For Quadmama: Blog Makeovers
>> Saturday, May 23, 2009
Quadmama asked: How do I go about finding someone to create a cool blog page for me without charging me an arm and a leg? And what's a fair rate for said design (say layout, header and "borders"?)
Well, for the first question, I'd have to recommend word of mouth. Bloggers love to tell you where they got stuff. If you see a pretty blog, don't hesitate to ask where they got it. Lola's Diner, for example, just got a facelift - and she'll be happy to tell you where. Or you might have been admiring my beautiful blog. Well, I got a facelift from Lady Java (thanks to the word of mouth from flit) who has done three of flit's blogs, both flit's daughter's blogs, Today.com exiles, Dark Novels and a number of other today.com exiles' blogs. She charged me $35 (she advertises $35-50 and that seems typical) and used the same template (but tweaked the colors) in my other blog. I gave her a little extra for her trouble, but she didn't ask for it.
Personally, I'm very satisfied and have nothing but praise for the end results, the responsiveness of Lady Java and the speed of the switch. However, ask around. Don't settle for the first one you see (unless it's JUST the look you're going for), or feel pressured to use someone a friend recommends. And, if you have tech-savvy friends, they might be able to set you up even cheaper because there are a great many free blog templates out there.
I'd say, for what you're looking for, expect to pay ~$35. Having a blog makeover done is quick and relatively speaking a no brainer and, if you get a good developer, they'll fix little issues if you ask them soon after the initial installation. That's the easy way.
Go looking for templates and ask forums and you might find a way to do it for free, but it will be more internet "legwork" and might not glean you exactly what you had in mind. But the price is right.
By the way, here are some tips before a blog makeover. Good advice.
