In 2023 more than ever is there a “belief” that if you’re not online - you don’t exist. In a world where we spend a lot of our free time online (research shows it was almost 7h a day in 2021!), it’s practically impossible not to have a piece of the Internet of our own. All the social media aside, there is one place that no business owner should overlook - a website. Why is having a website so important? Especially if you run an interior design business. Read on to find out the 6 benefits having a website gives small businesses.
1.“If you’re not online, you don’t exist”
As I’ve mentioned before, being online or having your business online is crucial for people to even know you exist. Don’t get me wrong, you don’t have to provide your services online (link do e-design business post) and yes, word-of-mouth is a great way to get clients. But if you’re planning on reaching more than just your previous clients, their friends, and your family - having a website is a must. It serves as a virtual business card.
I’m sure that whenever you hear about, let’s say, a furniture brand, the first thing you do is go and check their website. And your potential clients do exactly the same. After all, word of mouth doesn’t always happen between friends. So the person who hears about you from someone they don’t know or trust as much will want to check your website to verify their words. And that's not the only reason why having a website is important for interior design business.
2. A website looks more professional
Social media platforms are great for building communities and nurturing your followers. But nothing looks more professional than having an actual website, especially in the interior design industry. Imagine you were looking for a lawyer. Would you pick the one that only has a funky Instagram account or the one that runs a professional website? Which one looks more serious to you? The same goes for interior designers. And it doesn’t matter if your dream client is a fun-loving, easy-going person who loves social media. You will still look more serious and trustworthy with a proper website. And with a picture of yourself there too! It shows that you take your business seriously and commit to showcasing the information about it in one spot (paid spot is a keyword here). Add your former clients’ testimonials to the mix and you’ve got yourself the best business card there is.
3. Social media is not yours
You’ve probably heard that many times, but it never stops being true. Your social media account is a rented space. Yes, you create the content, and you put it all out there, but it’s not you who decides who and when will see it. Or if they will see it at all. Plus, Instagram or Facebook might crash tomorrow, stop working or close completely. Together with all your posts and effort. How will your clients find you then? How will you reach them?
Having a website, on the other hand, gives you complete control. It’s your property. It stays online as long as you keep it online. You decide what people see and how they see it. Do yourself a favor - get a website and sleep well 😉 I’m giving you some tips on how to do it at the end of this post.
4. Showcase your style
There are several places where you can show your portfolio, like Behance or Issuu. But in my opinion, there is no better place to do so, than your website. The others might come in handy in certain situations, but having your portfolio on your website helps potential clients see not only your work but other information about your business at the same time. When they want to see your projects - it’s all there. They don’t have to jump from one post to another or wait for you to publish another picture tomorrow.
A website portfolio makes it easy to get a clear overview of your style, your values, etc. Why? Because a website needs to be designed as much as all your interior design projects. Your branding gets reflected in the colors, fonts, layout… The language you use while describing your services, your story, etc. will help visitors understand your values and personality. And that’s the first step to building credibility and trust.
5. Having a website lets you screen your interior design clients
As mentioned above, a website is a great place not only for your portfolio but for multiple other features as well. You can write about your services to let potential clients know what they can expect from you. Or put your rates out there, so that people understand right away whether they can afford you or not. You can place a contact form to ask the appropriate questions from the start. All this information allows you to screen your potential clients even before they contact you. I wrote about it in the article on client onboarding - read it here. Plus, you can structure the information in a way that will attract your dream clients in particular. It’s as if your website was your assistant, working for you 24/7 while you focus on the more important tasks. Now isn’t that great?
6. Keep the information up to date
That’s another advantage. Whenever you change your rates, expand your services, or move to a new office - you know where to look for outdated information to update them. You won’t have to worry that someone won’t be able to contact you because you left the old phone number. Or will try to get your services for the rates from last year.
Also, if you’ve read the article I mentioned before, about the client onboarding process, you will know that it’s a great idea to have a welcome page as a part of your website, to send out to your clients, instead of a PDF document. With just a few clicks, you can fix all the information out there and be sure that even the clients you served 5 years ago, will have the most up-to-date info in case they want to work with you again or refer you to their friends. Having total control over this crucial info is super important. After all, it’s your business, right?
How do I create a website?
You don’t need any special experience in web design to create one. You just need to be smart about it. What I use and highly recommend is to get yourself a WordPress site (it’s free) and some reliable hosting - I use Namecheap. You can get your domain name there too. Don’t worry if you know nothing about WordPress or its templates. You can use a great tool called Brizy that will help you create a beautiful, responsive design using ready-made blocks drag-and-drop style.
I've created a comprehensive guide on how to design a website which will walk you step by step through everything you need to do, to have a website up and running in no time! Trust me, you don't want to miss it.
Think of your website as a virtual office where you can tell your clients about your business, without actually having to meet them. Use it to your advantage. You’ll definitely see the difference. Just make sure you actually put some effort into it and design it properly so that it reflects who you are, how you work, and what you believe in. Treat it as one of your projects and for the most important client - you.
Images by rawpixel.com on Freepik with screenshots from my website.
