Do you feel like your website is not doing as much as it could to attract the affluent clients you really want to work with? Like you spent all that time and money on making a website that no one seems to be going to? And if they are coming to your site, you are wondering why nobody calls.
You did your best to make a website that showed your work and had all the “right” content, but now you’re perhaps thinking you played it safe with the design and writing. Your website may look a little too much like everyone else’s.
Some days, you might even be thinking maybe you aren’t as talented as you think, and its not your website that is letting you down – it could just be you!
Your story matches thousands of other business owners, who created websites that don’t deliver on the promise of being a key tool to generate sales. At Arise Design, we get that. Marketing oneself is extremely difficult and often gets pushed to the bottom of the to-do list. It’s all too common to procrastinate or just piecemeal your website together at the bare minimum, just to get it done!
Feeling overwhelmed with creating and maintaining your Interior Design website is one of the most common challenges business owners face today. As technology marches on, the so-called “DIY” websites certainly don’t build themselves. Don’t lose hope! Your website CAN work wonders!
Knowing that your web presence needs some help is the first step in turning your “just OK” website into the powerful tool it can be to attract better, high-paying clients!
More good news …we are sharing a few of the strategies we use here at Arise Design, to transform websites into marketing magic!
Feature Your Unique Brilliance and Skills
Especially on your “About” page, you can use your own brilliance to sell your services.
Probably the single most effective thing you can do on your website is to define your ideal client and write directly to them. You’ll want to tell them clearly how, with your brilliance and skill, you are going to help them!
It’s so powerful when you share your core values and your professional journey “story” (quirks and all). By revealing WHY you do this work, you are authentically sharing what is special about yourself. Let your personality, your gifts, and your inner light shine through the web page! Your ideal, affluent client will be attracted to your light and jump at the chance to be in touch. After all, you are offering them the very thing they are looking for!
Let’s face it. The average consumer has so many choices these days. How does anyone decide what to buy? Most clients go with an Interior Designer they believe they can trust.
On your website, there are some features that go a long way to build that trust.
Testimonials are a way for you to share thoughts from your happy clients. These days, video testimonials are getting more and more popular. If you use text quotes, it’s good to include the client’s photo and name.
Case studies are good at showing your process and the “before and after” results. By sharing the challenges you faced during the project, and how you solved them, a potential client can see why you would be a good remodel partner.
Another way to build trust is to be consistent with your brand. If your website, from page to page, looks “a hot mess,” that reflects badly on your business. Define your look/feel/messaging and be consistent on all your communications. It builds your brand and trust.
Do What You Do Best and Ask for Help
The truth is, practice makes perfect. And how much practice do you get creating websites?
Not everyone can effortlessly slip from being a fantastic Interior Designer to an accomplished Web Designer with the flip of a switch!
Copywriting, layout, web technology and self-promotion may not be your cup of tea. If you are procrastinating when it comes to your companies web development, you might want to consider getting much needed support. It makes total sense to invest in a web team to help you create the website of your dreams. One that attracts the clients you really want to work with!
There are many ways to ask for help – but it begins with giving yourself permission to accept that you are really good at some things, and a lot less good at others. Once you are OK with that, you can collaborate with the best people you can find to create a website that works well. And in return, they can ask you for some help with that new kitchen remodel…
Author: Joseph Metcalf, Creative Director and Web Expert @ Arise Design.