and re planning of related elements of the design too.

if your design agency has done a wonderful job and gone beyond their scope of work, you may want to recognize their work and show your gratefulness with a token of appreciation. It may not be a monetary token - it may be something as simple as a pen or a mug or some branded merchandise. We do remember how a Fortune Cookie manufacturer had sent us a huge box of Fortune Cookies for advising him on fixing a virus issue in his office. Everyone likes to be appreciated, especially when it is unexpected.

Help Your Website Designer To Give You The Best Service

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Help Your Website Designer To Give You The Best

All of us who want to have a website will need to hire a web designer at some point in time. Maybe just for small bits of work or modifying a template or maybe a giant overhaul of the entire website. There are many articles across the internet which guide you on “how to select a good web designer” or “how to select a website development team”, but there isn’t much advice on how to conduct the relationship after you have made the right choice and hired the right team. This article explains how you can aid your website designer to give you the best output and ensure a long term relationship.

Avoid Interference

The most important aspect about choosing a web designer is promising not to interfere in his / her / their work. Web designers are professionals too. If you have followed the free advise available online on choosing the right designer, you might as well give them that space and let them work in peace. Sitting on their backs and pointing out each and every mistake and typo can really get on their nerves. Since you may already have a prejudiced view of how you want your website, it may be difficult for you to stand back and see the design from the point of view of your customers. The whole purpose of hiring a web designer is not merely to execute a design that you had in mind or one that you ripped off a competitors website, the point is to allow a dispassionate view of your business and how it should look online, from the angle of a third party. If you interfere, the whole purpose of hiring a professional is defeated.

Make a written agreement

Its best to make things absolutely clear so that there is no wiggle room for discrepancies and misunderstandings. If not make a formal written agreement whetted by a lawyer, atleast ensure that you get all the points in an email, confirmed by both parties. The worse thing that can affect your relationship is if you’ll are not on the same page about what needs to be done and what will be delivered. It gives clarity to the goal in mind and also enables the designer to work in that framework. Don’t let laziness or carelessness get the better of you. You may regret not having laid down the terms in black and white, incase things go wrong.

Allow some more time

When a web designer promises to deliver a project in 6 months, he means 6 months without any changes or interference from your side. If you make changes and expect them to be incorporated in between, the 6 months will definitely stretch. Since designing is an art and skill, it may not be accurate for either party to predict the exact timeline for completion. it is best to mentally accept that it may take double the amount of time as compared to what was promised. If the designer says 6 months, then expect it to be done in 10 - 12 months as a safe figure. Its best to give that buffer time for unforeseen changes or unexpected modifications.

Give a frank and honest opinion

Being frank and honest with your web designer will keep both of you happy. If you don’t like a change or idea or mock up or layout, tell them. Don’t hesitate to express your opinion and get feedback about it. The designer may explain why that change needs to be there or the concept behind a certain design. After a healthy discussion you’ll can arrive at a mutually acceptable conclusion. Being honest with your designer is also very important. A designer we know, was once being harassed by his client, when the client would quietly delete files uploaded by the designer. The client claimed ignorance until his bluff was called out.

Maintain courtesy and professionalism

Designers are also professionals. They require as much respect as you would give your lawyer or doctor. Using threats or verbal abuses to extract more work or to speed up work can be very damaging to your relationship. Remember that your entire online presence depends on your designer’s integrity and dedication. Be professional and to the point. Ensure that all terms and condition are clear before the work starts, so that neither of you is upset when it comes to payments.

Pay on time

This is one of the most common complaints we have heard from web designers. Either their payments are delayed or their payments are cut down - sometimes even halved, for no justified reason. Many clients have a habit of retaining the last payment and using it to coerce the designer into doing some more work for free. Some clients even threaten to sue the designers and bind them into mindless litigation. Paying your design team on time will ensure that your relationship is a healthy one, without any ill feelings. Paying on time shows your professionalism and commitment to the project. It acts as a motivation for the designers.