Being an interior designer is a dream job for most people but does come with its share of problems. These are not so much about the job itself but can be more about finding enough clients to stay solvent. This might take some skills you did not realize you would need when you started, but there are tools available to help you.
Deciding where to concentrate your effort, and where to get professional help might seem like yet another task to add to an already full ‘to-do’ list. However, targeting key areas is likely to get you the best results and attract more clients to your door.
#1 Improve Your Website
If you don’t have a website, your first task here is to get one. It doesn’t need to be overly intricate, just somewhere that everybody can see your previous work, and contact you to find out more. That said, you probably shouldn’t take on the task of creating one yourself. Finding a web designer to give your site a professional look is a good investment, as is paying them a small monthly retainer to keep things running smoothly.
If you do have a website, it could probably do with a makeover, as it could be part of the reason why work is currently a bit thin on the ground. If your site is slow loading, clients can’t see what you’ve done before and are likely to click away. On the other hand, you might not be getting any natural traffic to your site, so an investment in SEO could improve matters.
You could also get more traffic to your site using social media. Platforms like Instagram and TikTok have billions of users and are tailor-made for showing off previous projects, and a single post being widely shared can do wonders for your client list. If you don’t feel you have the time for this, you could outsource it, but on the other hand, giving followers insight into your process could make you stand out from the competition.
One piece of content can go a long way by dividing it into ‘episodes’ and before and after reveals can boost your follower count. As you build your following, you could also benefit from promoting brands you would normally work with, like Ikea or Annie Sloan.
You probably already have room designing software, but that might not show you the whole picture. Clients might want to see what you have planned (especially if it means removing or relocating walls) in context to the rest of the house, and for that, you will probably need to go one step further.
Finding the right software that creates everything in 3D and provides links, so your clients can look from the comfort of their own homes, might seem difficult. If you visit this website, you can get a better idea of what is available from a premium brand. Using top-of-the-range software also creates a good impression with your clients, who know you are taking their projects seriously.
#4 Don’t Underestimate Local Advertising
While the majority of your efforts are likely to be online, you mustn’t discount the appeal of old-school local advertising. This can range from newspaper advertising to using local radio. You will be targeting people in your area, and this might work out cheaper than a Google Ads or Facebook advertising campaign.
You could also look at getting local free publications to feature you, by giving interviews, or simply distributing a press release with plenty of pictures of your previous projects. This could be in a church magazine or one of the local hobby groups.
#5 Work for Free on a High-Profile Project
Working for free doesn’t sound like a good move toward increasing your turnover but picking the right project could raise your profile significantly. It could be a charitable cause that is close to your heart, like a children’s home or pet rescue, where your work is featured in the press far and wide and creates a win/win situation for you.
Of course, you don’t want to do this too often, as you don’t want to be just known for doing work for free, as this attracts the wrong type of attention from those who expect you to do the same for them.
To Wrap Everything Up
Being an interior designer is not just about design – it is about finding clients too. Your website plays an important part here, as does your social media presence. You can raise your profile by advertising locally or being featured because you worked on a high-profile project. When this gets the attention of new clients, you can use the best 3D design software to show what you can do for them, to make sure you seal the deal.
