New Member - Free Web Design

[OneArmedGraphics]

Interesting post. I can fence-sit quite comfortably on this

From my biased 'WordPress-freak' perspective, the only real potential issue I see is that Holly is charging an ongoing Hosting fee.

I'd feel more comfortable if it was called a service fee, as Holly is 'on-selling' Wix's built-in hosting and not able to offer any so-called 'traditional' hosting.

Honestly hope Holly does well with it.

[LemonChip Web Design]

Originally Posted by HollyRose

As for Flash… I’m pretty sure Wix have the money to invest to make sure they aren’t left behind. They can't afford to be left behind. From what I can see, they have big team constantly developing software and specifically developing whatever features their customers vote for

I'm pretty sure that's what everyone who owned shares in Kodak thought too... "They're big, how can they possibly fail!?"

Originally Posted by HollyRose

'Making' your customer understand. I must have missed that class in marketing 101. I thought the idea was understanding what people want and prioviding it? I wouldn't want to be in a business where I have to make people understand the value.

You may want to revisit the notes from your course then... Tell Steve Jobs to go along too cuz that guy clearly doesn't get it.

There's a good reason why a lot of Degrees in Graphic Design are renamed to things like "Communication Design". Because it's not just about making things that look nice, it's about communicating information to customers, and it's no different between you and your clients/customers. You have to educate them in the exact same way that you were educated on which phone to buy or car to buy... Do you have an iPhone? (there's a high chance that you do)...

You were educated by those companies too, you just didn't realise it was happening. As soon as you decided to be in the web design industry, you jumped head-first into something where educating your customers is totally inescapable.

You can read about Steve Jobs and learn that he basically NEVER held focus groups or asked what people wanted, because he knew that (especially on tech topics) people have no idea what they want... They think they know, but their idea of what they think they want, and what they actually need to achieve their goals are often completely different. Steve would make something, and then explain to people why they needed it.
Steve Jobs MADE people understand.

I too definitely hope that it goes well. Please make sure you keep posting on here and let us all know where the journey takes you. It IS interesting!

[HollyRose]

Originally Posted by OneArmedGraphics

I'd feel more comfortable if it was called a service fee, as Holly is 'on-selling' Wix's built-in hosting and not able to offer any so-called 'traditional' hosting.

You make a good point.

I originally had it explained as 'hosting paid to my provider and a management fee to me' but thought that was adding unnecessary complexity.

I will probably change it back tonight.

Steve Jobs ...basically NEVER held focus groups or asked what people wanted, because he knew that (especially on tech topics) people have no idea what they want...
Steve would make something, and then explain to people why they needed it.

I think you are right here. Steve saw a need people didn't know they had and filled it. I don't think he had to explain it or 'make' them understand though. And contrary to popular belief, Steve is not the only successful IT entrepreneur we can learn from.

[clintmaher]

Up until late last year Apple only ever had one customer...Steve Jobs.

[NathanB]

Originally Posted by LemonChip

I definitely understand the point you're trying to make here, but I'm sure that a lot of people would feel a little annoyed at the thought of a bad service existing deliberately, so that people could get peeved off and upgrade down the track... That alone undermines Holly's business model for a start, as we all agree that it requires loyal customers for it to work. The comparison also shows that you also think that holly's service is bad.

I don't think this statement is as fair as it seems. I don't think it is deliberately bad, I just think a person who would have NEVER spent money on a web initiative may use this service as an ice breaker and from there, upgrade to a professional agency/designer service.

I could easily say McDonalds is a deliberately bad service if I was a gourmet chef.

[LemonChip Web Design]

Yeah that's very true in a way isn't it lol.

[NathanB]

Also, While I believe the Apple/Steve Jobs comparisons are fair. I find them irrelevant because Apple is the leader of leaders among leaders, and jobs was the visionary that visionaries visionate about (yes it's a made up word, whatofit!).

Comparing Hollies home business start up that specialises in giving "the techno inept" (her words) a crack at the interwebz to Apple, Jobs or really anyone else for that matter is amusing :P

[kya]

I think it sounds like a really awesome idea. I am mainly speaking as someone who genuinely likes to offer things to people and help them, and as someone that has run a free hosting website for people. But on the same token, I am starting a business and to make that viable it has to be able to support itself and me. I decided that I would have a business that would combine the need of financial stability with my love of offering free things. So I can have certain features for free, and then others that require payment. These might be designs that are more complicated or custom designs as compared to simple templates members could download, as well as small website hosting plans compared to large/reseller plans that can be purchased.

I guess it also depends on the market as well. A domestic market might be easier to introduce to the concept of free designs, while business might be nervous. Not that I am the master of babbling market research here haha.

I do wish you the best of luck with this.

[Uncomplicating]

Originally Posted by NathanB

I could easily say McDonalds is a deliberately bad service if I was a gourmet chef.

You mean it isn't deliberate?

They're that bad by accident?

[NathanB]

Originally Posted by UncomplicatingIT

You mean it isn't deliberate?

They're that bad by accident?

I don't think their stake holders would see it like that either. Whether deliberately bad or accidentally bad they enjoy a better bottom line than any of our businesses.