HamiltonBerchman Design Group Inc., Teams with Humane Society of Ventura County for Website Redesign

July 21st, 2007

The Humane Society of Ventura County (HSVC) is teaming up with HamiltonBerchman Design Group in an effort to redesign and update the non-profit organization’s website. The goal of the redesign is to provide easier access to information on the services and pets available at HSVC as well as incorporate online donation capabilities.

The Humane Society of Ventura County’s primary mission is to provide a safe, temporary home for unwanted animals while they await adoption. They also provide many other services to help insure animals throughout the county receive the love and respect they deserve. For more information on

About HamiltonBerchman
HamiltonBerchman Design Group helps organizations increase their relevance by designing and developing custom web-based communications and is dedicated to developing a personal and responsive relationship with every client. HamiltonBerchman was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Ojai, CA with their team of professionals positioned in Portland, Austin, Orlando and Poland. www.hamiltonberchman.com

Design Details - July 2007

July 2nd, 2007

Volume 01 // Number 07

July 2007

In this issue

• Website Horrors
• Transitions, part two
• Find of the Month

Hi,

This email newsletter comes to you in our never-ending pursuit of helping our friends and clients succeed because your success is our success.

Website Horrors

An article I recently read in “SmallBiz” from Business Week titled “Web Design Horrors” prompts this section of DesignDetails. I realized after reading it that many people have little or no understanding of what to ask or what to be aware of when working with someone developing your web site.

The scenario typically plays out like this. You and/or your company are in need of a new web site, or you are in need of updating, or refreshing, your web site because—lets face it—too many neglected web sites become a detriment over time. Many people do not understand how a web site is actually produced and engineered but they forge ahead without knowing what they are getting into.

You may be asked many questions up front about what you want or need for your web site. The web development company then disappears behind a curtain like the “Wizard of Oz.” You may hear from them once-in-a-while but eventually things don’t turn out as you envisioned. Either the web site cannot be updated, you have no idea where the web site is actually physically hosted, or you don’t actually own your domain name. Sometimes web development companies register your web site address (www.yourname.com) under their business name—they then own your domain name outright. This is not only bad for unsuspecting business owners but gives a bad name to web developers in general. There has been more than one case of unscrupulous web development hucksters getting people to sign up only to end up with a web site that they:

• cannot update the content themselves
• do not own the web site address (www.yourname.com)
• do not know where the web site is actually hosted
  (meaning how it is “on” the Internet)

I am going to share with you a small list of items that, when used, will ensure you will get what you want.

1. Register your own domain name. This used to be difficult but there are a host of easy-to-use registrars. If you can’t register your name make sure the contract you sign with the web developer stipulates they will register the name and transfer ownership to you.
2. Stay Local. That is to say stay at least stay within the United States. There are plenty of reputable, well-established web development companies within reach. Offshore web development can be a risky proposition.
3. Check references and portfolios. Look at as many web sites the web developer has created. Contact some of the companies and get their impression of the developer.
4. Be clear about what you expect. Schedule payments based on meeting agreed upon milestones.
5. Ask the web site developer to build your site on their own web server, hidden from the public—before they make it “live” on the Internet.
6. Get a clause in your contract with the developer that states you have all rights to all content on your web site—this includes the computer code used to make the website. Make sure you have the right to reproduce, modify, delete, and display it perpetually and irrevocably.

These six items should allow you to walk away with your web site completely intact should the process not go as anticipated. Should you have any questions, get in touch with us.

Transitions, part two

We have completed moving to a new office in Ojai, CA. We are located just 2 blocks from the middle of downtown. When HamiltonBerchman incorporated exactly 2 years ago our goal was to have office space planting us firmly in downtown and that has now been realized. Our new web site is still in the works and should soon follow complete with an updated portfolio.

Finally, Find of the Month

Every issue we share an Internet destination we have come across that has some application to doing business, getting things done, or just plain cool. This month it’s Stikkit. Stikkit is a PIM (Personal Information Manager). It allows you—after signing up for a free account—to create notes that then are processed based on what types of information you have stored on them. If you type names and phone numbers, the stikkit understands that as contact info and converts it appropriately. Go to their home page and watch one of the many screen casts that show you what it can do.

That’s it for this month of DesignDetails. Have a happy 4th of July. We’ll talk to you again in August.

Bert Mahoney
Publisher, DesignDetails
Principal and Creative Director, HamiltonBerchman Design Group, Inc.
details@hamiltonberchman.com