5 Things You Need to Know Before Starting an Interior Design Website
Everything you need to know
A website acts like a digital portfolio. It is designed to showcase the designers’ work and attract your ideal client. Ten years ago, a business card and word of mouth was enough to showcase your interior design talent. Now, a website acts in its stead: allowing potential clients to get to know you, your brand and your work.
The primary purpose of a website is to nurture that initial engagement and convince the potential client that you are the one they need.
Develop your brand identity
The first step is to develop your brand identity. As we are creatives, this visual identity is the thing that sets us apart from others and heralds our aesthetic. It defines what makes us unique and different.
You can either work with a branding strategist or do it yourself. We run courses that can help you do exactly this. Our approach starts out by really delving deeply into your business, the type of clients and business you want. From this we develop a palette and fonts that will really be able to reflect your identity.
Do your research
Check websites of your competitors. Focus on noting what what you like, what you don’t like, and how you can make yourself seem unique. Check out the templates or designers they have used- some web developers specialise in working with interior designers. You may find the name of a web designer who you might want to work with.
When you do find a web designer or if you decide to do it yourself, make sure that you are completely comfortable with the platform they will use, as you will have to update it regularly.
Get professional photos and curate your identity
I invest in professional photographs of your projects. I do think that clients form impressions of firms from the visuals and design of the site.
As interior designers, you will find that most of your site will be based on visuals. You probably don’t need a lot of words to describe the images, but it is nice to incorporate some kinds of distinctive features that set you apart from the rest.
The About and Services pages will probably have the most words, however, make sure that you curate a distinctive brand identity that will shine a spotlight on you.
Learn how to update the website yourself.
A professionally designed website can be pricey. The bad news is that it will set you back anywhere between USD5000 to 20000. However, if you are starting out, you can buy templates or design a site yourself which will be much cheaper. However, whether you have a professional design the website or do it yourself, make sure that you are able to update and use the site. To drive traffic to your site you need to optimise your SEO. You can read more about this here. As your business develops, you want to be able to target your ideal clients so that you can get the projects that you want.
Make it simple
Keep your site clean and simple. An interior design site only really needs a maximum of 6 pages: Home page, about page, services page, portfolio pages, contact pages and maybe a blog. Make sure that your navigation bar only has around 5 links as you want to curate your customer's experience.
In the initial stages, a potential client might only spend a few minutes looking around the website. Ensure that the customer is lead on a journey and it is clear what step is next. A simple call to action button in multiple places can ensure that the client knows how to get in touch or book a consultation.
If they are accessing your site on a mobile, make sure that the page is responsive and appears as you would like it to on mobile.
An interior design website is the most important asset of an interior designer. Unlike social media, you own the content on your website and you get to control its use and place. It can help you speak directly to your ideal client and ensure that you are showcasing your best work and talent to its full advantage. By following these five tips, you can create a website that is both professional and user-friendly.
Check out our courses on branding and websites specifically for interior designers just like you who want to start and scale up their interior design businesses.
