Pointing you in the right direction
Digital signposting leads new companies to the services designed to excel their brand and push business boundaries. Find answers to three common questions asked about digital design and the future of your business.
A holistic approach goes a long way, incorporating many aspects of business and branding into a melting pot of experience and expertise. It’s a design ecosystem that serves both me and my clients, and an approach that stays true to my values of a business with dexterity and diligence.
In many ways, I am a digital sign-post. I use my expertise to connect my clients with those who can add value to each and every project. My niche is often just that - pointing you in the right direction.
With half a decade in the business, I’ve had a fair few questions come my way - these three always seem to pop up in one way or another. I’ve put together a couple of starter tips for those struggling with time and budget to help get them started.
“I’m starting a company - where do I begin?”
Research your competitors! Take a good look at what they do and how they do it. Think visuals, language, and graphic communication.
Get a website up and running, you can always go back and make edits later. If you’ve got an idea you want to showcase you could look into a Squarespace site, they provide good templates starting at just £15 a month.
If you’re developing an MVP (minimum viable product), start talking to someone you trust, and write your ideas down. Taking the time to reflect on your thoughts pays dividends.
“I haven’t got much time, money, or experience, but I’ve got a great idea.”
First things first - get your domain! Jump on Google domains and buy your very own “.com”. A very real but easy first step for just £10 a year.
This problem is often found in those selling a product or a service, and so would be tied up in the eCommerce world. I’d suggest looking into Shopify - you can get a site set up in a few days and work from pre-existing templates to develop a striking home page with real value. Remember - it’s a work in progress, things can (and should) change.
Once the sales start coming in you can take the steps to invest in a custom design that will simply ‘re-sleeve’ your shop front. You don’t need to start from scratch to develop a pre-existing template site on Shopify into something custom and bespoke - It’s never too late for a digital makeover!
“I’ve got the resources, but I’m not keeping up with my competitors.”
Get feedback and ask your audience questions. Listening to your demographic provides invaluable insight into the world you’re trying to support.
Map out your story and vision. Take the time to understand your mission before working on the collateral. Guidelines are the core to any good business (we love a good Brand Bible here at HT Design).
Language is as important as visuals - if you can get both of these right you’re flying!
As always, I love chatting with businesses both fledgling and established to talk about how I can help their visions and aspirations become a reality - book a call to tell me where you want to be in 5 years and we can go from there!
