What’s your problem? You may not like to admit it, but we all have problems (or two or three big problems…) And today I’m going to ask you what they are because they’re holding you back.
Let me start from the beginning.
When you look to invest in brand and website design, you expect a certain level of guidance. You know you’re coming to me because I create beautiful, aesthetically pleasing designs… a client experience with great results and that makes your life simple. Maybe your friend at networking got a shiny, new brand and website and now you want one too.
So what does that look like?
Outside of looks (and money), building a website requires digging a little deeper! So much so, that it can all feel a little overwhelming at first. There are suddenly a lot of questions and a lot of choices about “what you want” and “what you need”. There are options for messaging, colours, fonts, imagery, content, social media, shop building, email marketing and so on…. How do you know what the right thing to do is?
You don’t know because you don’t know what your problem is.
That’s where I come in!
And I’m going to be asking you: What’s your problem?
And I mean the problem that led you to me – (I’m afraid to say global warming is a little out of my single-handed problem-solving abilities). What was that one thing that sparked your journey, a moment where you realised something wasn’t quite working, or there was something you were struggling with and decided I was the right person for the job?
Clients come to me saying they’ve been told they need a brand and website, but they haven’t worked out the full picture – the why or how they will do it. There’s a difference between having a brand and website and knowing how to use them effectively. You know you need to make sales; you know you need to draw people in because that’s what gets you and your work out there, sure. But, should you do all the things?
- Make a freebie…?
- Start a sign-up list for your newsletter…?
- Build an online shop…?
- Start a podcast…?
Well, the answer to that is (over time) maybe yes – but right now? No. Doing them all at once right now, won’t move the needle forward. It’s better to do one thing well, rather than all the things badly.
I say this because as much as we like to give people options (as a self-accepting people pleaser myself, I know this one only too well!) – people actually behave best when they’re given one simple, targeted instruction that speaks to them. And you will speak to your best, most ideal target audience with a simple, specific and targeted message. As you probably know, trying to speak to everyone, means you’re speaking to no-one. So, think about who your audience is? Where you want them to go. How do you want them to feel. What do you want them to take action on – what is the goal?
So in order not to overwhelm your audience, and before you consider doing all the things, Just pick one focus, one thing to move the needle forwards. Once you’ve done that… pick the next thing. But only start with one!
So, sit down and work out the one thing you’re trying to achieve. The single purpose of building your brand (and/or) website.
How do you choose your one thing?
This, we can work out together. A strategic process to decipher how we position your offers through brand and website design. Here’s some prompts to get you started:
- What’s your big problem?
- What’s most important to you/your business?
- What stops you doing “that one big thing you know you need to do”?
- What can bridge the gap between you and your perfect customer?
- What will make this project a success to you?
- How do you know you’ve solved “insert big problem here”?
There are more, but these are a great start to helping you work out what’s important right now, what will guide your success metrics and where to start to reach a resolution for your problem.
When we truly find out what your biggest problem is, we can create a goal-driven and beautifully made brand and website that together homes in on moving the needle forward and driving your growth (or whatever you need it to). Knowing that problem is the best way to make sure your brand and website are doing their job and functioning in the best possible way. It is also the most helpful way to start a project like this because you are already creating project goals and points of success.
Let’s not forget… that over time your goals will change. Your brand will grow. Your website will need a different focus or functionality to support you. What you pick today as your main objective won’t be the same in 6 months, 12 months, or 2 years from now. You don’t have to sign your life away, but you do need somewhere to start from.
As I said, it’s not always clear what your biggest problem is and sometimes an objective point of view can help you find it. If you’d like that support, then, do get in touch!
I offer a free consultation before every project, to give you the opportunity to sit down and discuss your goals and needs. If you already have a website or brand and you need some development work, why not get in touch for us to arrange a brand and/or website audit to help you re-focus your goals and direction.
Looking for more? Check out: 6 ways branding helps you grow your business
Finally, if you’re looking for some guidance on what to do next, or you want to learn more about how I can serve you with branding, websites or book covers, then drop me a message at: enquiries[@]katiebirks.co.uk or contact me.
Thanks for reading 🙂
[Image credit: Daria Nepriakhina, Unsplash]
