creativity

Three Ways to Make Your Web Designer Totally Love You

September 27, 2017 by Jessica Goddard

I’m sure you’re aware of how important your website is to your brand. That’s probably why you’re throwing down big bucks for an uber-talented web designer. Did you know that how your project turns out largely depends on you? How can you maximize your investment and make your web designer love you?

Commit Time

You are an essential part of the design process. No one knows more about your business and goals than you. You are the expert.

Your web designer will need quick, well thought out feedback from you during the web design process. Your responsiveness will not only affect the speed of the project, but also the quality.

So, commit time to your designer during your project. Just because you are hiring someone doesn’t mean you won’t have any commitments. Ask your designer when you can expect to see her work and schedule time to review and provide feedback.

Keep an Open Mind

There is a reason you hired someone else to design your website. I’m sure you did lots of research and picked a designer who not only has an amazing portfolio but also has a personality that jives with you.

In a web designer, you are not only hiring a creative mind, you are getting years of knowledge and a custom process. Be ready to follow their rules – I guarantee you will have a better result for it.

Your web designer may have suggestions for your site that go against what you imagined.

[bctt tweet=”Trust your web designer – what you want may not be what you need.” username=”jess_creates”]

Speaking of, if the design looks totally different than what you’ve seen before – YAY! Your designer is going to make your business stand out (and that’s a good thing).

Provide Copy

Your designer is bringing a lot to the table, but you have some heavy lifting to do as well.

Typically providing copy is your responsibility. It’s also the #1 thing that slows down a web design project.

Make a plan for how you’re going to create and provide copy. Are you going to write it yourself? Are you going to hire a copywriter? If so, you should coordinate the projects so your copy is ready to go when your designer needs it.

Depending on your designer and your business, you will probably also need to provide images and/or videos. Don’t forget to make a plan for these as well!

Are you ready for a committed relationship?

Have you found a designer you love and trust?

Do you have the time and money to invest in this project right now?

Do you have quality copy on-hand (or at least a plan for creating it)?

If you answered yes to those three questions – great! You’re ready to make your web designer totally fall in love with you.

Interested in reading more about being a star client? Check out You’re My Favorite Client by Mike Monteiro.

Why does your website need to be unique?

September 22, 2017 by Jessica Goddard

How many websites have you seen lately with beautiful flat-lay images? What about a color palette of white, blush, and gold? Any hand-lettered logos? How many of those brands stand out in your mind? Is your brand unique enough to stand out?

Now, before you get upset with me for calling out the trends above you should know – I think they are beautiful. I’ve even designed sites with those elements.

[bctt tweet=”When there is no differentiating factor in brands they all. look. the. same.” username=”jess_creates”]

You may think you should be doing the same thing as your peers because you have the same dream clients. You may get swept up in the beauty of soft colors and perfectly styled images. I’m here to tell you why being different is so essential.

Increased Engagement

I’m going to assume you want your brand to stand out. You want to draw people in and make them excited about what you do and what you’re selling. You want to build trust and engagement so they keep coming back for more.

How much engagement do you think you’re going to get when your users are bored. As humans (and millennials, probably) we are naturally drawn to new and exciting things – brands included. Draw people into your brand by standing out.

Connections with Dream Clients

We talk a lot about dream clients and obviously our brands should be enticing and welcoming to those that we want to serve. It makes sense for most wedding photographers to have a brand that is light and friendly as that coincides with the wedding trends of today. However, there should also be something that sets you apart from all of the other wedding photographers that can be represented in your branding (with or without including blush and gold).

One of the most talented photographers I know, CaptureMeCandid, uses black and orange in her branding because she is known for creating edgy, unforgettable images. Talk about connecting with her dream clients! I’m going to challenge you to dig deeper into who those people are (and who you are for that matter) and discover ways your brand can be different to help attract your dream clients.

Memorability

You may not know this about me, but I have a really hard time making decisions. I tend to do a lot of research prior to making a purchase. That research usually involves having an excessive number of tabs open at one time and then abandoning the whole process when I feel overwhelmed. But, just because I’m not actively researching I’m still thinking about my purchase. And do you know which options tend to stand out in my head long after I’ve looked at websites? The unique brands.

A unique brand will remain in the minds of your dream clients long after they have seen your website or social media post. This means they have made a connection worth remembering and next time they stumble upon your business there will be an emotional connection and you will have a leg up.

So, please, stop trying to be just like everyone else. Find what makes you unique and let that flow into every aspect of your brand. Having trouble figuring that out? That’s what strategists and designers are for!

Three Reasons You’re Web Designs All Look the Same

September 21, 2017 by Jessica Goddard

I spend a lot of time on the internet (surprising, huh?), and much of that time is spent looking at the websites of my fellow creative ladies. I have noticed something websites are all starting to look exactly the same, and I have some thoughts on why this has happened.

I’m dishing out a little tough love, so I want you to know that I am 100% guilty of creating websites that aren’t award winning marvels.

Reason 1: Designers aren’t aware what is possible.

I have been creating websites for almost a decade and in that time a lot has changed. The limits of web design and development are being broken every day. What once was impossible to achieve is now an exciting opportunity.

Designers have been told for years by web developers that what they designed was too difficult to implement. That’s not the case anymore, but designers are still restricting themselves to what they believe are limitations of web development. Stretch the limits of your designs without fear of restriction.

Reason 2: Designers are limited in their ability to develop unique designs.

A lot of us do lots of different things, but we are usually better at one thing over everything else. I’m going to assume your special gift is design, and development is your Achilles heel (if you even venture there at all). As a designer who also develops you are probably limiting yourself to all-in-one WordPress themes and builders which allow you to stay in your comfort zone of design. Developing your own work is limiting your designs.

What’s the solution? A web developer, of course! By finding a web developer that you can truly connect with and form a partnership, you can finally have the freedom to push the envelope on design. Now, some things may still be impossible (or just not good practice), but a good web developer will work with you, guiding your designs and finding a solution that is both unique and functional.

Reason 3: Designers are copying too much.

Good designers copy; great designers steal. – Pablo Picasso

OK, before you get mad at me because you think I’m accusing you of infringing on copyrights and being totally unoriginal – I’m not. I’m assuming that you start most of your projects with research. You learn about your client’s business, their dream clients, their aesthetic, and their competitors. In that search you are inevitably going to look at lots of websites and you (and your client) will gradually start to gravitate toward implementing a similar design.

So, the tricky part is performing the research without letting it influence your design. You can start by getting to know your client’s aesthetics outside their business. Find out what kind of images they are drawn to from a large collection that is totally unrelated to their work. Find out where they like to shop, how they decorate their home, etc. To keep yourself free from outside influence it will probably help to come up with a (new) creative process. Get out away from your desk, let your mind wander and come up with the craziest, most unique designs before reigning yourself back in.

I have talked a lot about pushing the envelope on design, but I feel like I should put a disclaimer here, because ultimately the purpose of design is to meet a goal. One goal is certainly to make brands stand out, but we must also create functional and accessible websites that are meeting the needs of our clients and users.

So, what are you going to do to help your designs stand out in the crowd? How are you going to make a lasting impact in the minds of your potential clients? Please help me in creating a more unique web with exciting design and implementation.

Six Steps for Naming Your Business

September 12, 2017 by Jessica Goddard

You have a great business idea, now you just need a name. There is so much to consider when coming up with a name for your new venture – domains, social media handles, recognizability, potential for growth. Ah! Today I’m sharing some of my tricks for coming up with a great business name.

Brainstorm. Write down every word that describes your business and you. Try not to restrict yourself, this is the fun part. Be sure to include any made up words that you or your kids may have coined.
Cut. Go through your list and start crossing out every word that just isn’t going to work. Consider any negative associations words may carry for your potential clients.
Merge. Start putting some of those words together to see what you can come up with. Consider making a name that is encompassing enough to let people know immediately what you do, but not so restricted that the name can’t grow with you.
Research. Now that you have a list of names that you like, start researching their feasibility. Are there other companies that are already using the name(s) you love? Are you finding bad press related to your potential name? Cross off any names that haven’t made the cut after this phase.
Claim. Now it’s time to make a name your own! I like to start with domain names. Choose your favorite domain registrar (mine is currently GoDaddy.com) and start plugging in those business names to see what kind of domain names are available. I still opt for .com whenever possible, but I’m also a fan of .co, .club, and .love. Really any extension will work if it has the right meaning and tone. Once you have an idea of what domain names are available (and probably crossed out a few business name ideas because of it) start checking out those social media profiles. Try to pick a handle that you can use consistently across all of the platforms.
Decide. Ok, the time has come! Look at your list, taking into account available domain names and social media handles, and pick the business name that feels the most comfortable to you. Trust your gut and go with it. At the end of the day, you are what’s most important.

I’ve been through this process a number of times for my own business (and business ideas) and while it’s never easy, it certainly helps to have a method to the madness.

Curious how I came up with the name MOOSH Creative? Well, the “creative” part is pretty self-explanatory. “MOOSH” was the word my then two-year-old daughter would say when she was trying to get our big lazy dog to move out of her way. Now I get to think about her whenever I’m working!

How I Discovered My Hidden Blocks to Success

September 1, 2017 by Jessica Goddard

I recently attended a conference in Raleigh, NC called Creative @ Heart and it totally changed the way I see myself and my business, but not in the ways you may expect.

When I signed up for C@H in February 2017 I had decided to niche down my business. My plan was to focus all of my marketing efforts on designing and developing websites for creative female entrepreneurs. In order to do this, I needed to connect with some women (my ideal clients) and this conference seemed like a great way to do that.

Time went on (as it does) and things shifted (as they do) and by the time the conference came around in August 2017 I had decided to completely shift my business, focusing all of my efforts on bringing the designs to life as a working WordPress website.

As the conference got closer I began to dread attending.

I, a self proclaimed “non-girlie-girl”, was going to be spending 3 days around 130 women in a sea of light pink and glitter. I kept telling myself that it would be good for me to practice networking and that I might learn a thing or two about business. If nothing else I’d get to enjoy some time away from my kids, living an independent life once again.

My days (and evenings) at C@H were spent meeting inspirational female business owners, listening to heartfelt speakers talk about authenticity and intentionality, watching fellow attendees crying with joy and sadness, and witnessing countless women share about their lives and their struggles.

As the event came to a close women all around me rushed around to say goodbye and give hugs to those with whom they had shared their hearts.

In those last moments I found myself standing there alone. I had no one to say goodbye to.

There was no one in that whole room that I had made a connection with that warranted seeking them out and say goodbye, so I left. I got in my car and drove the the three hours back to Charlotte – sobbing the whole way, flooded with built-up emotion from the days preceding.

Now, I’m not usually a very “emotional” person so this surprised me (and my husband).

During the drive and in the days following I listened to my heart to figure out what had made me so emotional. What I realized is that most of the struggles in my business have nothing to do with time and knowledge (my consistent excuses).

My struggles are vulnerability and confidence.

Blogging and social media have always been an uphill battle for me because it requires me to be vulnerable, to put myself out there with the confidence to say that I am valuable and “good enough.”

It takes me years to form trusted relationships because I don’t allow myself to be vulnerable enough to make a connection, and I’m not confident that anyone truly wants to connect with me.

I’m not telling you all of this so that you feel sorry for me. I’m writing it because I want to overcome my struggles with vulnerability and confidence.

I want to put myself out there with confidence and purpose. And it all starts with sharing.

Looking back I am so beyond thankful that I was able to attend C@H. If I had not been put in such an uncomfortable position around so many full-hearted women, I’m not sure when I would have realized what’s really been holding me back.