do any web designers on here use moonfruit to design sites for customers

[the web man]

Hi,

Question for ther web designers - does anyone use moonfruit to design sites?

I'm looking for a cheaper alternative for potential customers who would like a 'business card' style site - ie one that would hardly ever need editing.

 

[WeAreFunkyFresh]

I really wouldn't recommend using moonfruit if I'm honest. What about WordPress? Or simply designing something one page using HTML if it's never really going to need editing?

 

[Astaroth]

If its 1 page thats almost never to be edited why would you be considering anything other than a simple HTML page?

 

[the web man]

with moonfruit though it makes it easy to set-up a nice looking site with different widgets etc, easy access to the meta tags without having extensive knowledge of html

 

[Astaroth]

But as a designer surely you do have "extensive knowledge of html"

 

[WeAreFunkyFresh]

The last thing you want is a reputation of being the webdesigner who builds website in moonfruit...

 

[the web man]

But as a designer surely you do have "extensive knowledge of html"

never said i was a designer but i am looking for someone who can build lower-end sites for me... but it would need to be under my trading name.

 

[Funny Business Cartoons]

I've just had a look and Moonfruit looks ok. Much the same as http://www.create.net/?source=dyos which is very e commerce geared with a great forum and everything and http://www.vistaprint.co.uk/vp/ns/default.aspx?GP=7%2f28%2f2010+5%3a49%3a16+AM
I have done one on each for myself http://www.funnybusinesscartoons.co.uk/ and http://cartoonsbylake.co.uk/ I can design a site from scratch in Notebook using html but this is not what the OP asked. It looks like it could be a quick and easy solution but have a look at the Create one. They all come with different levels of membership IE: Platinum/ Gold etc and you can have their logo removed from the banner of the sites you build so no ones the wiser. I pay a tenner for each of them a month and they take about 3 days to do well and are editable at any time.

 

[papverpoppies]

I've just had a look and Moonfruit looks ok. Much the same as http://www.create.net/?source=dyos which comes which is very e commerce geared with a great forum and everything and http://www.vistaprint.co.uk/vp/ns/default.aspx?GP=7%2f28%2f2010+5%3a49%3a16+AM
I have done one on each for myself http://www.funnybusinesscartoons.co.uk/ and http://cartoonsbylake.co.uk/ I can design a site from scratch in Notebook using html but this is not what the OP asked. It looks like it could be a quick and easy solution but have a look at the Create one. They all come with different levels of membership IE: Platinum/ Gold etc and you can have their logo removed from the banner of the sites you build so no ones the wiser. I pay a tenner for each of them a month.

Why if you are a web designer, are you using a service that surely restricts the design and layout of your website.

I have looked at your site - it is not what I expected from someone who writes ('let me design your site for you' - on their own website)!

This is where I get all concerned and worried about people who say they can design a site, can you really design it from scratch, or are you just using templates etc (not that there is anything wrong with that).

Could someone please explain exactly what 'I can design a website means', or should mean?

I hope I am not sounding 'rude' OP, as my questions are not aimed to be, but I always click and look at the sites of people who post, stating they are webdesigners, and the variation in ability is amazing, and the price does not always reflect their abilty either - as many a post on this board has proved over the months.

Poppy xx

 

[the web man]

Why if you are a web designer, are you using a service that surely restricts the design and layout of your website.

I have looked at your site - it is not what I expected from someone who writes ('let me design your site for you' - on their own website)!

This is where I get all concerned and worried about people who say they can design a site, can you really design it from scratch, or are you just using templates etc (not that there is anything wrong with that).

Could someone please explain exactly what 'I can design a website means', or should mean?

I hope I am not sounding 'rude' OP, as my questions are not aimed to be, but I always click and look at the sites of people who post, stating they are webdesigners, and the variation in ability is amazing, and the price does not always reflect their abilty either - as many a post on this board has proved over the months.

Poppy xx

umm, this wasnt posted by me (the op) and if you read the thread properly i never said i was a designer

 

[the web man]

Could someone please explain exactly what 'I can design a website means', or should mean?

Poppy xx

i'll try and answer that by saynig I don't truly believe there is anyone out there that can create (rather than design) all aspects of a website with exceptional quality in each one, there is simply not enough time in the day to keep up with the fast pace of the business. So 'design' to me simply means the front end and useability.

 

[Funny Business Cartoons]

I am not essentially a web designer and that is precisely why I don't present myself primarily in this manner and I also don't lie about what I can and cannot deliver. I am a qualified Graphic/ Web designer however. I have a City & Guilds Certificate in web design and I'm going on the next level in September where I will become more aquainted with CSS/ Dreamweaver and the such. I also am in the process of acquiring my own dedicated server Apache so that I can run Wordpress and Joomla.

I designed this site for my certificate with html: http://79.170.44.118/40046631.co.uk/

It's all live and learn as far as I'm concerned. A lot of Freelance jobs (and I've showed the sites before) out there are not necessarily for designing an entire site, but for an understanding about the web such as a graphic for a banner or a logo. It's all a means to an end. Papverpoppies, did you never lie in your C.V.?[FONT=verdana,geneva,lucida,arial][/FONT]

 

[fisicx]

So 'design' to me simply means the front end and useability.

The trouble is the 'design' of the site has less to do with the front end and more to do with the bit's that make it work.

For example, do you know where and how to use jpeg, gif or png? Do you undestand the principles of logical information flow? Are you aware of the W3C and Accessibility guidelines?

And then there is usability, attention getters, copywriting, whitespace, typography, captology and a zillion other things.

Yes you can use moonfruit but it's not recommended.

 

[papverpoppies]

umm, this wasnt posted by me (the op) and if you read the thread properly i never said i was a designer

No, I know it was not posted by you, I have quoted who posted it.

Sorry, if you think my post was aimed at you - if you read/look it again, you will see it was not.

Poppy xx

 

[the web man]

The trouble is the 'design' of the site has less to do with the front end and more to do with the bit's that make it work.

For example, do you know where and how to use jpeg, gif or png? Do you undestand the principles of logical information flow? Are you aware of the W3C and Accessibility guidelines?

And then there is usability, attention getters, copywriting, whitespace, typography, captology and a zillion other things.

Yes you can use moonfruit but it's not recommended.

totally agree, prehaps I should have said, 'the graphic design'

 

[the web man]

I hope I am not sounding 'rude' OP.

really poppy?

 

[Faevilangel]

Sorry but any "web designer" who uses moonfruit, mr site, wix or any "web builder" needs to be hung.

Being a web designer is not about just using a free / paid tool to create the site for you, you should be building them from scratch and know everything about a website as fiscix said. If a client only wants to pay £20 to build a site cos it's "easy" then send them to wix or moonfruit.

I am forever cleaning up after "web designers" who have built a crappy site, and the client has seen no results from it.

BTW using dreamweaver doesn't make you a web designer, anyone can press a few buttons.....


rant over

 

[fisicx]

totally agree, prehaps I should have said, 'the graphic design'

The grapic design of the site is one of the least important parts. In effect it's the bit you bolt on after the design work has been completed.

For example, if you are building as site with a gallery of images then the images, captions, blurb, headers and links etc are the prime focus. The surrounding eye candy is only there to support the content and can be added at ant time. It's certainly not the starting point.

 

[the web man]

Sorry but any "web designer" who uses moonfruit, mr site, wix or any "web builder" needs to be hung.

Being a web designer is not about just using a free / paid tool to create the site for you, you should be building them from scratch and know everything about a website as fiscix said. If a client only wants to pay £20 to build a site cos it's "easy" then send them to wix or moonfruit.

I am forever cleaning up after "web designers" who have built a crappy site, and the client has seen no results from it.

BTW using dreamweaver doesn't make you a web designer, anyone can press a few buttons.....


rant over

hmm, i think that view is a little out of date my friend, templates are more than ample for a lot of businesses. please remember its not all about how a site looks it how the user interacts with it, looks arnt everything. - also looking at your porfolio you should consider using them - awful!!, and the onsite seo on your sites - also awful

rant over/

 

[papverpoppies]

really poppy?

No I was not, have you looked at what I am referring to - and asking the question about.

If MHO is rudeness, in your eyes, then so be it.
But, as I was not even speaking about you, I fail to see where you are coming from.

To me, a website should be a complete, package, it has to look good, as well as do all of the functional stuff, which gets it noticed 'back stage' so to speak.

If a website does not look good, there is no way I would approach that person so design me a site, and I bet I am not alone in that view (is that rudeness), I do not think so!

Poppy xx

 

[Faevilangel]

hmm, i think that view is a little out of date my friend, templates are more than ample for a lot of businesses. please remember its not all about how a site looks it how the user interacts with it, looks arnt everything. - also looking at your porfolio you should consider using them - awful!!, and the onsite seo is also awful

rant over/

1) site hasn't been updated in yonks, Update is coming soon
2) Templates are generic, would you like your site to look like 50,000 other sites on the net? No you want to be unique.
3) Did I say about looks? Nope... Putting a template on and adding the content is not a web designer, anyone can do that. A lot of my clients sites are riding high in the serp's. I don't do designing, I do the coding, someone else does the designs for me

You can make personal remarks all you want, cos I won't bite... YOU are not a web designer if you have to use a web builder to build your sites, you're a point and clicker

 

[the web man]

No I was not, have you looked at what I am referring to - and asking the question about.

If MHO is rudeness, in your eyes, then so be it.

sorry poppy, i see what you mean now.

Basically I'm not a graphic designer neither can I code a website using notepad - I get people that do this full-time to do this for me. What I do is high end stuff, and am looking for someone or an template based editor that can do lower end stuff for me because that is all some people want and need.

I have businesses in my area that only type for miles around, really niche stuff so all they need is a nice looking one, two or three page site, with good onsite seo to get them noticed. Do you know anyone that can do this for me?

 

[the web man]

You can make personal remarks all you want

I didnt make personal remarks? I commented on your websites, not the fact you may or may not be be slightly round, or have big ears, yellow teeth etc,


oh, but your designer need shooting!!!

 

[Faevilangel]

I didnt make personal remarks? I commented on your websites, not the fact you may or may not be be slightly round, or have big ears, yellow teeth etc,


oh, but your designer need shooting!!!

The site hasn't been updated with any recent stuff When I actually get time I will be redoing my site, hard work getting enough time

 

[fisicx]

What I do is high end stuff, and am looking for someone or an template based editor that can do lower end stuff for me because that is all some people want and need.

What do you mean by 'hign end stuff'? Do you mean UX?

 

[the web man]

What do you mean by 'hign end stuff'? Do you mean UX?

No, by that I meant bespoke sites with an expensive but good CMS,

 

[fisicx]

No, by that I meant bespoke sites with an expensive but good CMS,

This is getting more confusing by the minute. Bespoke normally means some sort of coding/programming to create a one off site for a client. But you sort of hint that you can't code so not sure what you do anymore.

However back to your original post, don't use moonfruit. I'm surprised you are even thinking this given that your field of expertise is CMS development.

 

[movietub]

never said i was a designer but i am looking for someone who can build lower-end sites for me... but it would need to be under my trading name.

Sorry, I've read the thread through and I can't get my head round this :|

You want to employ someone to build sites for you (possibly using moonfruit), for you resell to others? Or are these sites you need building for your own use? It's really not clear what you're trying to achieve!

As regards using moonfruit to design websites for anybody else, unless it's a favour, I don't see the point. Moonfruit is designed as a tool for the end user. The person that needs a site, designs their own. Re-selling a moonfruit site is like charging to tie someone shoe laces - they can do it themselves.

 

[movietub]

Sorry, ignore above post ^^^

I had only read the first page, didn't realise there were 3!

But I still don't see how something as simple and limited as a moonfruit site can be re-sold as any sort of bespoke product. And the service of setting a moonfruit site up for someone, is not enough of a service to be chargeable really. Not unless you want to take the odd £50 from someone that really can't be bothered to think about a website, they just want 'any website'.