I was sitting down for a quick few mins checking email and doing a bit of browsing when I came across a website that simply annoys me.
The industry I work in gets a bad enough name already, exhorbitant prices, no return on investment, never hear from web designer again etc. etc. But yet, we still allow sharks like this to keep turning up on the scene. www.ripe.ie
A quick look at their homepage, gives the impression that they are a professional outfit with some big names on their books. However, a little more investigation and you will see that it is all a pack of lies.
Some of the companies listed don’t even exist and those that seem recognisable are either not the same website OR have the brand name slightly changed so as to appear the genuine article.
Now believe me I know how hard it is to get started in this game, but to come into this business undervaluing professionals work, with a quote of €595 and comparing it to a competitor is ridiculous.
All the designs they show are straight out of template monster, yet they think they can compare this to a bespoke web design.
It makes me sick, these guys should think about the long term effect it is having on our industry as opposed to making a quick buck….
I agree ,,i lost two jobs to them already in November,,customers saying i was ripping them off in prices..
Im not surprised!! They are very cheap!
As a designer, it disgusts me what these guys are trying to do. Buying template monster stuff, slapping on a new logo and reselling it…
With a bit of luck word will get around and they will found out.
Well, unfortunately, complaining about it wont make it go away. (Neither will helping them out with the link love) but it’s important to realize that we are in a different industry to them. Bespoke and templates are of course different and it’s up to us to teach our clients the difference.
@Philip: With all due respect, you either didn’t do your job or they are clients that do not know the value of your work and are not worth having.
I agree we are in a different industry, but try tell this to an ordinary joe soap who knows nothing about web development.
I don’t mind giving them the link - I’d love to see Fitzpatricks Hotel Group coming across these guys… I wonder what they’d do!
Had a look at ripes site,,in fairness lads their name and marketing concept is a good idea,,
Nifty are you affiliated with these guys?
Maybe you don’t know anything about the web development indutry and why this is such a big deal.
ALSO IT MUST BE NOTED:
In the last day, all references to established brands (such as fitzpatrick hotels) and non existent companies (such as bray interiors) have now been removed and replaced with things like “RIPE Hotels” and “RIPE Interiors”.
Well at least something good came out of this blog….
Just to add more to this discussion:
http://www.templatemonster.com/website-templates/11330.html
So to have a slogan saying “Ireland’s leading web design company” - annoys me.
haha, Its quite funny now when you see they don’t have any clients apart from “ripe auctioneers” & “ripe travel agents” etc. Looks like they have broadened their business model to include 10 different industries.
And they’ve just been banned from boards too : http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055037060
wow ,,thanks for the link guys.
Firstly lets get a few things clear.
1.Boards.ie barred us immediatly after making just one post as their webmaster is a web designer. (you work out the motive)
2. ripe.ie own website..As we promote ourselfs as personalising templates for our customers dont you feel that we use our own products when promotoing the benifits of templates hence
http://www.templatemonster.com/website-templates/11330.html
3.It may come as a surprise to you that not everyone wants to pay thousands of euros for a website.Most of you guys are teckies,but seem to think that this transfers into graphic design.Judging by the work i have seen from most of your own websites not one of them comes near to ripe.ie (if you disagree post your web address up and let people decide)
Remember guys a template is usually just a banner at the top of a website.its the personal creative content below the banner with a clear marketing message that makes potential customers choose ripe..Thats why the venomous remarks posted here is a real indication of your work frustrations.
Welcome Ripe!
1. Boards barred you because you were spamming. No other reason.
2. Don’t see your point???? You’re calling yourselves, “Ireland’s leading web design company”. How can you be when you are using templates?
3. Of course no one wants to pay thousands for a website. Most people would prefer not to spend money at all!!!
We’re not only techies, we are more than that. Our track record proves it. I admit that some of our designs are not as good as some template monster designs, but it’s mainly the client driven ones.
How many clients have Ripe got exactly? I don’t more than 1 there. In fact, I’d question even that one.
My website is clear to see from the about us page - people who read this blog know who I am. Don’t worry about that!
Tom ,ripe is only targeting the market that you guys wont touch. Most web companies want upwards of 3k for a standard website.
The reason most Irish businesses have no web site is the outrages prices that are being touted around by web design companies.
If the truth be told ,most of the work I have seen from web companies portfolios derives from templates in some shape or form anyway.
If a customer can have an excellent website with their own content and photos delivered to them for under six hundred euro in a week, why would you begrudge them that.
In relation to the amount of customers we have since launching,
“Stirs are only created in an industry when their is a perceived threat”
Look Ripe,
I don’t care how much you charge, that’s not what I have a problem with. I do believe there is a market out there for things like this.
It’s the fact that you compare it to other properly developed sites, have a fake client portfolio, use established brands in your client list (work that you didn’t do)…. etc etc.
It’s things like that, that make the rest of us look like sharks!!!
Tom
when we talk about design companies,this is a general term for intl web design companies on the net. This is not pointed directly at the you or the majority of irish designers.
Web designers charge by the hour,this is great for them, but not good for the customer.For consumers its nice knowing exacty how much a project costs before it commences.This is the entire reason ripe was launched.
Anyway im not here to fill up your boards,,i just posted here to offer our stance at the ever increases snipes since our launch.
Chao
[...] Tom Doyle ripped into them, however, and did some digging into their spurious claims… They’re making the same kind of claims that I see in our sector regularly. [...]
Ripe,
Your website states “Ireland’s Leading Web Design Company” - you are clearly not. No “leading web design company” would provide the service you are providing.
I’m not sure what web designers charge by the hour, with our company it’s a fixed project cost which they know eactly how much it will cost before the work has commenced.
Most of our time is spent helping the client to understand how they can achieve a return with their website.
Again Ripe the point being, you should NOT be using established brands and claiming to be the designer, you should not create dummy companies for your client list and you shout NOT claim to be “Ireland’s leading Web Design Company”. Everything else, I have no problem with at all.
This is what the web industry needed.Discussion on pricing and standards for all design companies.
Customers now have a choice.Do they want to pay 3k for a five page standard website or €595 from ripe for the same project using personalised templates.
Our website could not be more clear for our customers.instead of you guys posting venomours remarks about us,,why not post your own web site address and let consumers decide.
http://www.ripe.ie
I presume we’re talking to Warren Logan here. To be honest, it seems like he’s trying to fill a niche which we all know exists. However, he’s deliberately misleading companies into believing that his firm is a “web design” firm. It’s not. It’s a “web templating” firm. How in the name of god a “company” is meant to produce a true e-commerce site with all the attached for under €1000 is beyond me.
“1.Boards.ie barred us immediatly after making just one post as their webmaster is a web designer. (you work out the motive)”
Interesting. ‘One’ is, I take it, a recognised alternative term for ‘three’ these days?
Spamming of any product generally isn’t allowed on boards, or any other reputable website, amazingly enough.
Ripe yet again you are missing the point. It’s not that cost that’s the problem. Although Anthony has a valid point on how a company can produce a true e-commerce site for under €1,000.
Anthony (no web site address given)
Robert Synnott (no web site address given)
Dave Davis (no web site address given)
Darren(no web site address given)
Tom Doyle(no web site address given)
Could all the above web design guru’s post their own design companies address when posting remarks.This will enable everyone to compare their outstanding comments with their work.
ww.ripe.ie
Warren,
If you looked you would find… and as previously mentioned, you just have to look at the “about” page you will see who I am.
Tom
I don’t own a design/web company Warren. Does that somehow disqualify me from commenting on your businesses practices? In fact, if your company builds off templates are they really designing anything since the vast majority of the work is done at that stage?
If you click on my name, you will find my web design company.
Tom, with a colour scheme like this blog you can hardly complain about anyones design
Ripe: Why are you constantly ignoring what every here is complaining about, changing around a template around is not designing a website.
And no I’m not a web designer, I the poor lad in the background looking after the hardware sites work on.
Niall.
hahaha@niall - yer damn right - I hold my hands up to that one.
This gives me the urge to start watching soaps again. Which is better these days? Corrie or Eastenders…
Ok guys its getting a bit nasty on the boards now,so ripe will sign out now.
Final Comment
What we find astonishing is the rubbish that you guys are posting.
As well as personalising templates for customers, ripe also design projects from scratch.Also available are e-commerce websites for only €995.
“How To Get Started” http://www.ripe.ie/how.html
“All ripe customers have a choice of two design options. The first is choosing a generic template to suit your companies’ requirements. This method is fast and cost efficient. The second option is building your website from scratch. This option will allow you greater flexibility in design and format but the process will take slightly longer and cost more.”
Now if their is any part of this parargraph that you are having difficulty with
in relation to our design options for our customers email us.
So stop your whimpering and paddywacking and maybe one day invest in having your own web design site where customers can put a face to the venomous comments.
http://www.ripe.ie
Warren,
Give us a break will ye…….
Tom
Ripe: On your contact page you state ” Ripe price websites only €595…. Competitors price €2,200″. Could you please tell me who the hell charges €2,200 for a site as simple as your template based site is going to be? Or is this just a random figure pulled out of thin air?
I also had a look at TheDirectory.ie, for a site that’s launching on December 3rd, 2006, it’s looking very very bare. Site aren’t going to be getting much of a launch there.
Warren,
If you click on my name you’ll get to my blog. I’m not a web designer and don’t have or work for a web design company.
If you are producing media for the Irish market, you really should learn to speak English fluently.
This dude is entertaining.
This is a comments section not “boards”. Plus your “we” terminology with your costings suggests you’ve either hired people who aren’t interested in being paid or are located abroad (where people don’t like to be paid either).
Hmmm,
Seems like some kiddo is trying to make a few quid to pay for their school trip.
How cute.
Ripe - for you to say that the layout of a website is the banner at the top of the site or however you referred to it, shows just how much of a moron you are.
I wouldn’t waste any more time on this gobshite lads, just keep an eye on his ‘client list’ or whatever, and when (or if) he does get some clients it should be piss easy for you all to nick them and give them value for money.
H
[...] Originally Posted by TheMenace When companies like Ripe.ie come along and try to spam already uneducated clients into believing that it’s perfectly acceptable to pay peanuts for shoddy, irresponsible and unprofessional crap then those of us who have sweated blood over the last few years to actually get good at our jobs and try to offer a professional service… well… we’re going to get a bit peeved. Agreed There is a market for business who simply can’t afford to pay the price for a custom built website. Those of us working in the industry know how valuable a good website can be to company, but it is a hard task justifying it to uneducated clients. But that’s why we love this job so much Edit: Oh by the way - you should look at Ripe’s comments on my blog…. » The cheek of them! » Tom Doyle :: TALK __________________ http://www.2bscene.net | My Blog [...]
“This is what the web industry needed.Discussion on pricing and standards for all design companies.”
Standards, eh? Funny you should mention that. Your templates don’t seem to adhere to standards at all. Nor, I imagine, are they optimised to rank high on SERP’s… nor are they accessible… nor are they future-proofed or built using best contemporary practice. Do you know what this means, Mr. Ripe? Yes, that’s right. It means two things:
1) You’re not a professional.
2) You’re ripping your clients off by selling them a digital placebo that’s worth about as much as spunk in a bucket.
If you really want to know what this industry needs, it’s professionals. Not another wave of arrogant, incompetent bandwagon-jumpers giving irresponsible advice and selling promises to unsuspecting clients on the back of their shoddy work.
Nobody has a problem with your prices, Ripe - IT’S THE CRAP QUALITY OF YOUR “WORK”
Ciao,
Looks clear to me guys. http://ripe.ie/ is taking over the smallest part of this business. Most of us we do not want to take on very small projects or we do not have time for them. It seems clear enough to me, even their home page it’s a template. They are not laying to anybody.
P.D. I don’t work for ripe.
Well if you put design examples of websites such as “Fitzpatrick Hotels” and make it out that you did them, when you didn’t, I would class that as lying.
I would also class anyone saying that they are “Ireland’s leading web design company” when they have obviously just started out as lying too.
Either way, if you read the whole lot of this in full - you will see that no-one here has an issue with the business they are targetting, it’s how they are targetting it and comparing it to a proper web development service.
Where did you see Fitzpatrick Hotels?, I don’t seem to find it. There’s at least 15 different hotels with the same name anyway.
Ireland’s Leading design company is questionable alright.
It was removed after Ripe found out about this blog post!
Fitzpatricks is a world recognised brand, it’s not something that there would be many of.
Tom (whatever the specifics of Ripe.ie) this is an age-old argument. You’re arguing against a service being made a commodity. I happen to work in the same industry as you do, and well… tough.
Would you be similarly complaining if you could get a plumber out for 50 Euro, or if you got cheap air flights?
It’s up to you to find differentiators for you business.
Derek, I think you are missing the point.
My problem is not with what they are charging, it’s with what they are charging for and it’s also about how they are doing it.
i.e.
1. Claiming to have developed established brand names websites or inventing businesses that don’t exist and claiming they have developed their websites too.
2. Comparing what they do to a traditional web design business.
If you read the article and all the comments above you will see where I’m coming from.
Oh and on your point about flights and a plumber.
With a plumber, if they came in and said they were going to install a bath and installed a sink instead, I wouldn’t be happy.
If I bought a flight to Sydney and it brought me to London, I’d be a bit peeved off too.
I have to agree with Tom here. While I don’t feel particularly threatened by Ripe.ie, I feel they have a po-faced cheek to compare themselves to seasoned professionals. If they want to be a two-bit web shop that knocks out crappy, poorly coded templates from Template Monster then fair enough. But to try and assert that the quality of their work is even close to professional is a joke.
And as for claiming other’s work for your own. Wow. This industry is damaged enough.
Same with these guys - solarweb.ie. He (there is no they) hire $6 an hour sweatshop Indians, produce rubbish sites for around €500. Honest professional business peopke have hired him. Is it just me or do some Irish businesses not see the difference between professional website development and amateur rubbish?
Solarweb.ie certainly leave a nasty taste in the mouth. Solarpleb more like it!
I thought this thread had died a long time ago!
We just have to accept the fact that there are always going to be cowboys like solaris.ie and ripe.ie who rape the name of this industry. If clients are naive enough to be taken in by these clowns, then they’ll have to learn the hard way.
yeah me too…….
[...] wasn’t too long ago that I wrote about a new self proclaimed “web design company” called Ripe. My major irk with this company was the language they [...]