Have you ever thought about working from home? If you have, you know that the majority of the so called “work at home” jobs are scams. After being laid off from my telecommuting job I found myself looking for another at home job to replace it. After you’ve worked from home for a while, it’s hard to go back to the corporate 9-5. In my experience, most of the work at home jobs out there appeared to be scams. You shouldn’t have to pay and employer to work from home.

I thought I’d be smart and sign up with a website that specialized in work at home jobs. I Googled a website that promised to give you leads from employers who were looking specifically for people to work from home. The home page listed a lot of national companies (Bank of America, American Express, etc.). It appeared that these companies routinely posted jobs on the web site. All I had to do was buy a yearly membership and I’d have access to those awesome jobs. Those national companies may have been known to hire people to work from home but I quickly found out that they did NOT post any jobs on this website. The membership was a total waste of my money. To sum it up, it was a scam. Were there jobs posted on the web site? Yes, but the jobs were for telemarketers and sales. Nothing for a computer professional. It bugged me that the same stale jobs would be listed each day as if they were fresh!

If you are looking for a legitimate work from home job, consider Web Site Design. The beauty of this business is that it requires low start up costs. The only office equipment you would need would be a good computer, an Internet connection and website design software. The web design software I recommend are Macromedia Dreamweaver (html editor) and Macromedia Fireworks (graphics editor). Microsoft Front Page and Adobe Photoshop are also excellent choices. If you lack web site design skills, don’t fret. The Internet is jam packed with free tutorials and advice on everything you would need to know about web site design and development. You would only be limited by your desire to learn. You can also purchase professional website templates to give you a jump start on designing web sites for your customers.

That being said, web site design is a very exciting field to be in. The technology rapidly changes so there is always something new and exciting to learn, it’s a great outlet to release your creativity, you can make a lot of money quickly, and the best reason of all is that you can work from any location including at home in your PJs.

Given all of these reasons, many people wonder how to get started designing web sites for profit. As I said before, it takes very little money to start a successful online business. Once you learn how to design professional web sites (or use web templates), your only obstacle will be to market your business and win jobs. Sounds easy, but it’s not. There are many web site development firms out there who never win bids on projects. You could search the Internet for advice on winning web site design jobs. You can search for advice from business owners who are out there running successful web site design companies. This is a good approach but it does take time. I highly recommend visiting forums. Some of my favorite are Digital pint (http://forums.digitalpoint.com/) and Sitepoint (http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/).

How using proper graphic formats is the secret to good website design

There are many different file formats that website design companies can use for site design. However, every specific graphic format has its own function and use and it is a part of good website design to use them judiciously.

Properties that these formats have:

In terms of common properties of these website design graphic formats, there are five main types. These are namely:

-       Compression: This refers to the ability to store an image in a smaller file size. This employs using special algorithms to measure pixels as single items.

-       Transparency: This varies the opaqueness of an image from being totally solid to being totally see-through or transparent.

-       Progressive loading: In this case of website design, a part of the image is loaded first. However, it is not decided on the concept of alternating rows. This allows the picture to get loaded quicker.

-       Interlacing: This is much like progressive loading, except that the odd numbered rows of the image appear first, followed by even numbered rows. Users can see images quickly using this format of website design.

-       Animation: In this case of website design graphical formats, various still images are moved in quick succession to make it seem like they are moving. Most animated GIF images work on all browsers as they do not need plug-ins for them.

File formats available:

There are three main graphic file formats in website design. These are GIF, JPEG and PNG. One of the oldest formats is GIF and it helps loading images quickly. They have only 8 bits of color and have interlacing and transparency incorporated in them. These are the most common forms of graphics in website design and images look good in such formats. JPEGs are compressed files and have a 24 bit color capacity. In situations where you need high quality images in website design, a JPEG format works well. Compression elements of JPEG files can be easily controlled by a website design company. The download speeds for such format files is faster and in cases of complicated drawings, the overall quality is excellent. In PNG graphic formats, there is support for 24 bit color images. Both interlacing and transparency is incorporated in such images. Such images also can have a description alongside, for use in search engines. Compared to JPEG images, PNG images look much better and hence are preferred where high quality images are needed. Plus, it overcomes the restrictions of an 8 bit color image in website design.

Contrary to what people usually think, website templates and especially free templates, are designed by professional designers, and each free template is different from the other. It is true that some free templates might be the same as far as the design is concerned but they are usually different in color or font styles. On the other hand, there are website templates as different from one another as the sun and the moon. Their design is unique and even though they are free templates, you might never see templates similar to yours on other websites.

Moreover, free templates are perfect when building a low budget website. Even if you do not have a large amount of money to spend on your website, it does not mean that it cannot look spectacular. Many free website templates are unique in the feel of your website and in design.

Using free templates has both benefits and drawbacks. The fact that you usually have to use a “designed by” link on the site might be considered a drawback. This gives away the fact that you are using free website templates. There are free templates available that do not require such a link, but it is harder to find them. If you are bothered by the link you must use, then the alternative is paying for website templates or hiring a website designer.

On the other hand, if you use free templates, you save money and have a professionally looking website. Free templates save you from spending money and the website you build using these website templates is as good looking as any professional site. Moreover, building a website using these free templates is very easy. All one has to do is download the templates and add the desired text. Within a short period of time you can have a professional website.

Another drawback might be the fact that your web site might not have that unique feel to it. Other web sites might have a similar look as your website, given the fact that you might be using the same free templates. However, the content is different and the colors can also differ. Even so, if you want something truly unique, then you should use payable website templates or hire professionals to create your website. This, unfortunately, can be very expensive and can take a lot of time.

On the other hand, using free templates gives consistency to your website and allows you to change the aspect of the site whenever you desire. Similar colors and design give consistency to your site and make it look more professional. Downloading free website templates requires no special program. They are also very easy to use and you can edit them according to you taste.

Using free templates can have its drawbacks, but the advantages of using such website templates outnumber them. For no money at all, you can have a great looking website, which you can built within minutes and change its aspect whenever you feel like it. Website templates are perfect for people who want to create their own site and save a lot of money.

For more resources about Website templates or about free templates please review this website http://templatix.org/