[Jared Ritchey]

Welcome to FamousAgents.com Jill, I'll answer your questions first.

Rather than have me jump the gun and post the differences in this thread, you may want to check back later today as I start adding the differences between template vs custom to other posts under this heading.

As to your question about my portfolio. Yes, I have one but its not published. You ask if there are any sites that you could see regarding my work and the simple answer is yes. You have likely already seen my designs if you frequent the forums and sites related to the design circle, as 90% of all my work is not credited to me. There are likely 50 websites that I can recall today currently using templates that I've designed and then given away for free or offered up at relatively low prices. NOT THE NORM I guarantee.

The reason for this is simple yet somewhat private so I'll only say that I use to work for a very large template house until I set out on my own, which, unfortunately, this restricted me by rules of non-compete non-disclosure. Thus many template houses who sell templates via template clubs or on a per item basis hire me to design templates that they put thier name on. I simply provide the design, get paid, and casually watch how well it does. So I do a great deal of custom or semi custom usually in terms of modification of existing designs.

Now I will answer your question regarding template monster. They have a good product, and I'll be discussing them and others in subsequent posts, but you need to keep in mind that template monster follows the same format all good design companies follow and rather than reveal this proprietary technique I'll simply say that although the designs are attractive, the template monster templates are very hard to work with because they are almost entirely hard coded tabled layouts and tend to be very bulky.

You touch on "PRICE" in your decision process and yet again this will be a chategory in subsequent posts I'll make today so I'd like to reserve my comments for this until later.

You mention that your parents are old fashioned and not confident in the web. All I can say is if they are active in the development of their business and wish to see it grow and succeed then they need to spend time in this forum and learn from examples being taught herein. I've ran into this very same objection no less than 50% of the design cases I've solicited. Maybe Jim Messenger or other forum members would be willing to elaborate on this.

I will be publishing video tutorials on web design and management in comming days here on FamousAgents and I strongly suggest that you consider an extra week or two delay in your decision until you have had a chance to look through this site as it is growing rather fast.

~ Jared