Embracing Canva to Scale Your Creativity

As a designer, I used to scoff at the idea of using Canva for real design work. I thought it was mostly just people using the templates provided, which resulted in the same “look” all over social media. However, Canva has evolved into a powerful tool with many sharing capabilities you can’t get with Adobe products. 

The first time I really considered using Canva as a tool for my everyday tasks was when more and more clients started wanting templates that they could edit themselves. Editable PDFs are clunky and hard to edit without the right software, but I still wanted a little bit of control over what clients would be sharing on the internet.

Enter Canva... 

Empowering Team Members to Create

Canva lets you share a special link, similar to Google Drive, that enables the client to edit text, colors, and more. This makes it a simple process for me to design and hand off, saving both parties time in the long run. 

Canva also enables team members to make really simple graphics themselves. This takes the simpler tasks off my plate and empowers everyone at the Squad to get creative. I’ve heard rumblings that certain team members even enjoy this newfound “power.” 

Embracing the Possibilities

I wanted to learn all of the possibilities this new tool could offer. It’s a similar process to learning Adobe software for the first time. All these buttons and tools within the tool do really amazing things. I first turned to Youtube to dive into all the possibilities with Canva. Canva even has its own channel that was a great resource for learning the more specialized tools. 

I also watched a few other helpful videos - linked here:

There are definitely some things in Canva that are lacking, namely being able to make gradients or custom shapes, but for the most part, it is useful for simple social graphics, flyers, or presentations. Creating and handing off is very simple and takes less than 30 seconds. Canva has been a game-changer for graphics that my team and our clients can easily edit.

If you need design help for your business, let's schedule a time to talk!

Website Design: 4 Things Your Website Should Have

Your website is the hub for your business presence online, which is why today we're going to chat about our approach to website design and the 4 things your website should do.

There are many tactics that help connect a potential customer with your business, such as email or networking events. Hopefully, those things eventually direct someone to your website because it’s not only a library of information about you (hopefully info that resonates with them), but it’s also an experience. It allows someone to experience your business even if they aren’t in physical contact with your building, product, or service at that time. You're missing the mark in your sales and marketing strategy if you aren't talking about your website.

A big thing we do when we sit down with a company to work on their website is start with the homepage. We have 4 questions we ask that your site should answer. They are:

  1. What problem do you solve? 
  2. How do you solve it?
  3. What makes your company special and unique?
  4. Where do I start?

1. What Problem Does Your Business Solve?

You have just a couple seconds to capture someone's attention when they land on your site or they’ll leave. Make it clear what problem you solve so the visitor knows if they’re in the right place. They shouldn’t have to scroll several times before they’re able to determine what you do. It should be in the first frame. 

People will quickly leave a website if it’s not functioning properly or designed poorly. But they will also leave just as quickly if they don’t identify with what you can do for them.

The more you know your audience, the better you’ll be able to present what your product or service offers them. Don’t be afraid to tap into the internal problems for a person too. If you’re a plumbing company, for example, you could show someone repairing a leaky faucet. That’s a great visual. Your value is demonstrated by the fact that you can fix an annoying leak. However, in a competitive market of plumbers who can all fix leaks, many individuals have experienced a lack of reliability or honesty from a plumber. This may be the problem you want to identify with.

2. What’s your process for solving the problem?

The second question your website should answer is how are you going to solve a person’s problem? This is important because most people want a plan. This allows them to visualize the steps to achieving the solution you’re promising them. Make it simple. We recommend conveying the process with a numbered list when you can. Like this:

Step 1: Request a Plumbing Service

Step 2: Get help from a reliable plumbing expert

Step 3: Experience plumbing peace of mind

3. What Makes Your Business Special?

What makes your company special? Chances are you have competition. You're not the only person in town doing what you do. At this point in the prospective customer’s walk through your website, they know you can solve their problem. You’ve shared the plan or process with them. But are you any good at it? Can they trust that you’re going to offer them the best?

Trust is one of the biggest factors in a buying decision. That’s why reviews are such a normal part of business today. The goal is to establish yourself as a trusted guide. Show them you’re an authority on the subject. Empathize with their needs or problems.

As we’ve already alluded, one of the best ways to accomplish this is through other people talking about you. Testimonials, reviews, and other types of recognition are more convincing than you boasting about yourself. Don’t just say it, show it!

4. Where Does a Customer Start?

The final question we answer on a website is where to start; the next step a new customer can take. You may have mentioned this to the visitor when you outlined the plan, but if you didn’t make it extremely easy for them to take that first step, then all your other efforts fall flat.

A button they can click or an obvious number to call, these are some of the clearest signs for where to start. That should also be accompanied with a strong call to action. For Amazon shopping, it’s the “Buy Now” or “Add to Cart.” What an easy action! For you, it may be “Schedule a Free Consultation,” a call to action that incentivizes the visitor.

Order is important too. In a brick and mortar retail store, the register is up front with nicely lit signage. The arrangement of the floor tiles and aisles usually direct people toward check-out too. 

This same kind of science applies to a website. We want to give people several pathways to take the big action you want them to take. Also, an average brain will expect a button in the first or second section of the homepage. It’s also common to have a smaller call to action in the top right corner above the navigation bar. 

You should also give them the opportunity to take action at the bottom of the page too if they want to explore your entire homepage first. They shouldn’t have to scroll back up to take action. Give them another doorway already there for them once they’ve looked over your homepage.

When it comes to calls to action, remember not everyone is ready to buy or schedule a consultation. That might be your primary goal but it may be too early in your visitor’s decision-making process. That’s why they need a transitional step too. We call it a transitional call to action. Invite someone to learn more or to ask a question. Give them a chance to download a resource because that can keep them connected with you or build trust and authority which will likely lead to a buying decision later on.

Donald Miller, author of Storybrand, describes it like flowers and a ring. In a dating relationship, you may have both to offer. You could ask, “Will you marry me?” But they may say, “I’m not ready for that.” So you offer flowers instead and ask, “Will you go on another date with me?” to which they say yes. Asking them on dates over a period of time makes them more likely to say yes when you pop the big question. 

On your website, you want to make both the flowers and the ring available because you don’t always know when someone is ready to make a decision. Be thoughtful in providing a way for someone to stay engaged if they’re not ready to buy.

Some of the best ways to do that are with free downloads of helpful content in the form of ebooks, infographics, or case studies. 

Designing Your Website

As a graphic designer, it’s my job to be sure the questions we answer on your website are done with excellence. It should be visually appealing and uniquely branded for your business. Everything should be functional with no errors or confusion, because that makes for an immediately bad user experience.

I like to feature an awesome image or video loop in that first section of a website. Video is more popular than ever on websites. We also want to convey what you do – aka, what problem you solve – in just a few words in that first section. The image or video should complement that message. 

We want to be sure your navigation makes sense and that all the links in it – and throughout the homepage – are working correctly. We have to think about how things look on desktop versus mobile too. 

If you’re thinking of redesigning your website or creating one for the first time, it’s also a good time to assess your brand as a whole. How do people experience it? Have you nailed your messaging (who you are, what problem you solve, how you’re different)? It’s important to consider how people are already experiencing your business on social media or through your sales team. The website should have that same experience.

If you’re struggling to answer these questions about your business right now, we’d be happy to walk you through refining your branding. We’re also going to follow our own advice above by showing you how easy the process is for you to obtain a new website. We’ve been helping businesses in this way for over 10 years.

  1. It starts with a call with our VP of Business Development. (He’s committed to helping businesses like yours grow so he’d love to hear your goals.)
  2. Then, schedule a free consultation (or free assessment of your current site).
  3. Begin partnering with our website team to create your website masterpiece!

If your website doesn’t answer the 4 questions above and if it’s not producing leads, we should talk. It’s time to get serious about this important asset that could make or break your business.

 

It's 2019, you don't need to read another blog telling you that website design matters. The layout, the imagery, the graphics, the fonts - it's all important for attracting customers, conveying authority, and building a brand. You know that, and you might even know your website design needs some love. The Squad can help with that. But what few people truly get is the impact of user experience.

Website user experience (UX) is the user-based journey through your site – there are many different pathways for a user to take, but you want each one to be a unique and enjoyable experience. For businesses who want their website to be a lead-generating tool, UX is even more crucial. The website UX must lead users through the process of understanding who you are, the value of your product or service, and what to do when they're ready to make make a buying decision. Without thoughtful UX, your website is just a collection of words and images that don't aid the potential buyer in their journey.

Why Website User Experience Matters

UX not only informs how users perceive your website but also your company from the get-go. If the user experience is negative, they will not stay on your site very long and will instead go searching somewhere else - on your competitor's website - and you're left with no conversion and no sell. Negative UX also leaves a bad taste in their mouth for your brand. Sure, someone may have heard raving reviews of your company, but when they visit your website and don't have a path to follow that leads them to your great product or service, they will turn away with expectations unmet.

Positive user experience, on the other hand, facilitates trust and communicates reliability. When a user reaches your website and from every angle the UX is thoughtful, helpful, and enjoyable, then their website visit will result in new subscribers, relationships built, increased engagement, lead generation, and ultimately, revenue and customer satisfaction.

When you make a decision, how do you want to feel? You want to feel confident, you want to feel good. Your website users are the same way, and your website UX generates a feeling as users navigate your website. You want that feeling to correlate with how your business should be perceived.

If the user has a genuinely good time navigating your site, they will be more likely to engage and more likely to share their experience via word-of-mouth or online which is great for business!

How User Experience Impacts the Design and Development Process

As a designer, I’m considering a lot more than just how a website "looks" when I create the website mockup. I’m putting myself in the user’s shoes to figure out the best flow and ease of use.

Sometimes, functionality and design don’t play nice and my job is to work through that to find the perfect solution. Recently, I was working on the mockup for a product page that demonstrated just how important it is to consider UX from all perspectives. The desktop-version displayed a large, beautiful image of the product at the top of the page and had callouts to specific product features that the user could click to be taken down the page to learn more. It achieved the goal of enabling the user to see how the product worked as a whole, while still calling attention to the unique features of the product.

Yet, this experience wouldn't work for a user on a mobile device. The callouts wouldn't size well and length of the page would require the user to scroll excessively with their finger. I talked through the problem with one of our web developers, and we ended up finding a solution for a mobile version that was both functional and yet still designed to meet the goal of the page.

That's one benefit to having a team of designers, developers, and strategists. We are able to work together to craft the best UX for each unique website we create.

Throughout the process, the most important thing to remember is to make the experience enjoyable enough for the user to act, engage, or react!

4 Ways to Improve Your Website User Experience in 2019

Improving website UX doesn't have to mean redesigning your entire website. UX can be improved in new and fresh ways throughout the life of your website. Here are just a few ways to refine your UX:

  • Have multiple employees, or even past customers, test the UX of the site and give feedback on anything that could be improved
  • Figure out which pages of your site have the highest bounce rate or users spend the least amount of time on and improve the UX there
  • Double check that the mobile versions of each page are on point - mobile sites generate more than half of all website traffic so it always needs to be a part of the UX
  • Good UX across all platforms is a win too, so make sure UX is consistent between your social media accounts, marketing emails, and website

If you want to learn more about website design and user experience in the wild, check out our Website Wednesday posts where we pullback the curtain on recent websites we've designed and developed. The Marketing Squad is a full team comprised of designers, web developers, digital strategist, and content creators who are dedicated to exceptional UX. If this post has got you thinking about where your website UX falls short, maybe it's time you work with us.

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