Hi, my name is Lilly Ghahremani and I am a web strategist for Tiny Frog Technologies. And today I’m going to talk about how to create a powerful website for your design business.
How to Sell the Vision
You know, design businesses face something completely different from other businesses in that art by its nature is really subjective. So what does this mean for your website? People are coming to your website to see that you do work that they like and to envision that you’ll be able to create what they’re looking for. So when they come to your website, they’re not necessarily looking for a project that they can duplicate, they just want to see that you are fluent in the type of work they want done. So the advice I’m going to talk about today is true of any type of design firm. It could be a web design firm, it could be graphic design, it could be architecture, it might be interior design. The principals are really the same. You are selling people the vision that you can bring them the beauty that they are looking to achieve. So how do we do this on a website? We do it in three steps: The first is first impressions. So this is where a talented web design team. They have to know how they can best capture the user’s eye and attention and just create that “wow” moment when somebody first opens your website. So that first step is first impressions.
Showcase Your Portfolio
The second step is to showcase your capability. You may not have already done what they’re looking for, but what they’re looking to do is give them a sense that you are the company that can do what they may need. So we do this by showcasing strong samples of your work. Portfolios are such an important part of design sites. So take time to develop the right portfolio that showcases a range of projects and capabilities. Sometimes I’ll even recommend captions be put on a gallery. So that as you’re showing your work to your users, you’re walking them through what they should be taking away from this project and what it really means for what you can do for them. Don’t assume people know what you can do or not. Don’t assume they’ll ask. Although design website are heavily graphic, feel comfortable putting in a list of your services.
Welcome Engagement
And finally, the third step for a strong design website is to invite contact. Remember that everything is about that call to action. The level of engagement will depend on the type of firm you are. If you’re a very high-end design firm, it may just be throwing your phone number on there and letting them know they can reach out if they want to. If you’re a younger business or you’re really looking to grow that business you may want to invite contact through some sort of a free consultation or a design discussion. Offer to show visitors more work that might be related to the project and just invite them into a deeper conversation with them.
On the topic of inviting people to contact you, my name is Lily Ghahremani and I’m a web strategist for Tiny Frog Technologies and I encourage you to contact us about your design website so we can deliver a site that blows away the competition.
