Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Workie

So I've decided to try to expand my work and get some new clients in for 9th Day Media.

This requires me however to create a website for myself. A task that for a web developer seems like it would be extremely easy. I have yet to have a website to promote myself or my services. I've made many many other websites for clients to promote their business, I've just never really had the time (read: make the time) to make my own website. I think it's finally about time to just bite the bullet and get one started.

I always tell clients upfront that a website is something that should never remain static and will always change. This is to prevent too much up front changes before the site goes live. I've noticed there's about a month grace period from the initial launch of the website, before it ends up looking like the website the client's looking for. Without launching the website first before final tweaks and addons are completed, clients usually end up dragging the project on and on until the intial design becomes no longer relevant.

This mentality comes from leftover feelings of the print medium. A website that never changes or never has features added on is rarely used aside from a contact point for people interested in the services. For some clients, this is all they're looking for. For others, the website means more to their business and is crucial in bringing in new leads and sales. Without customers checking back in on your website, these leads start to dry up and repeat business slows down in favour of competitors that seem fresher and newer.

I need to get over this particular issue myself with my own website and just get it done and up on the net. Then I can start showcasing my services and even have a little fun with the design and features of the website.

As a side note, I've decided to start two project websites of my own:

  • A dating site
  • A fitness video site
It seems that these two things have theoretically been done to death on the internet, but I've never seen an easy to use dating site that doesn't include a tonne of crap and I haven't seen a proper fitness website out there that doesn't make me cringe from it's lack of design and functionality.

At the very least, they'll be two projects I can use as a portfolio pieces to get more work and maybe get creative with design and code since they'll both be completely done and decided on by me.

Wish me luck in all my endeavours ;)

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

First blog post

Figured a blog service might offer me some additional features that my own blog wouldn't so here I am now on Blogger. Seeing as it's owned by google and I use every single other service google offers, I might as well use their blog service too!

Currently I'm house sitting at my buddy's place, Amir. He's in Pakistan right now delivering aid to the displaced refugees from Afghanistan. He is literally quite the humanitarian. Working for a charity called GlobalMedic he's traveled the world's disaster zones documenting the relief efforts of the charity.

He has a cat, a rabbit, and two turtles so when he leaves he needs someone to take care of them. That's where I step in. I feed them all, give them all a little attention, and essentially live at his place. Fortunately it's a very chilled out place to be and I spend my time chilling on the couch like so.

Starting to get droopy eyed now. I think I'll hit the hay in a couple. After I eat some food of course. What to eat though? Munch on some cereal? Eat a banana? Or how bout those chicken drum sticks I was thinking of using for lunch... hmmm... decisions decisions decisions

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