When I started this business, I was pretty naive. I thought that I would be free to design until my hearts content, customers would just magically appear, and the business side of running my business would just sort itself out. I never expected how hard it would be to figure out how to approach and organize projects. Without a a clear step by step process, I was rebuilding my workflow for each and every client, my client experiences were inconsistent, and I was wasting so much time redoing every step. I decided that I needed a change, this is how I did it: 1) Evaluate my Current Workflow I wrote down every step I took, from first inquiry to launch date. I discovered that my workflow was not always consistent. I decided that in order to offer great customer experience, each step needed ... Continue Reading
Author & Book Websites: Q&A
Do I need a website? Yes. A lot of authors recommend using social media to promote their books, and this is great! Social media is an easy way to keep your readers updated, but it's not a great place to provide more in-depth information. Your website creates a "hub" where your reader can easily find more information about you, your works, and find all of your social media pages. A website is also a great place to start when sharing updates with your readers, there are many ways to take a blog post, for example, and share that post on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram etc... making your social media marketing easier and more streamlined. What should I include on my website? An author bio Your latest or featured project A list of your works (and links on where to buy them) Contact ... Continue Reading
Is it Time to Redesign Your Website?
If you are like other small businesses, you have had your website since the beginning. If your business had been around for a while, then your website could be getting a little outdated. But how do you know if it's time for a redesign? Here's how: 1.) Reevaluate your Target Market. If your business has been open for awhile, then you know that things have changed. You have expanded, refocused your brand, maybe found your niche. Well, your customers may have changed too. Now is a good time to take a look at who your current customers are. Ask your "front line" employees, talk to your customers, take a "bird's eye view" of your customer demographics and see if you can narrow down your current target market. 2.) Get a Feel For How Your Current Customers Use Your Website Get an idea of how ... Continue Reading