The anticipation of a New Year often accompanies thoughts of changes and goals for business owners, myself included! Over our (almost) five years of business, we’ve branded over 200 creative businesses, mostly in the wedding, lifestyle and interior design industry. It’s safe to say, we’ve learned a thing or two about when is the right time to invest and make changes in your brand and online experience!
We have consultation calls with countless business owners and while some are 100% sure they’re ready, others question and often ask, “Is this the right time for me, what do you think?”. I have to admit I will openly tell any potential client if it’s the wrong time, or if they aren’t quite ready to invest in our services. It’s not a one size fits all experience. Below is my honest answer to why you might consider a change for your business!
Here are my top 5 reasons to refresh things for 2018:
1. You’ve outgrown how your brand looks and feels to your audience. Just like yourself, your business grows, changes and evolves over time. What often worked for your brand visually when you were getting started has likely changed and it can make your offerings look less expensive than what you’re charging. If you’re in the luxury market, your clients expect a high-level of design when they experience your brand and website. Whether it was 2 years ago, or maybe 5, refreshing your brand goals, appearance and honoring what your audience is attracted to can make huge changes in your business. If your brand looks like your past and not your present, it’s time for a change!
2. Your brand doesn’t match your value or your clients. If you’re charging premium pricing or wanting to, one of the best ways to communicate your elevated experience is when your brand aesthetic matches your services. I often relate clients to the experience they would receive shopping at a luxury boutique, like Chanel. Every touch point from the website, to the sales personnel to the packaging is reflective of premium products. Your client knows what luxury feels like and when your brand matches that value, your clients will have less price hesitations to your services.
3. You built your website yourself or you used a template. When a client is looking to hire an expert, they likely don’t want to hire someone who looks like everyone else. The website you built yourself is probably lacking a great user experience, strong seo and a customized (and beautiful) sales process throughout each page. Or that template you thought was super simple and clean, probably looks exactly like your competitors. When you’ve established yourself in your industry, it’s important that you website reflects that same level of professionalism. Oh and if your site isn’t responsive or mobile friendly, run don’t walk to our contact form 😉
4. You’ve noticed your inquiries drop or you rarely receive leads through your site. While every business owner dreams of a referral based business, it’s good to diversify your leads and welcome new opportunities. We’ve found some of the most unique and rewarding client projects have come from clients finding us through our website. In order to grow your business and meet new goals, a custom website that oozes with personality and has a built-in sales process is sure to convert more visitors into clients. If your website isn’t performing, it’s time for a new one!
5. You’re not attracting your ideal audience. Often times what we think we’re attracting through our business isn’t what’s knocking on our door. It’s usually because you’ve relied on your own tastes and haven’t strategized to what your audience would be attracted to. This is actually one of the largest pitfalls I notice from clients and is  a HUGE struggle. As humans we naturally lean towards what we’re drawn to and assume it’s what our ideal clients want to see. For most businesses this is the wrong approach. By allowing a knowledgeable brand strategist to help you develop a brand plan and set of goals, you’ll be able to catch clients that actually fit your ideal and have the budgets to match!
If any of these points hit home and you are either “Yes, yes, this is me and it’s time!” Or are just unsure of where to start, I’d love to chat with you! You can expect a completely sales-free and casual chat to see if it’s the right time for you.
Here is my personal link to my calendar, I would love to speak with you: calendly.com/ashleyandmalonedesign/30min