4 Tips to improve your Design Firm’s Website
After running the Xemion Directory for several years, I’ve seen my fair share of web design company websites. I’ve noticed four elements that many companies leave off their website which negatively impacts sales:
Portfolio on the Homepage
The homepage is your first opportunity to engage a website visitor. What the majority of your potential clients are looking for is your portfolio (check Google Analytics or Crazy Egg and tell me if I’m wrong). Make a good first impression by putting the most impressive pieces of your portfolio on your homepage. For some excellent examples see Brand Aid Web Design, alterimaging website design and Ocean 19 website design.
Detailed Contact Information
I realize many of the firms listed in the directory are one-man freelance shops. Nothing wrong with that at all, but you definitely should list a phone number and a physical address on your contact page. I see far too many companies that simply have a form and that’s it. It simply looks unprofessional and scary from a client’s point of view. If you have to, just make the phone go straight to voicemail. There are ways to make addresses look more professional too (use Suite instead of Apt and I’ve heard you can use the Post Office’s address with a Suite # instead of the P.O. box). For a couple of examples see Rise Creative Group and Gravitate Web Design Studio.
Personnel Profiles
Another misstep is not including any information on the company’s employees. This is an important part of establishing a connection and relationship with a website visitor. Again, look at your stats and see which pages are visited the most. A bio of yourself if you’re a freelancer and at minimum the company management if not every employee if you’re a larger company should be included on your site. And don’t just write a history of your life, use this area to continue to sell your services and expertise. Some good examples are Upward Media (freelancer), LunaWebs Design and GHI Internet Services.
Sell Yourself with News
Use a news section to announce awards, website launches or case studies. Many design firm sites already have a news section, but it’s either out of date or really doesn’t have a sales focus to it. It’s important to generate news that impresses website visitors. Don’t just announce a new site launch, include a a quote from the client stating how pleased they are with the result. When you follow up with existing clients, as how their website is doing and see if there is a news article you can’t write (sales increased 400%, business doubled, etc.). While slightly out of date, I like the news on these two sites: Slingshot SEO and LunaWebs Design.
NJ WebGuy:
The importance of contact info can not be overstated. A phone number on every page of your site will give potential clients reason to feel that you will be accessible.
E-mail and forms are good for what they do, but sometimes a client wants to feel like they can make a quick call and check on the project.
James Paden:
Excellent comment, WebGuy. A phone number on every page is a must.
Sash:
Good points. Forgot to add studio’s address on my company’s Contacts page so thanks for a reminder.
Kim Murphy:
Instead of using the mailto: you@youremail.com, make the email address a link to your contact form. This technique works better then a mailto: because many people haven’t configured Microsoft outlook.
James Paden:
Great point, Kim. Thanks!
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