wickedfire is slowly turning into DP
- Thread starter semanticflow
- Start date
I've used DP and such for several years now, but lately I am getting worried about how functional people can operate at some prices. Many times I offer DP providers 10-20% bonuses just because it seems almost unreal for me that someone can really provide design/content/link services effectively at said rates...
I'm not in design, but I've seen similarities between the two when it comes to service providers. There are tiers of services in both forums, and most of the visible activity is at lower end of the spectrum. The upper end of the service spectrum isn't usually doing business in the BST sections of either site (DP or WF). Networking, recommendations and other indirect forms of marketing exist on both sites and if you're trying to work at more professional rates, you would need to take advantage of that level of the market.
Low price service providers are only a problem if they are your competition. If you're basing your marketing and sales on a low price point you're either limited in your knowledge of effective marketing or limited in your abilities as you're charging the rates that reflect your level of service and competition. (The economics argument)
Of course, this is a bit late for the sake of the OP, but maybe some others trying to figure out why they "have" to charge $X or why they keep buying crap for $X can use the information....
To the poster paying cheap providers extra - are you sure your money wouldn't be better spent with a service provider more in line with your price point and expectations? You'll have to do a bit of digging through relevant threads outside of BST or ask others in your niche for recommendations, but you can probably find someone who has a better grasp of their own abilities and how to run an effective service-oriented business. Anyone selling for pennies is probably worth pennies in either a design or business related sense - otherwise they would know how to properly price and market their services.
Low price service providers are only a problem if they are your competition. If you're basing your marketing and sales on a low price point you're either limited in your knowledge of effective marketing or limited in your abilities as you're charging the rates that reflect your level of service and competition. (The economics argument)
Of course, this is a bit late for the sake of the OP, but maybe some others trying to figure out why they "have" to charge $X or why they keep buying crap for $X can use the information....
To the poster paying cheap providers extra - are you sure your money wouldn't be better spent with a service provider more in line with your price point and expectations? You'll have to do a bit of digging through relevant threads outside of BST or ask others in your niche for recommendations, but you can probably find someone who has a better grasp of their own abilities and how to run an effective service-oriented business. Anyone selling for pennies is probably worth pennies in either a design or business related sense - otherwise they would know how to properly price and market their services.
Psst.. OP... I'll sell you this, 5K. PM me for details.
Is that a motherfucking time machine?
I think Semantic Flow just killed her business by being shady and calling out other shady designers. I guess at least the others charge less for there duplications.
OP.
Short Version: STFU.
Long Version: I am 'one of those' pricey quality designers you speak of. Yet your post, site, argument, sig, and general way you carry on is bass ackwards. You really think recycling clients work then crying wolf at wicked fire was a good move?
YOU ARE the fuckers that take my 10K jobs and do them for 2K (err $200), and 90% of the time provide shitty shady deliverables (that 10% of the time is sweet, but few and far between).
YOU ARE the fuckers that actually CALL ME from abroad to ask if I can outsource to you in bulk, for uber guber cheap, and help kill my own industry/economy... thanks I appreciate you undercutting the world, making me drop my prices and doubling my workload, then coming to me asking for work. Then here of all places calling WF -- DP -- and you have a $20 deal in your sig. Wow you must be that hot designer that's really in demand, and doesn't need to make threads like this to seek out prospects/gigs.
Worst of all you're not a designer imo, you're a photoshop user/factory worker with some tech skills and copy/paste skills.
YOU should raise your prices, and self respect as a (wannabe) designer.
These fuckers have helped this whole industry get diluted and washed up as far as real creative goes. In the end I'm bitter but thankful as it made me run and find a better business model... but for those still trying to live off design alone, you're indeed the culprit lowering the standard, not the DP monkey see monkey doers, lead by example.
You got some nerve making this thread to try to drum up some penny biz. :disgust: It's funny that the prospects I say NO to, and the projects I turn away, are the projects you fuckers jump on like flies on shit - which is exactly why I filter bad clients and simply say NO please look elsewhere, instead of referring them to an alternate like your outfit. Wonder how much copyright infringement you have along with all that rep/i-trade.
/rant.
Short Version: STFU.
Long Version: I am 'one of those' pricey quality designers you speak of. Yet your post, site, argument, sig, and general way you carry on is bass ackwards. You really think recycling clients work then crying wolf at wicked fire was a good move?
YOU ARE the fuckers that take my 10K jobs and do them for 2K (err $200), and 90% of the time provide shitty shady deliverables (that 10% of the time is sweet, but few and far between).
YOU ARE the fuckers that actually CALL ME from abroad to ask if I can outsource to you in bulk, for uber guber cheap, and help kill my own industry/economy... thanks I appreciate you undercutting the world, making me drop my prices and doubling my workload, then coming to me asking for work. Then here of all places calling WF -- DP -- and you have a $20 deal in your sig. Wow you must be that hot designer that's really in demand, and doesn't need to make threads like this to seek out prospects/gigs.
Worst of all you're not a designer imo, you're a photoshop user/factory worker with some tech skills and copy/paste skills.
YOU should raise your prices, and self respect as a (wannabe) designer.
These fuckers have helped this whole industry get diluted and washed up as far as real creative goes. In the end I'm bitter but thankful as it made me run and find a better business model... but for those still trying to live off design alone, you're indeed the culprit lowering the standard, not the DP monkey see monkey doers, lead by example.
You got some nerve making this thread to try to drum up some penny biz. :disgust: It's funny that the prospects I say NO to, and the projects I turn away, are the projects you fuckers jump on like flies on shit - which is exactly why I filter bad clients and simply say NO please look elsewhere, instead of referring them to an alternate like your outfit. Wonder how much copyright infringement you have along with all that rep/i-trade.
/rant.
Okay I stayed out of this thread till now because well I don't give a shit about outsourcing. I am not in this business and I play in the premium segment of Software and Domaining.
I would not argue anything about price undercutting (since I hire both really high quality but expensive designers as well as cookie cutter designers - depends on my project) but I would have to indeed say about the $20 design pack.
This concept was first introduced on WF by LPDesigner and I can attest that he is one of the best designers I have worked with. He designed our UBot Studio homepage and is now working on my Corporate site. I will have shitloads of work for him in future too!
But if you are thinking that he is a cookie cutter designer with no skills just because he charges 20 bucks for it, you seriously have failed your maths exam. $20 * 500 = $10,000 is not something to look down upon. OP Simply ripped off his idea... not sure if she ripped his designs too.
So blast her for being a cookie cutter designer but not for the concept of LP Packs. You know it is just like template monster...
Over and Out.
PS: For reference, I have never worked with the OP so she doesn't owe me a refund. You guys can get back to fingering her till she gives it.