Don't outsource your image

I had an interesting conversation with a friend who is also a customer. He has been brokering web sites for some of his clients (he's an IT guy who also does value-adds such as telephones, web sites and data connectivity). At any rate, he usually outsources his customers' websites to designers in India. When it came time to do his own site, however, he contacted me.

I gave him an estimate and a time frame, but knowing his connections to inexpensive overseas designers, I didn't think I'd get the job. Much to my surprise he sent a deposit and asked me to go ahead with the work.

Once the job was done and we launched the website I asked him why he had picked me instead of one of the cheaper overseas firms. "It wasn't worth the hassle to save a couple of hundred dollars. I was spending hours on the phone and e-mails every day just trying to get a concept across to someone who isn't culturally aware of the business issues I have here in the States. Plus, these guys promised custom design and I caught them trying to use the same templates I resell."

Ta-da.