Why You Don’t Need Experience in a Specific Industry to Do a Great Web Design For It

It happens all the time. A prospective customer contacts me looking for new web design but insists that having design experience in their specific industry is a requirement.

That prospective client obviously feels like a web designer can’t do a good job without being seeped in the background of their industry. There’s some logic in that, but it isn’t as important as they think. I have years of experience in web design across many different industries and know that other factors matter more than industry experience. Let me tell you why that’s the case.

Consultation is Key

I have found that learning about the needs of a particular client and company is much more important than possessing years of industry-specific experience. I can design for any industry, including some I have zero experience with, by spending quality time with the client upfront.

This quality time takes the form of a detailed consultation. A consultation provides an in-depth understanding of the client’s business, personality, and tone. It tells me everything I need to know to design the perfect website for you.

What’s involved in a consultation? It’s really nothing more than a detailed Q&A session. Here are some of the things I try to do:

• Assess your needs
• Understand the market you serve, including getting profiles of your customers, demographic information, and the like
• Determine which services provide the bread and butter for your company that could potentially be emphasized
• Find out what services you’re looking to promote
• Understand your company’s pain points, those areas that need growth
• Explore your company’s key differentiators
• Determine your value propositions

The more I find out about your company and customers, the more I can design an appropriate website. I learn by asking questions, and the answers to those questions drive the website design.

Purposeful Design

I am a firm believer in what I call purposeful design. In essence, purposeful design customizes web design to the audience. It’s not about cookie-cutter design or choosing from a set of predesigned templates. Purposeful design is based on the recognition that every creative element in your website design should serve a single purpose – to inform users and guide them toward the desired action.

The web design process needs to align with your overall marketing goals. It builds a website around the needs of the users and online behavior in your particular market. Purposeful design is indeed custom creative.

Concept Before Creation

With purposeful design, the days of “give me three design concepts” are over. Instead of providing a generic menu of design options, you get the one best design for your specific business.

Here’s how I approach a new website design:

• Establish the single best site architecture. I define a clear hierarchy of structure that enables the audience to find the content they want. The user interface is everything and the design needs to be based on user intent.
• Determine the message and write the copy. When creating site content, I always think about the site visitors and what they want and need. I also keep the client’s personality in mind and try to capture the right tone with concise messaging. Communication is key.
• Preserve the branding. The site should always maintain continuity of brand with the approved logo, color scheme, font styles, imagery and so forth.
• Include a powerful call to action. I design each website with a clear funnel and action items that drive conversion. Everything is in service of that goal.

The Result: The Perfect Website for Your Business

JS-Interactive has been designing effective and successful websites for companies across all industries since 2004. As an experienced web designer in Austin, I know how to design websites that work – no matter what industry you’re in. Contact us for a consultation that will result in purposeful design and a true custom website.

Contact JS-Interactive for a FREE 30-minute consultation today!