How I changed perception with this NEW website.

If you asked your customers about all the benefits or services your organization offers, they might rattle off just one or two things, or maybe three, if you’re lucky. Am I right? 

I sometimes felt like that was my story, too. For some clients, I was the email designer. For others, the retention design expert. And for still others, the go-to pro for websites. The reality: I’m all that, and more. My clients had it only partially right.

So what could I do to take the mystery out of my real identity?

Here’s a quick look at the actions I took … maybe they’ll give you some ideas on how to resolve any perception issues your own organization might have, as well as how to make your website work harder with improved UX.

FIRST, RETHINK.

I stopped focusing on just my problem and started seeing things from my client’s perspective. Because any marketer knows that, when you put yourself in your customer’s shoes, you can better find clues on where the problems lie. So why didn’t I think of that right away? Well, truth be told, sometimes we ignore the basics, in search for a more complicated answer. In my case, I started thinking about how hard it is for clients to hire the right designer for particular projects. And if you really don’t know the designers, it gets even harder. Plus, when you’re in a rush and you need to move on to many other projects – you tend to want to stick with just who and what you know because, um, it’s safer. Perfectly understandable.

Alright, now that I identified my clients’ problems, I knew what I had to do to connect better with clients and resolve the perception issue in order to encourage new business.

REBRAND.

Positioning is key. My old logo just had my name, which wasn’t enough to set my brand apart from my competition, other designers. I needed something stronger to position me in the minds of my clients. My new logo does the job. I’m now Randman Design Direct. Right off, clients know that I’m a direct response designer, and that if you want someone who designs with measurable results in mind, that’s me.

REWORK WEBSITE, FOR THE BEST UX.

Positioning involves more than a logo change. Your website needs to echo and support any rebranding effort. I started the process by reintroducing myself on the Home page, to help clients clearly see me as different from the pack. Plus, to be even more client-focused, I asked myself what kinds of questions my clients would ask – and I provided much faster answers, this time around. Following are some of the questions my revamped website addresses directly.

• Do you do “small jobs”? We all like the challenge of major work, but sometimes a client isn’t ready to hand over a large project; they simply want a few changes made to an existing job. How are they to know if you’re willing to take that on? The Home page assures them I’m up for the task, with a headline that states I do all kinds of jobs, from simple to complex, and I show examples.
  
  
• Why should I choose you? Versatility is one big reason, but I also give clients more reasons on the new Home page. And my About page tries to establish stronger rapport with clients by stating my basic work message:  Like them, I aim for results, and I have a long business history of doing that. Moreover, I’m specific about what they can expect when they hire me (like getting a choice of possible creative solutions, instead of just one). The more a client knows about you, the easier it is to gain their confidence, and the easier it is for them to make a quick decision.
  
  
• Do you do the kind of work I’m looking for? One glance at the restructured Portfolio page gives the client a bird’s-eye view of my versatility, and more! I’m often asked if I do a very specific kind of design, or whether I have experience doing promotions for a certain sector. My old website had the ability to break jobs down into categories. But it took more of a leisurely “By the way, you can find what you are looking for it here” approach. My new Portfolio page hops to it, with projects arranged anyway you want to see them — by media, by sector, or by category. Clients should find that a real time-saver.
  
  

• What about “the numbers”? Clients have to deal with a P&L; so they don’t want just talk. They want to know if your work has produced quantifiable results. My old website told them, but it took 2 clicks to get there. The new one puts 3 outstanding examples under the header Design That Gets Results front and center, on the Home page. When they click on any of these jobs, clients get the full story, in the form of a case study. And it doesn’t stop there. More design jobs with case studies are featured on the Portfolio page. That’s in addition to the case studies clients see on select projects within the Portfolio!
  
  
• What tips can you offer, without any strings? My Blog – which I regularly refresh with personal tips on everything from how to use bold type to what you can learn from vintage Jell-O ads – didn’t get enough play. So my new website moves it up on the Home page and shines a brighter light on it with the headline Popular Articles from My Blog and clickable graphics under it. Readers now will be less likely to miss it. At the same time, I’ve made it a snap for them to find original, relevant content they can use to make their jobs just a little easier. All free.
  
  

Those are only some of the ways I used my understanding of my clients’ problems and needs to improve their perception of me, as well as to improve their UX on my website. For more inspiration, I invite you to explore my website. When your customers see you in a more complete light, it can make a world of difference for your organization!