The Myth of Beautiful Website Design | Copyblogger

Great post via copyblogger.com

I was preparing a post on this very topic. I hate being scooped,  but since mine wasn't going to be penned by a contributor to one of the best marketing copywriting sites on the web, I decided that I'd post this one and get back to work. :-)

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This one will probably get me into trouble.

I’ve worked as a graphic designer for over two decades and I’m not supposed to say this stuff. After all, it’s my job to make miracles. To wave my magic design wand and make a business look stronger, smarter, and more powerful than it really is.

Before I start dodging rotten tomatoes, though, I’m going to go ahead and say it out loud.

It’s a smart business move to have a well-designed website.

But good design — even great design — won’t solve all your business problems. Not even close.

Design is not a magic pill

If you don’t have a basic marketing plan in place, design can’t cover that up.

The first question I ask people when we talk about a new project is, “Who are you trying to reach?” It’s shocking how many businesses have put hours of thought into their design without ever considering the most basic of all marketing questions: “Who am I selling to?”

If you’re not clear on who you want to appeal to, the most gorgeous website design in the world won’t help you make sales.

Figure out who you want to reach first, and focus on design after you’ve made that decision. You’ll find your design works a lot better when every color choice and pretty picture is especially made to appeal to the people you want to draw to your business.

Design is not your message

Before you add design into your marketing mix, you have to know what you want to say.

This should be easy for you. After all, you’re reading Copyblogger to learn more about the vital elements of quality content. That’s why it’s strange that there are people out there who think they can rely on their design alone to communicate their message.

Think about it this way: you have a beautiful website. It may stop people in their tracks long enough to want to learn more. That’s great, but if they read on only to discover that you have unfocused or boring content, you will lose them.

Good design may get customers in your door, but great content keeps them from walking right back out again.

When you implement both good design and solid, valuable content, you’ll double the power of either of these elements alone. Don’t rely on design alone to communicate your message.

Design is not about you

Don’t make design decisions based on personal likes or dislikes. Make them based on what appeals to your target market, and the colors and forms that will best communicate your message.

If your target market thinks yellow is an appealing, fresh, happy color that endears them to your services, then it doesn’t matter that yellow is your least favorite color.

When you let your site or materials reflect only your personal tastes, you’re risking your design not resonating at all with the people you want to bring to your business.

Check your ego at the door and think about who you want to sell to.

What are their problems? What colors, shapes and content will appeal to them?

Let those answers inform your decisions far more than what you personally like to look at.

Design won’t work miracles

Don’t expect miracles from your graphic design. It’s definitely a valuable part of creating your business’s image, but it’s not a substitute for a sound marketing strategy.

A great design is a wonderful package for what you have to offer. And packages matter — a lot. But there always has to be something good inside the package.

Do your homework first and start thinking about your design only once you are clear about who you want to reach and what you want to say. This information should influence every design decision you make.

And by considering those two elements first, it’s practically guaranteed that the pretty colors, typefaces, and pictures you choose will reach out and touch the market you’re aiming for.

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Thoughts? Comments? Drop me a line at jason@ideavise.com or jot down a quick comment below.

Thanks for reading.

—Jason @ Ideavise

Filed under  //   2010   business   copywriting   customer   design   jason lombard   marketing   may   message  
Posted May 4, 2010
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Why Worry About Design?

Companies which hold design to be a core business virtue performed better financially. Here's a quote from the article over at BusinessWeek.com:

[Two fellows from] Northeastern University's School of Business, have conducted research in conjunction with DMI, the Design Management Institute, on the financial performance of design since the mid-1990s. They evaluated financial performance by using traditional financial ratios, such as return on assets and net cash flow to sales, for the sample period. They found that firms rated as having good design were stronger on virtually all financial measures from a practical and managerial perspective, as well as from a statistical perspective.

The full article can be found here.

Filed under  //   december   design   statistics  
Posted December 6, 2009
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Ideavise Press Release

Long Time Cycling Industry Professionals
Launch Professional Services Firm
Focused on the Needs of Small Businesses

November 10, 2009, Colorado Springs, CO — Industry professionals Jason Lombard and Brian DeLong are proud to announce Ideavise, a professional services firm. Their new venture is focused on bringing cost effective design, marketing, brand positioning and technology solutions to the small business market.

Capitalizing on their in-depth knowledge of the bicycle and outdoor industries, the Ideavise team offers stand-alone services such as; print and electronic design, broad-based marketing, brand identity consulting, as well as integrated business technology solutions. Ideavise also specializes in mobile web app development, website design, ecommerce implementations, email marketing and more.

Ideavise clients also enjoy the benefit of communicating through a single point of contact— even across projects that would normally involve several different companies. “One of the ways that we add value for our clients, is by saving them time and money through streamlined communication,” says DeLong, Ideavise Partner and Project Director. “Instead of trying to manage a vendor for design work, a vendor for marketing and a vendor for website implementations, we’ve established a company with the resources to accomplish each of these tasks. This saves our clients time and energy, and allows them to focus on running their business.”

In an ongoing effort to improve the level of service that their customers receive, Ideavise recently hired key positions to increase the depth and bandwidth of the team. Lending her unparalleled interpersonal skills as well as an extensive Mar/Comm background, Jackie Petro has joined Ideavise in a Marketing and Public Relations capacity, and Del Kahre brings his extensive programming expertise spanning multiple platforms, languages and operating systems.

Now entering its second year, Ideavise is proud of the strong relationships that they’ve built with top-tier industry companies, as well as their commitment to giving back through work with several industry associated non-profit agencies. “We’ve been excited and highly motivated by the response that we’ve received,” says Jason Lombard, Ideavise Partner and Creative Director. “It’s incredibly rewarding to have the opportunity to work with such an exceptional group of clients and more importantly, be able to build long term relationships—which is always important with brand strategy and technology.”

About the Company

Drawing on over 20 years of collective experience at cutting-edge companies, Jason Lombard and Brian DeLong noticed a void in the market. During their tenure at brands like Santa Cruz Bicycles, Light & Motion, Carmichael Training Systems and Fox Racing it became obvious that large-scale agencies existed to satisfy the needs of sizable companies, while smaller companies went largely unserved. Additionally, they noted that this void spanned multiple channels including that of the retailer, the distributor and the manufacturer. In response to this need, Ideavise was born in 2008 as a full-service identity agency specializing in design, marketing, brand positioning and technology solutions. With offices in Colorado and California, the Ideavise team works with clients all over the United States.

Ideavise can be contacted at (719) 355-3579 or via their website at http://www.ideavise.com.

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Filed under  //   applications   brand   branding   brian delong   consulting   cycling   del kahre   design   ideavise   industry   jackie petro   jason lombard   marketing   mobile   november   public relations   small business   technology   value  
Posted November 10, 2009
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