Lots of advice comes for free. But, not all of it can ensure success. To lead the way in your design business, you need to choose the best ideas that are profitable for your company. Here are a few ideas that would come in handy for your design business, and will not burn your pocket too.
A design blog speaks for you
To attract more traffic to your site is one of the motives because it triggers profit to your business. A design blog can help you achieve this. Just creating a blog is not that guarantees success, but you need to maintain it, and better be in an organized manner. If you establish a blog of the smashing hub’s size, you can happily start reaping the results. The key is to create a niche, for anything too general can insipid the customers.
Nowadays maintaining your blog is not so much time-consuming; you do need to sit in front of your PC or laptop but you can easily access your online blogs through multiple devices. With password management software, you can save time because you don’t need to remember the passwords for your various accounts.
What if you do not want to start a blog?
Not many would find it easy to start a blog from the scratch, but there is a way instead. You can become a columnist in the existing popular blog. But, the key here is to become a regular contributor. When you contribute articles on a regular basis, you achieve authority over the content, and the blog. You can create brand value and image this way. You cannot achieve this by contributing one article per blog. The frequency of one per month too cannot offer the right results, for one per week is what people expect.
What should your portfolio look like?
- A portfolio that looks great is recommended. It is not a crime to spend time on this to perfect them. But this does not mean you need to get it too much styled. Minimal style with a bright and clear look can promote your business.
- Your website should be created with the target audience in mind. Your ideal client should be impressed with the site, so showcase the samples that are relevant.
- Your contact details, like physical address, and phone number. This info helps during the local SEO search to bring your site to the results page.
- A few case studies which provide background information to the client can add more credibility, and hence they are a good idea to be included on the portfolio site.
- The testimonials from your existing clients can help you get more customers. If you can add a photo of the client, the testimonials look more personal.
- The customers who see your portfolio site look for the samples that would suit their needs. Including a call to action and being pro-active can attract more customers. Make it easy for them to get a free estimate, and contact you.
- Using third party portfolio sites offer more exposure. This lets you interact with the other designers.
What should you know about the proposals?
- A plan used should be professional and alluring. You can find lots of proposal templates available online, and you can also design one for you.
- Providing the client, only the total price can be helpful. Do not show the hourly rates, hours and too many other details that can confuse the clients.
- Providing choices to the customer can help them to make an apt choice. If you can offer low priced option, the client would be able to find something that suits the needs.
- Using industry jargon can confuse the customer for not many would know what you mean. Avoiding jargons is a good idea.
Use Social Media
- Set up the profiles on all the major social networking sites, and make sure you include the custom graphics for your profiles.
- Running a contest can bring you lot of target audience to your original site.