A guest blog post by Gail Doby, ASID, Design Success University

Starting in 2007, the market for interior designers turned into quicksand.   The credit markets tightened, and projects that typically went to designers were brought in-house both residentially and commercially.

HGTV and the Internet created more competitors in the middle of the market from the consumers themselves, and frankly, for most designers, those weren’t and aren’t your best clients anyway.

High-end projects stayed fairly steady until the economic debacle of October 2008, and then many of the projects slowed, stopped or didn’t start at all.  Especially in markets tied to the financial markets like New York, the wealthiest clients lost their jobs and their sense of security if they were in jobs associated with money and wealth.

The commercial market was devastated by the credit crisis, and according to economists, the concerns aren’t behind us yet.

Even with this perfect storm, some designers were very busy.  Why?  They adapted to the market shifts, changed their pricing strategies, developed an online presence, spent as much as 10% on marketing, focused on a niche, learned how to differentiate themselves better, and didn’t wait for the phone to ring.  They took these conditions as a challenge and they worked even harder than before.

If commercial and hospitality is your preferred area of business, you’ll want to focus on renovations.  If you can show companies that an investment in renovation can lead to more dollars at the bottom line especially if they depend on consumer spending, then you have an opportunity to build a logical reason why a company should invest.  The commercial designers that become a marketing partner with their clients differentiate themselves and become a valuable solution-oriented team member instead of an expense.

If your specialty is residential design, bathroom and kitchen renovation is still steady.  The budgets might be smaller, but there is work in this specialty area.

A kitchen renovation featured on the Traditional Home blog

Some designers created packages of services they offered on their websites.  Why did that work for them?  The consumers wanted (and demanded) to know the investment required .

Other designers offered Value Based Fees because consumers resisted hourly fees.  ASID surveyed consumers a few years ago and approximately 70% said they wanted fixed fees.  Designers who offered this option found that it completely shifted their role from an hourly wage slave to a trusted advisor, and that helped many designers kick-start their businesses even during the last several months.

You could be the greatest designer, but if people don’t hear about you consistently, then your business will struggle.  These days, you need great photography, a great head shot, articles about you in magazines, online and in newspapers (third party endorsements), a web presence including a website, blog and social media and search engine optimization of your website and blog.

And, if you don’t have a written business plan, marketing plan, vision and strategy for your business, it’s time to get busy and take action.  Referrals and networking may have worked in the past, but they are less effective than ever, so that means it’s time to rethink and reposition your business.

[Originally written for Decorati Access Interior Design, Published June 11]

The Gibson Design Management website will be down this evening (3-28-10) for maintenance, but do not worry, we’ll have everything back up and running by Monday morning!

If you are trying to contact us about membership, please e-mail Alexandra at alexandra@gibsondesigngroup.net.

Should every business have a website? ABSOLUTELY.

Why? Here are our top 10 reasons (but trust us, there are many more):

1. Credibility – Having a website gives credibility to your design firm. It gives you an opportunity to establish yourself as an expert in the field.
2. Portfolio – An online gallery of your work is important for any business in a design related industry. A website is the easiest way to display examples of your work. Your portfolio can speak the most about who you are as a designer.
3. Feedback – Your website is the easiest and most efficient place for your clients and the design community to find you and contact you with feedback. Good feedback and testimonials are a great way to establish credibility.
4. Around‐the‐Clock Access – A websites makes your information available to clients and potentials 24/7. Even when you’re not working, your website is still working for you!

(more…)

Ethan Allen added a style quiz to its website recently.  While there is nothing scientific about it, it is a great example of a website encouraging visitors to not just browse but to actually interact.  Once you take the quiz and are assigned your “look” (my results said that my look is “glamour”), there is a link to explore products which takes you to the Ethan Allen products that best fit that look.

While I am not Ethan Allen’s target audience, I did appreciate that they are encouraging interaction and inciting individuality by assigning quiz results.  Instead of just selecting a sofa from a page, you are shown the pre-selected pieces that fit your individualized style.  That’s just good marketing.

From a coding perspective, this quiz probably cost Ethan Allen very little but they will see great ROI due to increased word of mouth (I found out about the style quiz via Twitter and retweeted accordingly) and by converting quiz takers to customers through meeting their stylized preferences.

Take the quiz yourself.  It’s fun.

Recently, GDM had the pleasure of making the aquantaince of Faith Monson, success consultant.  Faith is “crazy about two things – design and making things happen.”  Faith works with design firms and creative professionals around the country to help them “develop successful promotional campaigns to raise their visibility in trade magazines and the news media.”

I found the following article by Faith to be insightful and wanted to share it.  Whether you currently have a website or not, I hope you find some helpful information and food for thought.  To learn more about Faith, please visit her website at www.faithmonson.com.

Why Interior Designers Need Websites, by Faith Monson

Nearly half of U.S. small businesses have websites, according to USA Today. Even before the financial crisis, small businesses and solo professionals had begun turning to the Internet to reach a global audience and to better serve their customers right next door. Experts predict that companies without a web presence will be at a disadvantage as customers in all industries now expect an online site as part of doing business.

So why should an interior designer have a website? Here are five reasons why an online presence is well worth your time.

1. World-wide exposure. Too many designers never receive the recognition they deserve because their work doesn’t reach a wide enough audience to ignite fame. With a well-designed website, your portfolio can reach millions of people all around the world-potential clients, reporters, bloggers and corporate decision-makers. That can mean increased opportunities for projects, show houses, commercial bids and interviews.
2. Qualified, 24/7 referrals. Your website transcends time zones to work while you sleep. Today’s customers are more likely than ever before to bypass the media when looking for a solution and go straight to the Internet. If you’re relying on traditional media for articles and ads to reach clients, you’re missing out on an increasingly large share of the market that relies on web searches to find what they’re looking for. If you’re not on the web, they don’t even consider you.
3. Credibility. Americans now expect to find companies on the web. Companies that lack a web presence look less professional, more limited in scope, and less stable than those with good quality websites. Even if a prospect finds you through word of mouth, they may rethink their choice if they can’t find out more about you online.
4. Competitive advantage. Your website defines you. It provides a chance to see your portfolio, read about your recent projects, view or listen to client testimonials and celebrate your show homes or awards. Without a website, you lose the chance to define yourself, and others may not define your work or speak to your capabilities as well as you would.
5. Websites are a great venue for self-expression and creativity. Just as your workspace or your business card make a statement about you, your website can make a striking visual impression on prospects. Through the design of your site, you can showcase your personality. Visitors will know right away whether you are bold or restrained, modern or traditional. A website can express who you are as a designer and allows potential clients to see what you have to offer them. With web audio and video, you can showcase your talent in whole new ways with plenty of drama and panache.

Interior designers with websites have a big advantage over those who don’t. We live in a visual world, so the more visual a website is, the better you can communicate your talents and ideas. Today it’s surprisingly affordable to build a great website. You’ll find other cost savings to having a website, including reduced costs for printing and mailing, since you can refer prospects to pictures on your site rather than having to reproduce and distribute these individually. Even better, the information on your website is easy to update, so if you change your phone number, your address or other details you don’t have to scrap a box of expensive brochures that are now out of date.

A website is living; it is constantly being viewed and can change with your needs. So let the world see through your eyes. Share your creativity and design-driven thoughts with the world. A great website will help you achieve things paper will never be able to do.

Faith Monson is a Success Consultant who works with entrepreneurs, designers, retailers and sales-driven organizations. She makes people and businesses better by daring them to be great and helping them to reach their full potential. Visit www.FaithMonson.com or contact her directly at 703-237-2077 or Faith@FaithMonson.com.