Build Website Buzz…and Business

656 Wildrose Way • Louisville, CO 80027 • 303.665.6688 • 303-589-3013
Fred@FredBerns.com • www.InteriorDesignBusiness.net

You don’t have to be a geek and it doesn’t take rocket science to create a killer website for your interior design business.

It takes 19 steps.

1) Keep it Simple. The average website visit is 4 seconds and two clicks. Get your message across fast.

2) Make it Easy to Use. If visitors get lost, you are the Big Loser. Make it easy for visitors to search your site for specific products or services.

3) Speak to Your Specialness. What’s your USP (unique selling proposition)? Your Only? Your Brand?

4) Sell Yourself. “You” are the one thing prospects can’t get elsewhere. Promote your credentials, certifications and affiliations, and those of your staff.

5) Describe All Your Services and Products. Under-educated prospects don’t buy.

6) Solve Problems on Each Page. Visitors have questions—on topics ranging from furniture to fabrics, from bathrooms to break rooms, from window coverings to wall coverings. Does your site have the answers?

7) Keep it Current. What’s new? What’s now? Update us on your services, staff, awards, clients, community involvement, etc. Provide fresh blog posts, articles, tips, links, client profiles, etc. Offer email signup, and you can develop a database of names with whom you can follow up directly, without having to wait for them to come to you.

8) Make it Interactive. Adding a search box to your site makes it ten times more user friendly, especially if you regularly expand the list of design products and services that you offer. Q&A columns and surveys also get visitors involved.

9) Choose and Use Killer Keywords. Track down the words others type in to find you. Then put the right words in the right places: the title bars, atop pages, at the front of paragraphs, etc.

10) Think Links.They increase your visibility, credibility and search engine rankings.

11) Call for Action. Give visitors a “next step:” call, buy this, download that, “like” us, join our email list, etc.

12) Make it Easy on the Eyes. Steer clear of busy backgrounds, fancy fonts, animation and flash.

13) Make Photos Work For–not Against — You. Small photos of big rooms don’t work. Large photos of small details do. And remember: little captions can say a lot.

14) Make Your Home Page “Rock.” It’s all 50% of your site’s visitors ever view. It’s gotta be great.

15) Include Terrific Testimonials. Solicit written or video comments from your raving fans, offering gift cards or movie passes in return.  Adding those testimonials, and your physical address, to your site will help communicate your credibility.

16) Make it Measurable. Monitor numbers of visitors, page views, when people visit and for how long, what sites send you traffic, etc.

17) Make it Mobile. Is your site a help or a hindrance to the many users who rely on mobile devices to search for sites of design professionals.  

18) Let em View the Video. An introductory video is an up-close and personal way to introduce yourself. And an appealing one at that. A recent study by emarketer.com showed that nearly 60% of respondents said they would watch a video before reading text on the same webpage.

19) Spread the word. Promote your site via email, blogs, ezines, voicemail, news releases and channels like Pinterest, Houzz, Instagram and Facebook. And make it easy for visitors to share your site’s content with their networks.

Fred Berns, an interior design industry business coach and promotional copywriter, is the author of the best-selling digital audio program Keys to a Killer Website.  For information about his services and products, visit http://interiordesignbusiness.net/ or contact him at Fred@FredBerns.com or 303-589-3013.