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Why Good Design Matters

November 25, 2014SheilaBusiness Tips, Graphic Design3 Comments

Have you ever gone to a website or picked up a business card from a new company only to find yourself dissatisfied or uninterested?

Me too.

Which got me thinking… there’s a lot of talk about what you need to do to create a killer website, or a great logo. But why does good design even matter? Why do you need it?

I’ll tell you why.

 

There’s an intangible value to good graphic design.

It’s more than getting potential customers to remember your name, or even lowering your bounce rate.

It’s about being someone worth talking to and getting your clients and prospects excited and inspired to work with you.

It’s about passion.

Which would you rather have…a customer or client who uses you just because you were there, or would you rather have someone excited to use your services because they’re inspired about what you have to offer?

I know which one I’d choose.

In fact, I regularly turn down prospects who don’t seem very passionate about their own business. Because the fact is, if they don’t care about what they do, how can they possibly get excited about what I have to offer them?

When it comes to your company, your design is what speaks for you when you can’t talk with the customer yourself. Basically, it’s your first date.

 

Graphic design is your company's first date with your prospects. Click To Tweet

 

Your company’s design=first impressions

Remember that saying, that there aren’t any second first impressions? Everything you have that was designed essentially is your first impression. It sets the tone for the kind of relationship you’re building with your prospects.

You can have the best descriptions of your services and features you want. You can have the best products, or even the best prices.

But none of that matters if your design sucks.

It’s true: people will be less likely to take the time to actually review your information and engage with you if your materials aren’t visually engaging or inviting. When a customer sees your brochure or visits your website, everything they see impacts how they feel about your business. Which ultimately leads to how they respond to your business.

So, if you’re still asking yourself:

“Why does how my customers feel about my logo/business card/website matter so much?”

I mean, as long as they are buying your products or services now anyways, why should it matter if your materials are underwhelming?

Right?

Wrong.

It’s simple, and let me tell you why.

 

People do business with those they like, know, and trust

It matters because how people feel about your company’s graphic design determines if they want to do business with you or not. It’s the difference between making the sale, and not making the sale.

The overall look, design, and consistency of your marketing and informational materials says more about your company than all the text, images, and links can ever say alone.

Call me old-fashioned, but like many people, I only want to work with companies that I know, like, and trust. And, it just so happens that those are some of the intangible feelings you can build with good design.

Now, the good news is that it’s not rocket science.

 

People do business with those they like, know, and trust. Click To Tweet

 

You can start building trust and confidence from the moment a prospect receives your business card, or enters your site. But, you’ve got to have an appealing design that sends the message that you’re trustworthy and capable.

So, how do you send the right message?

You pay attention to your design. That’s how.

You have moments to capture a prospect’s attention or keep a client engaged. Do you want to rely on words alone to do all the work?

Yes, speak to them with your content; that’s a given, but also speak with your graphics, your colors, and other aspects of your design. Leverage the value of good design to show your clients that what you provide is the same as what they want, including the experience.

Next week, we’ll talk about how to incorporate all this good design into your small business.

 

Your turn

Does your company’s graphic design show your prospects that you’re capable and trustworthy? How? Have you ever experienced or witnessed a businesses’ graphic design not working?

Sheila

Sheila

Sheila Patterson is the owner and Creative Director behind Apex Creative. GCU professor by day, brand identity expert by night, she loves all things related to design. When she's not creating amazing logos and websites, you can find Sheila tormenting her husband and two feline furbabies, catching the latest Game of Thrones episode, or reading a good book. Naps are nice too.
: clients, customers, design, graphic design, logo, value, website

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3 Comments. Leave new

Jeff Campbell
December 12, 2014 10:36 pm

Inherent in every true designer is a warrior that wants to create great design. Nature provides us with visuals that continue to astound…we try to astound with the talents and tools we are given, mostly from the day we pick up a pencil. we look at every logo, brand, sign, etc. and within our minds, recreate them. it is our nature as designers.

We at times compromise our standards to pay the bills but most of the time, we create beautiful, natural works that bring visual pleasure. We always strive for that. We must always strive for that to be true to our given talent. At times we must compromise…that doesn’t lessen us, it just gives us the webs to do what we do best. Honor nature with what we have been blessed with. Our given talent. Strive on. Cheers! JC

Sheila Patterson
December 13, 2014 12:21 am

Thanks for reading! You’re right–it’s our job as designers to help make the world a more beautiful, harmonious place, while at the same time, striving to meet goals for ourselves and our clients. Sometimes there is compromise, hopefully not very often 😉

Does design matter in small business? | Mayecreate Design
May 28, 2015 3:45 am

[…] of your online identity. Websites are a very important place for design to be fully functional. Sheila Patterson, owner of Apex Creative, said it perfectly: “You can have the best descriptions of your services and features you want. You can have the […]

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