How to encourage your target market

I’ve been talking to my daughter Josie about marketing and how products are sold to customers. She is very astute and keeps on referring back to my business. Her main question is: ‘Who, exactly, are your customers, Mum?’ and I’m afraid I had to hesitate! All the marketing advice out there says work out who your customers are and then build your business around them. I suppose I have to find potential customers to match each of my products (at least I’ve pruned those down in recent years) – not exactly the right way to go about it.

I can say I am looking for organisations who want to have information, publicity and promotional material in paper form using graphic design, eg membership organisations who would like to have a well designed newsletter or magazine to promote themselves to their existing and prospective audience, or small businesses who would like to have some paper marketing material to promote their services or products in a colourful and eye-catching form to their target market – but how do you say that in only a few words?

Josie and I have been Christmas shopping and one place she took me was the Build a Bear shop in the Oracle in Reading. A fascinating place as regards marketing goes – and I got Josie to try and analyse them for me. She was aware of the range of different bear skins to choose from, the fun idea of stuffing them yourself, going to a computer to name your bear and get a certificate for its ‘birthday’, and then choosing your outfit for your bear. She recognised the fact that the rich range of outfits would encourage bear-owners to come back ‘for more’, the upselling of other products in the form of accessories for your bear or finding a ‘companion’ for it, and the layout of the shop encouraged young prospects to enjoy their time there with bright colours, ample space and fun activities during their stay. When she asked me where were the same ideas in my business I realised I had a lot of thinking to do!

Obviously I can’t be the same as a bear shop, but I can make the process of visiting my website a more enjoyable experience. Why not offer an insight into graphic design, the different styles of paper marketing material, the potential of each commodity in relation to small businesses or organisations? I need to encourage my visitors to my website to ‘do’ something rather than just ‘surf’ and disappear, through offering freebie information packs and a well-written newsletter explaining and reminding its readers about my services. Undergoing research to find out more to impart to my readership, and to enhance my own experience and design work, will, of course, benefit everyone. What a positive way to look forward to the New Year!

Can packaging turn your customers off?

The Friday business profile in the Reading Evening Post is an excellent opportunity for small businesses to get some free PR. This week a couple who sell special fruit juices have taken the slot. Everything sounds wonderful (and probably tastes that way too) until I looked at their packaging.

I honestly couldn’t tell these cartons contained fruit juice - they looked more like men’s toiletries (shower gel and shaving cream) or – worse – something out of the back room of Ann Summers. The majority sported black backgrounds (with a couple of white ones) with a swirly motif that is reminiscent to the patterns made by swinging those fluorescent rings around that you buy at Guy Fawkes night.

How do these designs relate to fruit? OK, they probably wanted something that stood out from the rest of the fruit drinks, so a design with large images of the fruit in question wouldn’t have caught any customer’s eye. But a black background does not suggest something edible (or drinkable), unless you want to smear it all over your body…

Another look does reveal a description of the flavours on the front, which is the only saving grace it has to suggest it’s a drink. I may not be a brandist, but attractive, edible colours adapted from large, mouth-watering images or using a clever twist with the font from the descriptive words and the fruit colour in question would be much more conducive to achieving a sale.

The moral? Don’t disguise your product, or dress it up so it’s unrecognisable. Blatant, in-your-face designs which say exactly what’s on the tin have always succeeded in the past, with good reason. And keep them clear, concise and uncluttered - overuse of fancy designs can easily obscure your message.

Facing up to Christmas too!

As a continuation of my last blog regarding portraits on business cards, I’ve just read a blog which suggests including your portrait on Christmas cards so that the recipients remember who it is from, considering how many other cards they will receive at that time of year. And to save it becoming fodder for the paper-recycling box, include another item as an aide memoire or provide an action so they contact your company in the New Year.

Facing up to networking

Has anybody thought about putting a small portrait of themselves on their business card? Three reasons why came to mind: 1) so the recipient of your card wouldn’t have to rack their brains to remember what face was associated with this card after a networking meeting, 2) if you were arranging a meeting to, say, discuss a particular project or tout your new product, the other party would know who to look out for across a large hotel foyer or busy coffee shop, preventing the red carnation scenario, and 3) if someone wants to telephone or email you, having your image in front of them can help making that initial contact all that much easier…

Does anybody else have another reason for having your face smiling forth from your networking material?

How images can work better than words

Driving from an event, I noticed a van in front of me. It was coming up to lunchtime and my stomach was rumbling, exasperated by the fact that pasted on the back windows of this van were the most wonderful pictures of various breads and pastries. It was obviously a baker’s van, but the imagery was so powerful, you could imagine the interior packed to the gills with warm, yeasty rolls and sticky fruit buns dusted over with icing sugar.

What a wonderful way to advertise their wares. Just a logo and name of the company would not have had the same impact…

Alice’s Action #2 – Keep Your Images Relevant

My daughter Josie commented recently on some leaflets: “Shouldn’t the picture be relevant to whoever picks it up, so to grab their attention?”

She’s right - aim the visual aspects of your advertising towards your target market. Don’t reflect your personal favourites and be careful about your business’s image. The customer is king (or queen) and everything should be geared towards them and their preferences.

Take a good look at the pictures in your marketing material, and get feedback from your friends or past customers, to see if they work or not.

Sign up for more Alice’s Actions from my website.

Alice’s Action #1 – Clear Directions

Clear signage is vital, especially for directions, corporate identity and general awareness.

Take time to consider how clear your company really is. How does the outside world see your business? Are you recognisable? How simple is it to contact you? Are these details clearly visible? Can you be easily found? Are you approachable and/or welcoming?

You can sign up for more Alice’s Actions from my website.

Technology – does too much affect marketing?

The world moves on so rapidly, and so much is now possible in the world of technology, there is always the urge to use everything that is available. It’s like being a child in a toy shop: Everything’s wonderful! Wow, look at that! How does that work? That’s really impressive! I want one!

But it’s like my soup blog, you can’t put everything into the pot and expect it to taste nice. However weird and wonderful it may seem, is it really necessary? Does blinking adverts and moving images really make a difference? Do they not annoy and divert the customers’ attention from the true purpose of your website? And the spiders on the web interested as well? You may find they totally ignore them and do nothing at all for your SEO!

Moving gallery shows are only effective if used wisely, like promoting a book or showing examples. Opening your website with them totally defeats the object, for unless your surfer has time to wait, boredom or confusion will set in and they’re off. But if you do use a gallery, situate it in a clear background and large enough screen, thus avoiding unnecessary squinting, peering and on-coming headaches.

Another gimmick is to have wide-screens with rolling Powerpoint shows. This can be impressive, but care needs to be taken presenting your information, with concise text, simple backgrounds and each page not over-full to allow the reader enough time to read it before it changes. Don’t go mad with all the special effects available, as this contributes to cluttering and can look amateurish. A few well chosen simply produced styles can easily aid effective absorption of your message.

People have different attitudes to technology – the younger set react more to the possibilities and, as well as understanding them better, want to use them all the time. But taking a step back and choosing wisely, considering which one is the best use of money, time and resources, will allow your audience to enjoy your marketing, respond favourably and serve their purpose.

Is all junk mail bin-fodder?

More junk mail plops through my letterbox this morning, but two leaflets catch my eye:

One is promoting a furniture store – acres of brown background with tiny, indiscriminate photos that would require a magnifying glass to study what they contained in any detail, plus whited-out text in tiny letters crammed into the corners as if they are an afterthought and you’re not really meant to read them at all. The same hideous design continues inside the brochure, except that some pages have butterscotch backgrounds which means the white text blends in nicely and illegibly like cream. If there are any headlines I can’t see them, the benefits or incentives are non-existent, and the whole effect is a 1970s look which I haven’t decided is meant to be retro or terribly out of date.

Alternatively, the other leaflet is wild and whacky! It folds out into a cube-net (a cross of six squares) and each side provides a benefit/feature of the product, plus excellent pictures for recognition and tear-off discount vouchers for your next purchase. The images are simple, colourful and fill each square brilliantly, the main message is clearly put across with legible, concise text in a readable font, and because it’s different you want to explore the whole product to see what’s next or on the other side. There isn’t a beginning or end, but that doesn’t really matter, as the product is presented smack bang in the middle so you can’t miss it! The whole leaflet is just fun, and such a breath of fresh air!

Conceptual Considerations

More ideas gained through networking! Discussing what you do with all those business cards and leaflets you pick up at these events, my friend suggested promotional literature that is already hole-punched for storing in files, and the information could be designed around the holes. Also, why not have a tag on the side that sticks out further than the rest of the paperwork which contains recognisable details for instantly accessibility. Trouble is, this could be more expensive to produce; I will let you know my thoughts on this later after some try-outs.

Simple Soup Solutions

We’ve all heard the saying “too many cooks spoil the broth”, so does that mean the broth contains too many ingredients? If your stew-pot had all your favourite foods mixed together, do you think it would taste nice? Could you define any of the individual foods from the concoction?

Usually simple procedures are the most effective. Soup made from mushrooms with a hint of garlic and a sprig of fresh parsley is extremely tasty, and you can appreciate that it is mushroom soup and not a disgusting mess.

Now take a look at your promotional material. Is it easily digestible? Does your message present itself effectively? Would an alien from outer-space understand exactly what your company is all about? Is the meaning of your literature obvious at a quick glance? Are the contact details easily accessible? Is your logo clear and your strapline relevant and punchy? Are the benefits of your product/service instantly desirable?

Select your ingredients with care, because the proof of the pudding (or soup) is in the eating.

Separating Subject Matter

I’m always collecting leaflets for research purposes. I had to get my spare tyre replaced (the car’s, not mine!), and while I waited, I noticed the literature the garage had on display. Two factors were brought to my attention: the first was a repeat of the concept stated in a previous blog about cluttered versus simple information, in this case tiny dense writing in wide columns compared with clear diagrams of tyres with appropriate explanations and guides.

The second concept was something I had learned from a recent marketing course, which had spawned from the idea of headings and well laid-out details beneath: separate topics presented on individual leaflets and displayed together as a set. This series of A5 glossy sheets were collated within a tiered-leaflet-holder, each exhibiting their subject in clear, concise and uncluttered terms using the corporate colours and corresponding imagery to best show off their contents. These were suitable both as a group or individually, as customers were able to choose which were the most useful to them.

This concept of separate leaflets enables you to focus on individual benefits for customers and how best to present your solutions in an easily digestible form. Appropriate incentives can then be displayed to entice the public in, each relevant to the subject concerned and updated on a regular basis. Jumbling them up into one 3-fold leaflet may not enable you to adequately get your message across, and is far less likely to get read and understood.

Kicking into Touch

I am always pleased when I come across great design, especially when it’s an upgrade from an existing product. I would like to draw attention to Karen Skidmore’s Kick-Ass Blog, which has been most successfully redesigned by Claire Raikes of the Business Blog Angel. I particularly like the snazzy logo-links that direct the reader to other parts of Karen’s website, large, bright, bold and very inviting - you just want to click on them to see where they go.

Having just totally redesigned my own website, it now looks very bland compared to Karen’s blog. I’ve noticed other sites with brightly coloured links that entice you to take action - you certainly can’t miss them and curiosity always wins in the end. Another ingenious way to get your customers past the index page!

Spacious versus Squashed

I picked up two leaflets from my local gym, both advertising beauty therapies. The difference between the two was not what they did, but how they were presented.

One was crammed full of all kinds of treatments, listing all her services from manicures to makeup sessions, waxing to massage, eye-lash tinting to collagen treatment – busy, busy, busy. She obviously felt she needed to list everything with her prices, but the result was very difficult to focus on. The titles were the same size as the descriptions, with no line-spaces between, and used a difficult colour to see against a white background. Very small pictures were dotted around filling any spaces there were left. It was difficult to navigate to the next section, and the concertina folded effect added to the confusion.

By contrast, the other didn’t have so many options to choose from, so she was able to space them out with little explanations and proper headings so you could find your way around her leaflet. There were definite themes, prices were properly laid out (not mingled in with the text), and careful folding defined the package and incentive page to tempt her potential customers. Her choice of colour contrasted nicely with the white space, and her logo was simple and modern (the other didn’t have a logo). Even though she didn’t have so many treatments on offer, I had more confidence in her as a therapist.

Two factors here: one is, obviously, not to bombard your customers with too much information in your publicity material, as it can be off-putting; and two, be more selective in what you advertise so to present a more professional approach. The second therapist may offer just as much as the first, but her customers will find that out once they pass through her doors…

Corkily Clear

Last month I attended a seminar on how to present yourself properly. A speech therapist gave a thoroughly humorous talk on how to use your voice, and at one point he produced a load of corks, which he handed out to us.

Well, the mind boggles on what to do with your cork, but apparently we had to put them in our mouths, hold them with our teeth, and then read out from a sheet. After sounding very silly for a while (this exercise certainly sorted out the more self-conscience in the audience) we then removed out corks and repeated our speeches. Wow, what a difference! Freed from the hindrance of the cork, our annunciation had greatly improved, especially for me, as I usually get my words all in a muddle when reading out loud.

The moral is, if you need to speak more clearly, keep a cork in your handbag! Now, how does this relate to creating publicity material…?

Visible logos that make an impression

Just a quick blog to say how impressed I was with a particular lorry that drove past me the other day. On the side was the logo of the company, the name clearly written in big letters and the strapline that concisely described what the company was about, plastered effectively across the side of the vehicle. It was a pleasure to see.

Business cards and necessary content

At a recently networking event I met an interesting man from a psychology-based company. He told me about this particular man and his use of business cards.

He had two versions of his business cards printed. One had just his company’s logo, name and nothing else, and the other had the same plus his contact details. At networking events, he decides which one he wants to give out according to the kind of person he is talking to.

If he is interested in the person, he gives them the one with the contact details. If the person just routinely asks for a business card, he gives the other one. If the recipient just pockets it, it is obvious that they were not interested, but the ones who are genuinely interested look at it and question why there are no contact details, he takes back the card, whisks out his fountain pen with a flourish, and writes his details on the back of his card using his best calligraphy. This provides a personal touch designed to impress.

Interesting idea - but would it work for you? Sometimes the distribution of business cards at networking events can be haphazard and do you always remember which one goes with which person when you get home or retrieve them the next morning? Especially when you want to email follow-ups…

Another idea I heard if you want to make an impression: wear a large badge which says something like ‘Hi, my name is Alice‘ (obviously substitute your own name) and see what reaction you get - it could be interesting!

Punctuation within Presentation

During lunch with a friend (and past customer) the other week we discussed the lack of punctuation and grammar in writing nowadays. My schooling started at the beginning of the decline in literacy education, whereas my friend, being more mature, still remembered fondly ‘how English was taught correctly’ and bemoaned how many discrepancies she saw about her. We both particularly mourned the misuse of the apostrophe, especially within plural usage, and how it can totally spoil literature or promotional material.

She’s quite right, of course. I can think of some quite high-powered people, teachers even, who should know better and misuse their apostrophes left, right and centre. And there aren’t enough readers who will either notice or know how to correct it properly.

Bad grammar provides an unfavourable impression, and adds to the illegible factor that litters publications in so many areas. Signs and banners are particularly prone to this affliction, due to insufficient grammatical training in their authors. There is nothing worse than seeing a beautiful design ruined by a hideous spelling mistake right smack in the middle! And all due to ignorance of correct punctuation within presentation.

Clear logos – fashionable versus concise

Logos are difficult things to create. Yeah, anyone can make a logo, but is it effective? Does it send the correct message? Do your customers ‘get’ it? Does it truly reflect your corporate image? What is its target audience?

And above all, is it clear? Logos in the past were fussy, old fashioned things, following tradition and spawned off coats of arms, etc. Now they have to be instantly recognisable, snazzy, fashionable, easy to produce, look good in black and white, powerful yet unassuming. That’s why logos are difficult things to create.

Everyone’s talking about the new London Olympics logo. And above all, how much it cost. Does it do anything for you? It certainly has benefited from the ‘yuk’ factor, as bad press can create good publicity. But is that a good thing? Is it sending us the right message? Do you ‘get’ it? Is it clear, concise and uncluttered?

Take a good look at your logo and put yourself in your customer’s shoes. Consider if it could be made clearer, more recognisable, simpler even. Are the colours right? Is the font fashionable? Does it consist of meaningless initials, or would an image be more appropriate? And, for photocopying purposes, does it still look good in monochrome?

And then all logos should be accompanied with a catchy strapline, but then that’s a subject for another blog…

Branding - some thoughts

Branding is not what I do, as it’s not the same as graphic design, so I would rather leave that to the professionals! But I always sigh when I hear of how some companies have had the wool pulled over their eyes regarding branding.

One lady asked at a networking forum for ideas of how her firm could receive more recognition. They were just a step below the most popular companies yet were of the same callibre.

The first thing, which nothing could be done about, is the name of her firm, which was longwinded because it changed accordingly to its location, but the most recognisable and consistent element consisted of initials within a very boring design. I asked if her firm had a strapline - to which the answer was in the negative. What had they got that was memorable? If you consider all the companies we can remember, it’s either a clever logo, a personality associated with it, images like a nodding dog or very pink ladies, or a catchy strapline, in either 3, 5 or 7 words, that succinctly describes the product or service.

The alternative to a strapline is to get the representatives noticed when out networking - making them stand out with their personalities, networking pitch, information attack, incentive and gift presentations, colour of uniforms, or whatever.

The lady’s firm had recently hired a branding company to raise up their image, which resulted in a large advert in a relevant national newspaper (at great expense) and adverts placed on the sides of taxis. I wilted inside, as I expected the wording on that newspaper advert was probably inadequately stressed towards gaining publicity - banging on about their features and how brilliant they are, whereas they should have concentrated on their benefits for their customers, offering a solution to their pain to help them towards a better life. The taxi idea was a complete farce, as who has the ability to recognise a boring logo (and no strapline) on a fast-moving vehicle, or even bother to absorb it during a traffic-jam.

Recognition is gaining relationships, creating memorable images and straplines, getting brilliant PR in the relevant press, publicising all the benefits your company has with stories of how they have helped your customers – I’m sure there are lots more, but they certainly don’t include fancy ads and taxi-paint!

Postcards and clear presentation

At a recent networking meeting, someone showed me their quick sketches for some postcards they wanted to produce. In spite of the fact that they were going to see someone else about getting them designed and printed, I gave them some small pointers to consider during their meeting.

First, the pictures on the front. Each had an obvious subject which I felt was not highlighted enough. The eye of the reader should be drawn unconditionally towards that subject, which should either be placed centrally and largely within the space provided, or slightly to one side with the ratio of 3:5 if the background is important. Avoid irrelevant background or white space which detracts the eye from the matter at hand. Wording should be carefully placed so to not obstruct the content, and should be in a colour and style that is legible. If the picture is strong enough then words will not be needed, and can be saved for the reverse.

On the reverse of the postcard, there isn’t a lot of space for copy or text, so the reader should not be bombarded with irrelevant material. First thing to think of is a really good headline, which could make or break your promotion. Remember to put yourself in the shoes of your customer, and consider exactly what their needs are. Try forming a question so that the answer will be yes, and put the most important words at the beginning and the end.

Then work out what the benefits, not features, are of what you’re trying to say. Analyse your customer’s pain, and then focus your benefits as the solution to their pain. Avoid any jargon - use ordinary English. Present them as a series of bullet points, as these are much easier to read, especially for a busy person scanning your postcard. Again they should make your customer say yes.

Next should be a call to action. Not only should you tell them to go to your website or whatever, with a given time to respond, you can offer them an incentive or vouchers; people like gifts or something for nothing. By driving them to your website you can then gather their details so you can form a relationship with them in the future.

And don’t forget to make your contact details clear and placed in an obvious position, and there’s nothing wrong with repetition. If a customer can’t see how to respond, what is the point of the postcard in the first place?

Backgrounds - how can they be made clearer?

During half term my parents treated my family to a London activity, which issued specially designed tickets for entry. While enjoying a cream bun in the café, we examined these tickets within a graphics point of view.

The first thing which struck us was that it wasn’t easy to read. OK, the wording was reduced in size to fit the ticket’s dimensions, but the combination of the black background and white writing decreased the legibility factor, especially for the more mature audience whose eyesite isn’t as good as it once was. This trait seems quite popular at the moment, as I can think of one programme of events that is totally black with white text – I suppose it’s considered trendy (especially amongst male designers) and is designed to make the pictures stand out more.

Background colours should be carefully chosen so not to swamp any wording (for example a pale grey background and white writing) or make other colours ‘jump’ (put red and green together and see what happens). White is certainly safe, but it can also be boring, and sometimes a nice neutral colour will highlight the contents or design. Also be careful with some colours on a white background, red or yellow for example, as they can make words illegible.

Background images shouldn’t be stronger than the foreground or main content, therefore diverting the reader from the purpose of the publication. Logos or pictures can be ‘greyed out’ or made more faded, with a strongly coloured and catchy title ‘pinging’ out in front. Be careful of intricate backgrounds that distract or confuse the eye, especially with a frequently repeated pattern.

And moving backgrounds (as in websites) are a complete no-no!

Spacing - can this be cluttered?

Another concept of ‘clear, concise and uncluttered graphic design’ is the subject of spacing.

But I would like you to consider whether a piece of designed work is ‘cluttered’ or not by taking a look at the amount of ‘white space’ in it.

There are mainly two kinds of design to consider: those who don’t have enough, and those who use too much!

OK, perhaps there is a lot of material that needs to be crammed onto a small sized page. Sort out what are the most important areas that need to be highlighted to grab the reader’s attention (like headlines and dates), either through colour, shapes or banners, and and slot the corresponding material beneath. Using columns can create white space and a format to force the eye to go in the right direction, as shorter lines enable quicker reading, like as in a ‘newsletter’ scenario. Pictures, although extremely useful, must not overlap, obscure or fall behind the text, and a fancy background accompanying a lot of information, especially if it needs to be absorbed, can be distracting.

Now white space also is important between lines in the text and before and after headings. Neither should be too close to each other, and it takes an ‘eye’ to visualise how much is needed. A great tip I was told was to hold the page in front of you and screw up your eyes. This will show what merges together as a grey (or coloured) haze. If there is too much, then everything is too close.

Some designs have masses of white space, absolutely blinding you on the page. But then where is your content? Is it presented in a tiny font, ‘cleverly’ positioned in a corner somewhere, either with a huge or equally tiny picture or image, and you have to hunt to find the information you crave? If a reader has to ‘work’ to receive the message, then you’ve lost them.

Design should make it easy for the recipient to understand exactly what you’re trying to say in a legible and easily readable format, eye catching and instantly recognisable. Never mind about fancy imagery, leave that to those who have more money than sense.

Newsletters - unclutter the corrections

One continuing project I have is to design the Reading Cycle Campaign’s quarterly newsletter.

Now there is always something that has to go in last minute as contributors have second thoughts, some research comes up, developments materialise, or a gaff has to be corrected! Even the smallest amendments can create massive changes to the layout, and this has to be accommodated in a seamless fashion.

That’s why I work with Quark XPress. This may be deemed a little old fashioned by some designers, but I have complete faith in Quark when it comes to magazine work. I find other publishing packages are lacking in basic requirements to ’squeeze that extra bit in’. I’ve worked with Quark for many years, and during that time I’ve developed the skill to cope with any amendment that falls on my lap, process it efficiently and create the necessary effects so that it looks like nothing has happened at all!

This ties in neatly with my own campaign regarding ‘clear, concise and uncluttered graphic design’, which all depends on how dexterous you are in making totally unnoticeable changes.

Watch this space, as I’m sure I will be making further comments on this subject in the future!

Alice

Presentation points

At a recent networking lunch I was cornered by a woman who asked me about how to make a presentation.

After I had sussed that she didn’t want to use Powerpoint and technology wasn’t an option, I decided to go for the more simple approach.

First, fully research the customer. What I mean is, find out their ‘pain’, what is missing in their company and what is needed to improve it. Does your business offer a solution to their needs? What can you give them that will relieve their ‘pain’, fill in the missing gaps and benefit their company?

Next, how would you deliver these solutions? Hone them down to about five or so specific benefits (not features, there is a difference) and explore them thoroughly to make them fool proof. Develop each concept or idea to introduce them separately to aid comprehension.

Make up a presentation pack consisting of a laminated cover with your logo, contact details and title of the presentation on the front, using your corporate colours. Each subject of your pitch should be presented on separate pages, using clear imagery, graphics, flow-charts, pictures, examples or whatever is necessary. Each page should be either encased in plastic or printed on high quality paper/card to give it a professional feel. Compile a version that you can leave with your audience so they can show their colleagues and discuss it later.

When delivering your pitch, consider that the listener has to digest what you are saying. They will need time for the concepts to sink in, so speaking slowly is essential. This means that you don’t have to dumb it down, simply leave a small gap between the introduction of a new idea, and then explain it in another way to drive the point home. The visual impact of your presentation pack will also aid your explanation.

Allow an opportunity for questions. If you’re clever, you’ll have thought up what questions they might ask in advance, and have prepared answers. If not, careful thinking on your feet, again taking your time, will be easy if you’ve done your research properly.

Again, I want to stress how important it is to unclutter your presentation. Clear, simple pages employing one point at a time is so much easier to understand. Avoid clever graphics, confusing backgrounds, conflicting colour schemes and multiple fonts - simplicity is the key here. Putting your logo sympathetically on each page with your strapline (if you have one) can be a good idea, as long as it doesn’t swamp the content. And pay attention to the copy - check your grammar, spelling, vocabulary and syntax to maintain professionalism. And get more than one person to proof read it – preferably someone not involved – to iron out any mistakes.

Alice

A BBC Experience

My good friend Cheryl asked me to accompany her to take part in a BBC Radio Berkshire broadcast with her. Apparantly ’strong’ women were requested to answer a few difficult questions in a lunchtime programme. This sounded a bit unnerving, but I felt that a chance to publicise my business to a potential audience for free should not be passed over, so I agreed.

The questions themselves were probing: What is the rudest thing anyone has done to you? Have you ever broken a confidence? What is your most used excuse? This was a little worrying, I didn’t want to paint myself into a bad light, but neither did I want to seem naive or weak.

The trouble is, my name, Alice, means honesty and truth, and I try to adhere to this as much as possible. This has, of course, got me into trouble now and again, as there are so many unscrupulous people out there who can spot an honest person from miles away and rise to the challenge! Being ’streetwise’ or business aware can help prevent this, as can gaining experience and learning from your mistakes. Listening to people, absorbing their knowledge, retaining necessary information and then implementing it for your own purposes to further your own ideals.

Anyway, once inside the BBC premises I had a chance to learn more about business. Learning from successful organisations and studying what it is that makes them so is a great way of improving your own. Take their logo, for example. It’s clean, crisp and simple, authoritative and fashionable, using their own font and colours which can be adapted accordingly. Having total recognition helps, of course, but I often think a logo should explain what it does without the viewer having to work too hard to understand it. And this is also reflected in the way the corporation works too, providing a professional approach that is recognised throughout the world and sets it apart from its competitors.

And why can’t this concept should be used in your business too? I believe clear, concise and uncluttered design can maximise the potential of publicising your organisation. Sometimes the most simplest of ideas are the most effective, eliminating red herrings, eradicating confusion, and cleansing the background to bring out what is most important. Let simplicity and clarity (and honesty) shine through!

Alice

Contracts and Con-Artists

The other week I had a bad experience with a customer who refused to pay his bill.

Even though the episode left me with a bitter taste in my mouth, the best thing was to view it as a lesson. The answer is to be totally covered on your side, otherwise there is no chance (or limited chance) of redress.

First, trust your gut reaction. I had a bad feeling from the beginning; I was suspicious that it needed to be done by the end of the week, and then there was the distinct lack of information as to exactly what was wanted. I drove out to Henley to meet them to find out more details, and even then it was still vague and unhelpful – I know that people have trouble in describing what they really want, but when you’re greeted with a dismissive grunt from one and distracted ideas from another, what is a girl to do?

Second, get concrete details from the beginning, in writing, preferably on a contract of agreement. This I failed to do, just relying on my written notes taken at the first meeting. The whole project was a ‘rush job’, with the deadline within six days. This means I would have to work over the weekend, which I am willing to do if necessary.

What I gathered that was needed was: high-class invitations in an art deco style on very good quality paper rolled up and secured with a flower clasp, and tickets on thick card with a specially designed bar code and the back in black with the nightclub’s flower logo placed centrally.

But one thing was not made clear to me - the flower clasp should be made of A REAL FLOWER and secured with a gold pin! (Hang on, I’m a designer, not a florist! When a client mentions a flower clasp, I presume it’s made of card or paper, not organic matter! And wouldn’t the flower rip with the gold pin and wilt over the weekend?)

As the week progressed the demands varied to include corks placed inside each end of the invitation (luckily this couldn’t be sourced in the timespan available) to sealing each invitation flap in wax above and below the flower clasp (this would have taken a further six hours to do, especially without an appropriate seal). I persuaded them to abandon these ideas.

Third, get your customer to accept and sign a contract of agreement, so that all parties understand what is expected of each other for the project concerned. If a deposit is required to cover any production costs, this should be paid before work should continue.

I didn’t do any of these things because of the timeframe. But I did email proofs of the design to them and personally deliver a mock-up of the invitation and ticket so that they had an idea of what would be produced.

The delay caused by their disinterest in replying to my emailed proofs meant that the deadline was extended by a further three days. Without an advance deposit I got the invitations and tickets printed and spent another weekend preparing them. They were delivered by hand on the Monday to an empty nightclub with only bemused cleaning staff to let me in, in spite of a pre-arranged time for collection.

I received a phone call a few hours later to say that no payment would be forthcoming because the products were totally unacceptable. The quality of the printing was inexcusable, the paper and card were of extremely bad quality and not what they were expecting, and the flower clasps were not real flowers (the first time I had heard of that requirement).

As far as I was concerned, the paper was the best quality I could source that would roll up tightly without becoming creased or split, and the card (at 350gsm) was as thick as could be produced without incurring higher printing costs. And as for the flower clasps… (!?!*@%)

Without any contract of agreement, and only an invoice as my paperwork, I was on dicey ground. They were big men and there was only little me. Another thing – I was so upset I failed to collect my work from them immediately. I subsequently heard on the grapevine that some of my tickets were in circulation in spite of me not being paid. I phoned up the nightclub owners who were emphatic that the invites and tickets had been put in the bin. When I then said I was coming over to collect my work, they changed their tune and said my work would be ready to collect (when they had said only minutes earlier that it had been destroyed). When I collected them it was obvious that all the tickets were not present.

If anybody out there can provide me with some help as to what to do next, I would be very grateful. Business Link have been extremely helpful, but their advised me that because of my lack of paperwork, and the nature of these nightclub managers, it would be difficult to get my invoice paid, and taking this matter to the small claims court might be expensive for me without any guarantee of success.

Please contact me through my website: http://www.alice-designs.co.uk, or through this blog. I look forward to hearing from you.

Alice

Good Websites - what does that consist of?

This subject had recently been brought to my attention through a blog in which I read about what makes a good website. There were many points about how websites are produced that hit a nerve, so I had to reply to put forward my opinions on the matter, and I would like to share these now in my blog.

“Did you know that the average time it takes for someone to ‘read’ a website is three seconds?” This is quite correct. I monitor my website through Google Analytics and most of my ‘visits’ are less then 10 seconds. So why is this? It’s all to do with how your market your website and the content on the first page. Your website should only communicate to the potential customer and not rant on about your business. Try substituting every ‘we’, ‘I’ and the company name with the word ‘you’ in order to put the customer first. People are only interested in find out what is in it for them and how they are going to benefit from what’s on offer through your website.

A clean, clear and uncluttered front page (I have yet to perfect this even with my own website) should contain excellent copy that in less than 10 seconds will describe the customer’s benefits and then intice them what to do next (for example, find out more by clicking on these links). This may make the difference between disappearing within three seconds or the customer going further into your site and finding out more about you.

Once they’re in, then navigation is SO important. Time again have I gone into a website, got confused and not been able to find my way out again… so I just quit. What is wrong with the back button being designed into the site, ‘breadcrumbs’ at the top of the page so you know where you are in the site (offering a sitemap shouldn’t be the solution), and incorporating your main links throughout your site’s design? My site will be extending much further in the future, and the reader will always be able to get to the homepage in one click and get to another part of my site in just two.

Websites with fussy designs, clashing colours and being more concerned with how pretty or tendy it looks all detract from getting your message across. Yet using good, simple design can compliment your website as well as help the surfer to quickly gain what they are searching for.

I often think that the use of colour is important in a website. Use the 3 colour rule: black (or grey) text, and two other colours, either complimenting (like dark and light blue, see the BBC website) or contrasting (like opposite colours or, by using Photoshop, changing a few of the colour’s numbers to see what other comparable colours you get, you will get a nice surprise!). Oh, and keep the background white, then nothing will clash, get swamped or disappear into those dreadful black backdrops that seem to be so popular. Simplicity always makes things much more legible.

Readers want to find their information quickly and not have to wade through confusing menus or images. This can be prevented by properly thinking out the navigation of the website beforehand, to create that overall shape of the website. Then create your page layout to accommodate the links so that they continue or repeat throughout the website, without destroying the design or corporate image. Use Photoshop to create colourful yet complimenting gifs or jpegs to use as links, which should be self explanatory and can be adapted accordingly for each page or wherever the site leads onto.

Flash introductions into websites are just annoying, and you usually find the surfer has gone before that dancing cartoon has finished playing! And some of these little ‘opening shows’ require extra software, which if you haven’t got, you can either download (do you want to?) or you cannot get into their site! What a waste of time and another opportunity to quit within 3 seconds.

Another thing I find useless are front pages before going onto the proper homepage. In one particular site I went to, I was confronted with their logo. ‘Now what?’ I thought. It took me about 3 seconds to work out that I had to click on it to continue. Even ones that gradually dissolve to reveal the front page are annoying, when all you want to do is just to quickly find out the information you want.

I hate the idea that there should be moving images and little film-shows on websites, they are so annoying. You don’t have to follow the fashion, just because it’s now possible to have this. Having moving images won’t capture the reader’s attention, if anything, it puts them off and diverts their attention from the real message in hand. Some sites have little gallery-shows of their examples, which are extremely exhasperating as each image comes up in succession and the reader cannot go back to see something before until it comes round again. It doesn’t allow a proper look at what is on display and can be very irritating. All you have to do is to clearly place each example on an appropriate page with either an opportunity for a larger image or an accompanying explanation and a link to the contact page to bag your customer.

What would be interesting is your views on this. Do you like jazzy inserts and fancy images on websites? What makes you enter a website and stay there? Have you ever really thought about it? Is clear, concise and uncluttered web design a factor for you?

I look forward to hearing from you.

Alice

Strategic Alliance Partnerships

I had been giving a lot of thought to what it is like to be a Sole Trader, especially after receiving Business Coaching in the summer. Working for yourself may be attractive because you don’t have to answer to irritating bosses, put up with annoying colleagues and perform mundane projects that give you no satisfaction or don’t allow you to show what you really can do.

But as a Sole Trader it can seem that you are totally alone; there’s no-one to bounce ideas off, discuss new projects, back you up in your ventures or pick you up and analyse things when they go wrong; even the smallest thing can seem enormous and get out of proportion and nobody can guide or prevent you from going off on the wrong track. The learning curve is huge, mistakes can sometimes be disasterous, challenges are real challenges and simple things like writing a business plan and working out a marketing strategy can be very daunting.

I learnt that forming a Strategic Alliance Partnership can provide many advantages. By combining firms or people’s businesses they can add value by making each other aware of their services and products; combine resources to jointly attract new clients; create an increased profile and marketing awareness; lighten each others’ workload by delegation; motivate each other’s businesses; provide a bigger response, larger discounts and a faster service; increase marketing penetration; enhance competitiveness; recommend others as consultants and work with multi-suppliers on a project; develop new business opportunities and expand marketing developments; diversify the businesses and skills; and hone in and challenge any existing ideas.

The next thing I have to do is to think about this and do some more research. And look at my business and see if what I have to offer so it will be attractive to another company or person and whether it would be possible to combine to offer a particular package or service in addition to their existing ventures.

Watch this space!

Alice

Buddies for Start-Up Businesses?

I met a very nice lady at a networking evening and as she came from just around the corner from me we met up for a cappuccino. She was just starting out her business and was very keen to get as much information as possible. While I was relaying all the information I knew to help her, I saw that she was a wealth of information herself, especially in networking opportunities and marketing workshop details, and we talked continuously for over 2 hours!

We have been meeting regularly since then, simply to pass on information and help each other. Having this ‘businsess buddy’ has been invaluable in bouncing ideas, filtering bad and irrelevant material, directing each other to important websites and other marketing information, and providing general backup and encouragement.

Information for start-up businesses is either brilliant or downright lousy, as it is a post-code lottery as to where you start up. Sure, there are lots of websites out there providing marketing information and networking opportunities, but not all these are accessible for women starting their business with not much funding and children to look after. I wish there were more networking meetings during the lunchhour and at more reasonable attendance rates - why does everything have to be geared towards making lots of money? Where’s the altruism? Money will come later, once you’ve got the goodwill of those who you are in contact with, and even if they can’t afford your services at the time, they will surely refer you to others who can.

Does anybody else out there have a business buddy? And what do you think about this concept?

Alice