Website Design Contest - Up to $500 - Paypal - Have a go!

[Bushranger]

Hi all, another contest from me. This time it's for a motel web site, starting with a professional front page design.

Existing site: h o m e s t e a d m o t o r i n n .com .au (no spaces)

PLEASE READ MY REQUIREMENTS THOROUGHLY BEFORE SUBMITTING, FEEL FREE TO PM ANY QUESTIONS

The site must be SEO Friendly, FULLY CODED and include the main details found on existing site. It can include extras not currently implemented on the site. I have supplied larger pics (if needed) below. If they don't suit your needs, just let me know your requirements.

It should be based on html or possibly php with a sql backend? I'll leave that for you to decide. I don't want a lot of Flash used but will accept a little in the right context.

PRIZE STARTING POINTS
$125 Prize - Front page design (AU$200)
$50 Prize - Background page. (AU$80)

If one winner gets both right, they will be given the option to build the whole site, earning up to USD$300 (AU$500) for the job.

ENTRANTS: Do not limit yourself to the prize money, I will pay more for this if required, depending on the design, look and feel. Please submit your design and PM me the proposed cost of your design only if wanting more, or less, than the prize money suggested.

PAYMENT: PayPal.

CLOSING: This will run a minimum 5 days and may go longer if the right design is not forthcoming. Alternatively, if the perfect design has been submitted before then, I will close the contest earlier.

This site is for my client, not me so I will retain the right NOT to choose any design if nothing tickles my client's fancy!

Once this site is paid for, I will own exclusive rights to the site, though the winner may use it for their portfolio.

As with all my contests, all designs should be posted in thread to assure it's all above board. I do not want a template, this should be original.

I will provide my feedback on ALL entries so have a go at this. Worst case scenario, you will have a great site for your portfolio. Best case, you'll get AU$500 for it.

When posting replies & queries in thread, please do not mention the website name or business name, in order to keep this page out of the search engines. That is why it is spaced out above.

Thanks all, and of course, good luck DPers!

*EDIT: I have uploaded some better quality pics to work with here (http://multikeys.com/Homestead.zip) (1.2mb)

[jnjnnino]

this surely is a hit....

do we preserve the logo??

[Bushranger]

@jnjnnino, I wasn't told to keep that though it is just an Australian wattle leaf/flower that I found on Google based on one I saw on his letterhead, so possibly yes, but is not a requirement.

[xxxplatinium]

Looks interesting

[Lipgut]

Count me in!

[ritesh2408]

I will enter soon..

Regards
Ritesh

[Bushranger]

C'mon webmasters, where's the entries? Surely a few of you webmasters have spare motel sites that you've built in the past that might suit this task perfectly, seeing there's over a million potential clients for them?

Gee, with those numbers it's worth having a go isn't it? The way I see it, even if you don't win this contest you'll have it for marketing purposes and every webmaster needs a hotel site in their portfolio. How many motels is there in your town alone?

What's stopping you entering?

[DaveyBoy]

It isn't a bad prize, at least for DP, but there will be a few reasons people haven't submitted as of yet :

1) Crafting a design from scratch isn't always a quick process, there are many stages to go through to get the initial concept, then the trial and error etc. that comes with actually putting the concept on a canvas. Sometimes it's good that there are no entries for a few days! Means people are probably putting thought into your site.

I think you'll probably get some entries soon, as it's a nice prize and worth entering.

2) It's a high prize (for DP) and you have a low itrader - although you are more than likely 100% genuine, a lot of designers are reluctant to enter highly prized contests anymore due to contest holders abandoning them etc.

[Bushranger]

Thanks for your thoughts DaveyBoy, I agree with them 100%. I've run a few contests now but not with this much prize-money. I understand it's a bigger task than a logo etc. and will take longer, but, when this thread gets down to page 3 and there's no entries, it's disheartening.

I can also assure all DPers that it's certainly a genuine contest. Anybody researching my previous posts and iTraders will see I run a genuine web business and wouldn't think of ripping anybody as I want to stay in this business for a long time. Regulars should also know by now that I deal with all my contests dilligently and have never offered a bum deal, and never will.

This is the first 'website' contest I've run but I have at least 20 more sites that need overhauls. At this rate, i'll be here till next year haha.

Please note I will be away from 24th Feb till 1st March and will not be able to respond to this contest during that time

[katesrobyn]

Hi, i think, another main reason is, designers here in DP are more on design skills, since you require a full coded site with added features in your current.... it will be less interesting.

I suggest, you separate the price for the design and coding, your thread will be poured.

:)

[skaggmo]

I'd like to give it a shot... Are you still looking?

[Bushranger]

Hi katesrobin - thanks for your input. I'm not too sure about separating the actual task but maybe entrants can submit an uncoded design to start with until we decide on a design, then code it if chosen as winner?

Having said that, I've noticed many clients can't get the grasp of how their site will look until their details are on the page so a coded design will increase the chances of an entry IMO.

I do have a stack of great templates to go through with clients but more often choose to code a few sites before submitting our designs to clients, to give them a really good example. This quite often proves a quicker sale.

@skaggmo - thanks for your entry and starting this off for me, it looks a little on the plainer side, too much like the original (to me), but it is a valid entry and I will present it to my client as-is and get their thoughts on it. Seeing it's in HTML format, i've done a print screen and placed beside the original below for comparison rather than post the link. Thanks for your efforts.

http://multikeys.com/hsteadcontest.jpg

@All, i'd be happy for entries to be just an image of the final design at this stage. The entrant must be able to code their submission if chosen as the winning design.

Don't forget, the client has a website already and is looking for an "upgrade", as such. I'm guessing it should not be similar to existing design. Ask yourself, would I pay $500 for that upgrade? If so, please submit it for feedback.

[bellichi]

Hi Bushranger, I was able to make a design, though I'm not sure if this contest has ended or not, but I'll post it anyway. Feedback is appreciated! I'll be also able to code it completely for you in css/html! I hope this is something your client is looking for. Sent you a PM with full size.

i548.photobucket.com/albums/ii333/bellichi/homestead1.jpg

[Bushranger]

Hi bellichi, yes this contest is still open and is expected to run another couple of weeks. Thanks for your entry, I like your design, it looks professional and a much better presentation than the client has now. It looks very picturesque (as you want in a motel site) but i'm not too sure how SEO friendly it will be.

Please note: I am leaving for hospital today and expect to be gone for 7 days, in which time I will not be able to comment on further entries till then.

Please keep entries coming, I will be presenting all entries to the client next week when I return in order to get their feedback and will post their comments here then.

DP webmasters should all start work on an entry now in preparation for submitting here before next Monday. Thanks DPers, I hope to see this thread full of entries when I get back.

[DocB]

Hi Everyone,
Bushranger is still in hospital, recovering well, but expected to be a bit longer than the 7 days he indicated. Don't let that stop you entering however. I'm minding the business for him and monitoring things on here as well and am in touch with him everyday so will keep him informed of new entries -- would be great to have a nice pile of potential winners to look through when he gets back.
Good luck to you all.

[RaduTRIFAN]

Will submit an entry soon.

Thanks

[RaduTRIFAN]

Here is the front page design.
Waiting for instructions regarding the background page.

http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/7270/dlhomesteadmotorinncoma.jpg

Feedback appreciated.

[DocB]

@RaduTRIFAN - thanks for the entry. Bushranger is still in recovery mode, but now has laptop and internet access so when I see him tomorrow I'll let him know there's a new entry and one or the other of us will post follow up comments.

Please keep the entries coming.
Thanks
DocB.

[Bushranger]

Hi DPers, I am still in hospital but, as DocB mentioned, I now have my laptop, and a phonecard.

Feedback: I like the last couple of entries and will have our sales manager present them all to the client for feedback within the next few days.

I'm not sure there's a winning submission in what's been presented so far but will have more feedback on them soon.

Still open for new entries and looking for a WOW factor!

[katesrobyn]

is this still open?

[Bushranger]

Yes katesrobyn, based on the number of entries received so far it could be a while before this one is resolved.

All entries have been presented to the client who could not decide on, or choose a suitable site from these presented so far. They didn't mind the last entry but didn't like it enough to change the existing site over.

To add to this update a new manager is about to take over, he has been informed of the website competition and is keen to see more entries. He is happy to upgrade the website based on the original deal (as posted above) so this contest will stay open until a suitable site is found. I will report here once a winning entry has been found/declared.

[lumz]

Can you recommend any designers as I need a website for a musical artist developed asap
The website should allow for music uploads and purchase, feedback form , Photos and should be hip and chique