Crowdsource Web Design and Get More for Less

Feb. 22, 2012 - PRLog -- In the not-so-distant past, to get a website designed, a business or individual had to find a web designer, work out a price, wait for the designer to create a site, and pay for it. Some designers offered two or three ideas, but most offered only one fully imagined idea. The price was often in the high hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars. And most people could only afford to work with one designer, so their results were limited to what that designer envisioned for the site.

Times have changed, and crowdsourcing is the new way to have a graphic design or website project created. Crowdsourcing involves putting the idea on one of the several sites that run design “contests,” and choosing the favorite design from all of those submitted.

Good crowdsourcing sites, which run a large number of contests and have a lot of designers, included 99Designs.com, Crowdspring, DesignCrowd and Hatchwise.

99Designs.com runs design contests for a number of project types, including web design and WordPress themes. Contests produce an average of 107 designs per project. 99Designs.com projects are priced in packages. Contest owners choose a package from one page concept only starting at $595 to 5 different page layouts starting at $1195.

CrowdSpring also features a large number of designers, currently over 100,000, and an average CrowdSpring project receives over 110 entries. CrowdSpring’s money back guarantee is popular with project owners, and small websites start at $729 for design only.

CrowdDesign has fewer designers, around 67,000, but projects start at $340 with an expected 15+ designs, so this may be a better choice for some website owners.

Hatchwise is similar to CrowdDesign in size and pricing, with the minimum prize for website design set at $200.

When working with a crowdsourcing site such as 99Designs.com or CrowdSpring, there are several things to keep in mind.

First, carefully consider which crowdsourcing site to use. Look at several sites and understand the differences in the packages, the number and quality of designers and the pricing between sites like 99Designs.com and Hatchwise.com.

After choosing a site, understand that most projects are public. Competitors may see a site design during the contest. Some sites allow private contests, but they cost more, and may not be worthwhile.

Be very clear, in the design brief, about the requirements and desires for the site. The crowdsourcing site provides a form for this purpose. Be clear about colors, about likes and dislikes, and about anything that should or should not be on the site. Remember that designers cannot read minds. In order to get the desired results, provide as much information as possible.

Research the website budget. Understand what other website owners are paying and what similar websites are going for. Be clear on what the design will cost and what is included in the design package. For instance, most web design contests are for design only without coding.

Be aware that many crowdsourcing sites add a fee on top of the contest prize. Budget for this, as well, and figure this design in the amount due after the contest.

One additional idea for website owners preparing to crowdsource is to stop, before making the final arrangements, and make sure everything is ready. Check the description, check the budget. Be sure that everything is ready to go. This will make the contest run more easily.

Whether using 99Designs.com, Hatchwise.com, CrowdDesign or Crowdspring, business owners and individuals looking for the perfect design will have numerous ideas and designs to choose from, at a lower cost than working with a single designer. This new outsourcing trend is definitely one to try.

Written by http://www.netshiftmedia.com

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