Another factor is that people who aren't artistically inclined can be intimidated when confronted with complete freedom of design. It could be that the average user felt that Facebook's simpler approach leveled the playing field. No longer are users forced to "compete" for the cooler looking page. With Facebook, everyone is playing by the same rules. It's more about the content than the unique presentation of information. Both Facebook and Myspace have powerful platforms for social interaction though Facebook is very easy to use and has much less clutter than Myspace which in my opinion is why it has become the leader in online social networking.

(oh yeah, and if you have kids, this CD is a great one to play at bedtime so check it out.)

The site utilizes WordPress as a content management system which allows the client to take full control of their website and in-turn the message they want to put in front of their audience. Empowering clients to control their website's content is good website design, and this sort of self sustainability is part of Nashville Interactive's primary mission.

The Richard Marx camp was in need of a new provider for website design and development services and Nashville Interactive is flattered to be able to help out. Richard's website was less than one year old when the need arose to redevelop the established website design on a new platform. Nashville Interactive was called in to rebuild the site. In order to avoid the all-to-common scenario of being locked in to a proprietary system, open-source content management technologies were implemented. Don't get me wrong, proprietary systems have their place but open-source is the preferred solution is this type of situation. The site is controlled and owned by the client and they can do with it whatever they wish. This is just one of the advantages of using open-source content management systems to develop websites.

Designing websites for musicians and bands is always a fun project for me. Seeing the response and interaction on artist and band websites puts a lot of things into perspective because the target audience is so engaged with the artist. I'm happy to provide the tools for the interaction and see my work bringing fans and artists closer.

I've worked a lot of different jobs over the years: caddie, mason's assitant, shoe salesman, waiter and so so many others. One thing you learn from all that "real-world" experience is that you need to treat the customer with respect or they'll go else where. (except for the masonry job. There, you just watch out for falling bricks and try not to die of heat stroke) Website design should be no different. Although you need to have a good, open dialog with your designer, in the end, the client is always right (as long as the check clears).

On the other side of the coin is the fact that most of the time you're hiring a professional for his or her experience and that experience should not be taken for granted. Hopefully your website designer and developer is professionally trained and has at least several years of experience dealing with and acheiving client needs and goals. I've often argued my design choices until I'm blue in the face but to no avail. So the bottom line is, if the logo needs to be bigger, then the logo needs to be bigger

Bing is now the default search engine for Internet Explorer. When the update was first released there was no choice in the matter, however Microsoft has fixed that "bug" so now it is apparently possible to switch the default search engine if you know how. I can see the logic behind promoting your own product versus the competition's but haven't past anti-trust cases taught you anything Microsoft? I have to think that one of the largest corporations in the world could do a little testing on their software updates before they release them. Missing such a major bug (not being able to change the default search engine in IE6) considering the touchy anti-trust subject, is inexcusable to me.

Also, in certain situations it seems that if you type an actual website URL into the address bar of Internet Explorer, you get Bing search results rather than the actual website you were looking for. (I hope this is a bug but I doubt it) Now, I realize that many people who use the internet utilize the search feature when they're trying to get directly to a site anyway. (i.e. typing "facebook.com" into the Google search bar rather than the address bar at the top of the browser). But I expect to get directly to the site I'm looking for when I type its URL in the ADDRESS BAR. I'm not looking for search results and paid ads. Search engine FAIL in my eyes.

Just a few of the major advantages of using individuals or small shops include price, quality of work and service & response time:
• Price of course is probably the biggest advantage. Agency rates are often times well into the $150-$200 per hour range. Typical freelancer hourly rates beat that by a mile and in this economy every dollar counts. Smaller shops and individuals have less overhead and fewer costs yet all the knowledge and capabilities.
• Generally the quality of work will be better with an individual at the helm. Smaller companies depend much more on word of mouth referrals to get new business and thus (generally) put in a good bit more time and effort than your disgruntled agency employee who hates his or her boss and has no real vested interest in your site.
• Service and response time are also a big consideration when selecting a provider. In my experience with larger agencies, The red tape and bureaucratic process are enough to stop any minor change in its tracks. A change order has to be made and placed. Then it goes through the traffic person, then it hits the designer or developer's desk at which point it has to be produced and then run through an approval process before it can be shipped back out the door for client approval. Needless to say, with an individual that process is dramatically cut down. With an individual or small shop, most of the time you have direct access to the person who is really responsible for your website: the person who can get things done quickly.

Don't get me wrong, larger web design firms have their place. If you run a huge corporation or have a very complex site with hundreds of pages and tons of complicated upkeep then perhaps a larger firm is right for you. Even in this case though, if the site is built correctly from the start, minor maintenance and updates should be easily handled by your people internally. Anything else should be easily handled by an individual.

So for your next design or development project, consider a small shop or individual. You'll get all of the know-how and capabilities at a fraction of the cost. And for the love of God don't outsource it to India. Buy American!