By next year, an estimated 376 billion emails will be sent and received daily, with over 90% being checked or opened on mobile devices. Therefore, using a responsive template for your email marketing campaigns is crucial.

Designing simple HTML emails is already challenging, but creating ones that work well across all email clients and devices’ varying screen sizes is even more daunting.

Fortunately, several designers and developers have done most of the work for you by creating free, easy-to-edit, and responsive newsletter templates that work on all devices and email clients. You’ll find the best of them below.

Pre-Designed Responsive Newsletter Templates

Briar Free Responsive Email Template

Designed by Slicejack

Briar is a free responsive newsletter template with a simple design. It has been thoroughly tested with Litmus and EmailOnAcid and works perfectly well with all email clients. This template is MailChimp-ready.

Green Village Free HTML Template

Designed by Pixelbuddha

Green Village is a clean pre-designed email template that is suitable for various purposes and business types. The download package includes both a layered PSD template and the HTML source files.

Olivia eCommerce Responsive Email Template

Compatible with almost all email service providers, Olivia is a responsive newsletter template that comes bundled with thirteen pre-designed modules so you can create your newsletter exactly how you want it.

Bussy Free HTML Email Template

Designed by MailBakery

Bussy is a free newsletter template that has been designed with a simple layout and dark blue and soft red color scheme, making it ideal for corporate business.

Passion Free Responsive Email Template

Designed by Pixelbuddha

Modern and clean, Passion is a multi-purpose email template that various business types can use. It is compatible with both MailChimp and CampaignMonitor, and works in all major email clients.

Madeline eCommerce Responsive Email Template

Easy to customize and bundled with nine pre‑designed modules, Madeline is the perfect responsive newsletter template for fashion and eCommerce businesses. You can create your newsletter without writing a single line of code by using the built-in email builder.

MailPortfolio Free Responsive Email Template

Designed by Slicejack

With a simple and clean design, MailPortfolio is a free responsive email newsletter for sending personal portfolio or blogging updates to your readers and followers.

Emailology Responsive Email Template

Designed by Email On Acid

Released by Email on Acid, Emailology is a pre-designed template that offers three layouts that trigger based on the screen’s width. By default, it supports either one, two, or three columns, and as you activate each media query, the template converts to a one-column layout for mobile devices.

Way Mail Email Template

Way Mail is a collection of email templates that comes with over thirty pre-designed modules. Responsive, compatible with all major email service providers, and also includes the PSD templates of the original design.

Creative Boost HTML Email Template

Designed by MailBakery

Creative Boost is a free newsletter template from MailBakery that is fully responsive and tested in all major email clients. It comes with a dark color scheme that would be perfect for most types of businesses.

Free Material Design HTML Email Template

Designed by Paul Goddard

Created by Paul Goddard and based on the design aesthetics of Google’s Material Design, this simple newsletter template has been fully Litmus tested and is completely free to use.

Dazzle Photography Email Newsletter Template

Even though the minimally designed Dazzle newsletter template has been specifically built for photographers, it could easily be edited and used by any creative person or agency. It comes with an online builder, so you don’t need to know any coding to design your newsletter.

Daily Times Email Template

Designed by Email On Acid

The free newsletter template Daily Times is perfect for online newspapers, magazines, and personal bloggers to share content with their followers and readers. It can even deliver dynamic ads when paired with LiveIntent’s software.

Shopilicious Free HTML Email Template

Designed by MailBakery

Thoroughly tested in all major email clients, Shopilicious is a free responsive newsletter template that has been designed specifically for eCommerce stores.

Litmus Responsive Email Templates

Includes 7 Templates, Designed by Stamplia

Designed by Stamplia and released by Litmus, this is a collection of seven pre-designed responsive email templates that have been thoroughly ‘Litmus-tested.’ They also come with the PSD source files.

Barebones Responsive Newsletter Templates

Cerberus Responsive HTML Email Templates

Includes 3 Templates, Designed by Ted Goas

Cerberus is a small collection of robust and thoroughly tested barebones HTML email templates. The Fluid template is percentage-based and shrinks on mobile screens, the Responsive template uses media queries, and finally, there’s a Hybrid template that uses a blend of both percentages and media queries.

Antwort Responsive Layouts for Email

Includes 3 Templates

Antwort offers a small collection of barebones responsive layouts for email that fits and adapts to client widths. The one, two, and three-column templates work perfectly well on all major desktop and mobile email clients. The templates also come with extensive documentation.

Email Blueprints HTML Email Templates

Includes 6 Templates, Designed by MailChimp

MailChimp released this collection of six bare-bones responsive templates, entitled Email Blueprints, so that they could be used as a solid starting point for designing email newsletters. The templates include some MailChimp specific template language elements, but they can be easily removed if you are not a MailChimp user.

Basic Free HTML Email Template

Designed by MailBakery

Designed to be used as a base for your own responsive email newsletters, Basic is a free to download template that comes with just enough CSS and a simple layout so that you can get started quickly.

Responsive Table-Based Email Template

Designed by Phil Wareham

This barebones template has been based on MailChimp’s Email Blueprints and the Email Boilerplate from Sean Powell. It is a responsive table-based email template that includes MailChimp merge tags, but they can be removed if you don’t need them.

Responsive Newsletter Frameworks

Foundation for Emails

Includes 11 Templates

Previously called Ink, Foundation for Emails is a responsive email framework from ZURB that includes a flexible grid system and some simple UI elements for rapid email prototyping. Foundation for Emails also has 11 responsive email templates available.

MJML Responsive Email Framework

Includes 21 Templates

MJML is a markup language that has been designed to reduce the pain of coding a responsive email. Its semantic syntax makes the language straightforward, while its rich standard components library shortens your development time and lightens your email codebase. MJML’s open-source engine takes care of translating the MJML you wrote into responsive HTML.

Bojler Responsive Email Framework

Includes 2 Templates

The Bojler Framework has been built by the team at Slicejack to make it easier for you to create lightweight and responsive newsletters. The framework has been thoroughly tested on numerous email clients and devices.

The HTML Email Framework

Includes 3 Templates

The HTML Email Framework has been developed to help you build responsive HTML email templates using pre-set grid options and simple components needed for building responsive HTML email templates. It support’s over 60+ email clients.

Maizzle Framework for Rapid Email Prototyping

Includes 5 Templates

Powered by Tailwind CSS and a Node.js build system, Maizzle is a modern framework for developing HTML emails and newsletters. The framework doesn’t use tags like row or column; instead, you use real HTML tags that you style with Tailwind CSS’s utility classes.

The post 30 Free Responsive Newsletter Templates for Your Marketing Campaigns in 2025 appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

Every day, new companies start up with the hopes of making it big, but how will they surpass the wall of ads already saturating our lives? How can we make it big without pulling out all the stops?

The answer is simple – it all starts with a well thought-out design. Your brand image is the first thing someone will recognize about you, so make it memorable for the right reasons.

Defining Your Image

As a company and as a brand, what do you want to represent? Taking the time to define your brand will help you to further define your image and design.

The Personality of Your Font

This is how people will relate to your brand and is based highly on your mission as a company.

Who is your target market, and how do you envision relating to them? Let’s consider a financial institution. A neon color palette with curly-cue typeface likely wouldn’t be your go-to. You would likely want something bold, classic and trustworthy – that would convey that people are safe and secure in trusting you with their finances.

The Style of Your Font

Aside from the variety of fonts and typefaces out there, there are other styles to take into consideration. The size and weight of the font is one thing (specifically when used for headlines, titles or logos), as well as whether the font is being used as body text or display font.

Text fonts are used for body text in articles and documents, whereas display fonts are used as headers and logos. Making sure that these separate fonts work cohesively and respond to size variances (print advertising vs online use) should form a major part of your plan.

Calendas Plus is a fantastic display font.

Planning For the Future

Just as you take styles into consideration, you should also think about how you would like your brand to grow and expand in the future. Just because you’re starting out with an online brand doesn’t mean you shouldn’t think about how one day you may want to expand to offline formats.

Some fonts are designed to be purely web fonts and some are designed for print – so if you have big dreams to take your logo or brand offline in the future, you will likely want a font that is a combination of the two.

The Genericons Icon Font.

It may take only a few simple tweaks to make the font appropriate for other channels, but knowing ahead of time can save a lot of extra work down the line. When searching for fonts, it may also be useful to find a font that has not only lettering, but symbols/glyphs included as well.

These extra design resources can be helpful when adding a bit of flair to your work, and will keep the designs fluid. You can browse a variety of fonts and bundles online – so spend some time finding your perfect fit.

Color Palette

Color plays a huge part in the design of a brand. Color and design, while intertwined, work hand in hand to create a memorable experience. Let’s take Apple for example – not only do you picture the apple logo (which is easy to recall), but a clean white design also springs to mind. Their brand is based around clean simple design – which spreads throughout all of their products, stores and website and is quickly recognizable.

Choosing a palette that represents your company – be it shades of green for an eco-company, primary colors for children’s toys, or perhaps neutral colors for a financial institution – helps to further convey the personality of your business and brand. Using colors that instil a memory or emotion in your audience will make your brand more recognizable.

Concluding

Whether you’re a firmly established business or just starting out, you’ll be striving for brand success. We need to put in the work to make good font choices in preparation for their success.

By taking the above points into consideration, you’ll be well on your way to choosing the best font for your business. Taking care to relate each element of your brand strategy to the overall plan for the business – including future plans – will increase the staying power of your brand and prevent the often hindering re-branding process that many companies find themselves in only a year or two into their launch.

Put the time in to create a timeless brand, and you’ll save yourself a lot of effort and money in the long run.

The post Why Fonts Matter To Your Brand appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

Today’s business owners know a great website is an important part of their marketing toolkit, and since this is your career you should have an awesome website yourself. While a great site is critical for a web designer, don’t depend on it as your only marketing tool.

Whether you are a novice designer or already have a good book of existing clients, gaining new clients is vital to the ongoing success of your business. Use these offline and online tips and tricks to find clients in unusual ways and keep your freelance web design business growing.

Disclaimer: Yes, these methods require some old-fashioned face-to-face communication. However, they are effective, especially when coupled with some new-fangled technology tricks.

Make a List of Your Centres of Influences

“My whats?” you say. Centres of influences are people you know whose standing or success in the community can influence the decisions of others. They are often asked for recommendations to other professionals. For example, doctors, dentists, real estate agents, accountants and lawyers.

The next time you see one of these fine folks, give them a business card and let them know you can help them set up a new website or spruce up the one they already have. Centres of influence can be a wonderful source of referrals to others who need your services.

Target Businesses in Industrial Parks

Drive to an industrial park and actually check out the businesses or stores. New businesses and those undergoing renovations make great web design clients because they are enthusiastic about their new ventures and want to promote them. Older, more established businesses may not even have a website, especially if they started before the internet! Make a list of five to ten businesses and contact them by email, phone or in person to offer your services.

Join Business Networking Organizations

Join a breakfast club where other small business owners discuss the joys and difficulties of running a business. Mingle. Make small talk. (Don’t shudder.) Offer to look at websites, and if you have time, use your mobile device to take a quick look right there. Give one or two suggestions and your card.

Research Resources Catering to Small Businesses

Look for classes, workshops or seminars for new businesspeople. Inquire about speaking to a class about setting up a website for new businesses. Better yet, offer to design a website for the resource itself. If they are happy with your work they are more likely to promote your web design services to the students.

Also look for programs offering municipal or federal funding to new businesses. Small business owners who have just received a grant from the government have money to spend on marketing, including a professionally designed site.

Local Restaurants or Coffee Shops

Seriously. Target establishments in business districts. Begin by looking at the website for the restaurant itself, and get in touch with the owner to offer your services to update or design the restaurant website. Ask to put up a poster, brochure, or leave paper coasters with your logo or QR code on them.

Tradesmen are Good Sources

As more people turn to the internet to find local tradespeople, these professionals need websites. Leave marketing material in building supply stores, lumber yards, plumbing supply outlets, and any other places you think they will hang out – even your neighbourhood pub.

Go Old-School & Print a Stack of Notices or Posters

Include a QR code leading to your website or a coupon for a discount on your web design services. Post these notices on the bulletin board at your local post office and business supply stores, where all the local entrepreneurs end up sooner or later.

Libraries Often Offer Free Talks on a Variety of Subjects

Contact the information desk at your local library and offer a half hour presentation on websites for businesses. This is your chance to speak loudly in the library without getting kicked out.

Pre-Emptive Referrals

When a client mentions a problem – for example a leaky faucet in the lunchroom, suggest the name of an area plumber you like and trust. Write the name and phone number on the back of your own business card. You are more likely to get a referral back or even get work from the plumber himself.

Ongoing Online Marketing for Web Designers

Not all of us are fantastically proactive and outgoing marketers in the real world. In that case, be proactive online, especially if you prefer to avoid or limit your offline marketing techniques.

Introduce Your Business to Online Organizations

For example, engineers, doctors, lawyers or veterinarians belong to professional national or regional organizations which grant them their licenses or designations to practice. They pay fees to these organizations which often have websites, newsletters, and blogs for their online readers.

Write a guest post for the organization blog aimed at the membership – something along the lines of “5 Things to Remember When Designing Your Veterinarian Website.”

Many entrepreneurs say “I’ll do my own website, thank you very much,” not realizing the work involved and expertise required. Soon they discover they are too busy designing bridges or neutering cats to worry about getting their websites up and running. They will read the post, think “yikes, I have to remember all that?” and decide they need a professional website designer.

Send Warm Emails to Businesses You Regularly Visit

Personalize the email so it stands out, and begin by pointing out a product or service you love. For example, ” I just wanted to tell you that your new butter pecan lattes are fantastic.” Mention you looked them up online to find something – (hours, other locations, whatever) and offer a tip or two to improve their site.

I noticed x y z – I can make it better. If you change a and b you will increase your traffic. I can help you with this. Let me know. Be nice, and don’t tell them their website is awful, even if it is. Instead, focus on what you can do to help them improve the site. Keep your email short and friendly.

Ask For Referral as Part of Your Email Signature

“We value your business. The greatest compliment you can give ABC Design is to tell your friends, family and business colleagues about the services we offer. Thank you for trusting us with your web design needs!

Write a Guest Blog Targeting Specific Groups

You are probably sick of being told to write guest blogs, but you know what? It works, and it works better to specialize in a specific niche and market yourself as an expert in designing plumbing sites, or recipe sites, or landscaping sites.

Even better, target a specific professional niche of individuals that are likely too busy to nickel and dime you over your fees, such as architects, engineers, doctors, lawyers, dentists, investment professionals, and real estate agents.

Become an Online Authority

People want to deal with an expert. Build your reputation as an expert online and offline. Become active in forums and discussions around marketing and small business and entrepreneur issues. Open a Quora account and answer questions on web design issues.

Write in Your Local Newspaper

Okay, this may be offline, but it requires minimal face to face interaction. Provide a free weekly or biweekly column. It establishes you as a local web design business, and as a reliable professional.

Read your local paper (online or offline) for announcements about new businesses or other places that may need a website revamp.

Join LinkedIn Business Groups for B2B Sales Leads

They can be location-based or represent a niche or demographic you would like to specialize in. Join in conversations, provide thoughtful and insightful information as well as links to websites you have created (or your own website) when suitable.

Connect With Other Technology-Related Businesses

Web hosting providers, IT support businesses, graphic artists and content writing professionals all serve customers who are likely to need web design services. It is well worth developing a relationship with professionals in these fields as they can be an excellent source of referrals to new clients, as well as provide opportunity for you to branch out into other areas if you want to spread your wings beyond a career as a freelance web designer.

Provide Great Service to Existing Customers

How many of your clients are serial entrepreneurs, the kind of people who always have a new idea? More businesses mean more websites. Do an awesome job on the first one and you’ll have more work to come. Ask clients what they are working on, and tell them about new techniques, technology or other tips that could suit their new projects – Mobility First, anyone?

Ask For Referrals From Existing Customers

at the end of every meeting or interaction. Provide incentives for referrals that result in new clients, such as a discount on a future site upgrade.

Finished!

These are just a few techniques used by successful freelancers to find new clients and new work. Use them to inspire your marketing and networking techniques. If you have a really fantastic story of what works for you, please feel free to share it in the comments section!

The post How to Grow Your Client Base in Web Design appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

It’s something that most young freelance designers face, especially as they improve their skills and become better designers, yet their client roster is still as uninspiring as ever.

Today, I’m going to give all you young designers out there some tips on what you can do to stop feeling like yesterday’s news, and get in on more of the exciting, high-paying action going on in the design industry.

Gaining Entry to the Clubhouse

I hate to break it to you, good designer wallowing in obscurity, but you’re being kept out of the loop. There’s a secret store of knowledge out there that you’re ignorant of, but that those bad designers around you know all about.

They’re sneaking out at night to attend the meetings, making piles of money while you’re crashed on your friend’s couch with overdue bills and empty soda cans and junk food wrappers scattered around you, like a blanket of sorrow to go with your feelings of rejection and inadequacy.

It’s okay. I know how you feel – but there’s good news! Brew yourself a pot of coffee and read on.

The secret knowledge that these successful designers all share isn’t really all that secret. I was just joking – y’know, for dramatic effect. I’ve got a story to weave here, after all.

These designers really all know just one important thing: how to sell their work to the right audience. That’s it. The “secret sauce” is marketing.

Selling yourself is something that many creatives are famously uncomfortable with, but the truth is that we all already sell ourselves. Every time we meet with a client, we have to sell them on our ideas. Convincing a client to hire you isn’t all that different from what you already do on the job.

Marketing is a skill that tends to be despised, but it really shouldn’t be. It’s the counterpart to good design. If you create the most wonderful, awe-inspiring design in the world, and hide it at the bottom of a drawer, you may as well not have created it at all.

If you don’t make the effort to put your work in front of people who will see it and want to hire you, you’re essentially doing the same thing. You’re creating work and hiding it under a veil of obscurity.

Selling the Sizzle

Marketing yourself to new clients doesn’t mean that the quality of your work has to suffer. Don’t stoop down to the level of the crappy designers around you and create work that’s equally bad.

The solution to your marketing deficiency is not to get down in the mud alongside the bad designers who are outpacing you. Your task is to outperform them with your superior talent and critical thinking skills.

You don’t need to work any differently – you just need to package that work in a way that’s more attention-grabbing to a broader audience.

Many times the biggest marketing issue that talented creatives face is that they’re just too excited about what they can do. Perhaps your code is clean as a whistle and compliant with every web standard known to humankind.

Or maybe you’re a minimalism whiz, with a perfect knack for creating simple, powerful layouts with the perfect balance of clarity, beautiful type, and whitespace.

That’s nice for you, and maybe your mom, to know about, but the cold, hard truth is that most clients couldn’t care less. They’re only concerned about whether you can get the job done competently and on deadline. It’s sad, but true.

The key to marketing yourself well is to sell an experience, not a list of qualifications. You need to be thinking about how, specifically, can your technical skills improve the quality of life for your clients.

It sounds terribly dramatic, but marketing is almost pure psychology. People are motivated, in life and in business, by things most freelancers don’t stop to consider when offering their services.

If you can connect with a client on a personal level – offer them an important benefit that will earn them more money or allow them to free up more time (a huge desire of many overworked business owners and managers), you’ll have more clients than you’ll know what to do with.

Find Your Niche

Sometimes you get beat out by the mediocre competition simply because that person has access to a wider pool of clients than you do. Perhaps they live in one city and they’re doing business all around the world with similar clients.

These competitors of yours have found a niche that works for them and they’re out finding clients wherever they happen to be. If they have to get on a plane and travel, well, it’s worth it to them to have access to clients that others in their niche can’t easily get to.

When marketing yourself and selling your services to new clients, it’s important to get specific – don’t just cater to everyone, or you’ll end up catering to no one. Find a lucrative niche within the design industry, and grow your client base from it.

Perhaps you only work with clients in the legal and medicine industries. Or maybe you work with tech startups, or fashion designers, or boutique ad agencies. Whatever your niche is, make sure there’s enough clients in it to supply you with years of new work.

If it’s hard for you to find clients in your niche (maybe you live in a small town or it’s just too competitive), perhaps it’s time to branch out. Travel has never been easier or more economical – if the clients you want to work with aren’t in your area, pack a suitcase and go to theirs.

Alternatively, you can use your design skills and technical expertise to leverage the power of your local media. Become a local design expert in one area you can master.

Marketing doesn’t have to be scary, nor does it have to be particularly hard. The majority of the effort comes at the beginning – determining your niche, finding the right clients, and establishing yourself as someone who provides just the right experience your clients are looking for.

The rest has to do with keeping yourself at the top of your clients’ minds – updating your email list, sending out mailers, etc.

There are plenty of other articles which cover these things in detail. Once you establish a system that works for you, it becomes much easier for you to accelerate your career at a rate that’s more appropriate for your knowledge and skill level.

The post How Novice Designers Can Improve Their Client Rosters appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

Making yourself unique to potential clients will help them understand that you are the best option available and that doing what you do isn’t cheap or something that can be delivered fast-food style. Meeting their expectations takes time and expertise, and you want to be recognized for your skills.

But how to do it, considering you probably have little money and time to spare? So here you will find a step-by-step guide on personal branding for web designers that will cost you almost nothing.

Step 1 – Define Your Brand

The first thing you will have to do to start building your personal brand is define what it really means. In other words, what you are being asked here is to decide how you want to be perceived by your clients and which promises you will be selling.

For starters, you should concentrate on your strengths and expertise. What makes you the best choice for them? Why should they contract you and not another web designer? What is the added value that you can offer to your clients?

You can list from best pricing and fast delivery to the use of specific techniques or software, unlimited reviews, a first-class portfolio, 5-star testimonials from your clients, etc. Write down what you think makes you stand out as a web designer so that you can use it on your personal branding messages.

Rest assured that even companies invest in their leaders’ personal branding, so, as a freelancer, you shouldn’t ignore it. But remember, what you are selling is yourself. Faking or exaggerating who you are might bring some clients initially, but they will run away from you as soon as they notice the fraud. And, possibly, they will leave awful feedback behind them, which is even worse in the long term. So always be yourself and find your own style.

Step 2 – Analyse Your Target Audience

Now that you know which type of service you are selling, it is time to decide who would contract it. Consider your potential clients, their characteristics, and what they might expect from a web designer.

Do they belong to a specific industry, in case you have specialized in just a few of them? Are they used to contract freelancers, or will you need to explain to them the advantages of dealing with a remote worker? Above all, where can you find them? And which is the best channel and way to communicate with them?

On the other way around, spend some time trying to learn how to communicate with your clients in a more effective way as well. So when they contact you, you won’t lose any contract out of some misinterpretation.

Step 3 – Figure Out How Much Time You Have

We all have busy schedules nowadays, but if you want to grow your brand, you must make time for it. Still, it is understandable that you will need to be realistic here, as you need to get done the job you already have in your hands and that you probably have a life as well.

So, give some thought to how much time you can spare per day or week to build and grow your personal brand as a web designer. Consider, for example, that it is not just a question of posting things online but also of answering comments and emails as quickly as possible. Plus, you will have to monitor and analyze your metrics.

More hours you can set aside, the better and faster results you will get. But you will be surprised by how much you can do with as little as 30 minutes per day.

Step 4 – Build Your Online Presence

Nowadays, the cheapest and easiest way to build a personal brand is through a strong online presence. Especially in your case, as a web designer, not having profiles on the most important social media networks, plus a well-selected online portfolio, is almost a professional suicide.

So make sure that:

1. Your LinkedIn profile is updated, as many potential clients might want to check your CV there.
2. Your Twitter is full of articles and tips about web design.
3. You explore the possibility of using Pinterest to showcase your portfolio.
4. You have, at least, a basic website with your bio and portfolio.
5. Your Facebook is set to private if you won’t be using it for professional purposes.
6. You use an app, such as Hootsuite, to schedule all your weekly posts, so you won’t waste time posting every day.

Step 5 – Write About Web Design (and publish it)

If you want to be seen as an authority in your field, you need to let them know that, which means you will have to show off your skills and write articles or posts about web design.

You can either have your own blog, possibly linked to your website, or search for a guest blogging guide, so you can take advantage of other sites’ established reputation and high traffic. And nothing is stopping you from trying both, either. You can also post texts directly on LinkedIn and other social media channels.

In order to do it, make sure that you are updated with the latest trends in digital marketing, so your texts will be relevant. And don’t forget to share your article on your social media channels and to comment on relevant sites, blogs, and forums.

Don’t be afraid if you are new in the area and think that you don’t have much to say. Share the new skills you have been learning (because this is what should be your top priority) so far, and people will follow you the same way.

Step 6 – Try Some Offline Channels as Well

Despite the fact that you work online, it shouldn’t stop you from making the most of the offline possibilities to grow your personal brand. Congresses, workshops, mass-media publications, and conferences can all bring many clients to you and turn you into an authority overnight.

So if there is an opportunity for you to get an article published by a local newspaper, to give an interview to a radio station, or for a presentation at a congress, go for it. Take some old-fashioned business cards with you and reach out to as many people as possible.

And don’t ignore small events as well. If you are invited to talk to a small class of students about what it is to be a web designer, accept it with a smile. You never know who their parents are.

In Conclusion

Building and growing your personal brand as a web designer might seem daunting, but you can easily achieve it. You just need to make sure that you know your strengths and that you make people aware of them as well.

Keep everything consistent, and don’t be afraid to show off your skills. With a bit of time and money, you are bound to bring to yourself the best clients out there.

The post How to Build & Grow Your Freelance Web Design Personal Brand appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

What is it about “your” particular brands that draws you to purchase them again and again? The answer might lie in those brands’ USP.

USP stands for Unique Selling Point. It’s a marketing concept that was developed in the 1940s to explain why certain advertising campaigns were wildly successful, and why others were not.

Basically, it stated that successful campaigns appeal to their target audiences using unique points, or “propositions,” which convince them that the brand of product being advertised is superior to the brand they currently use. Nowadays, a USP simply refers to some part of a product or service that makes it unique from other, similar products or services.

Designers can harness the power of the USP when marketing themselves. We all know that creative professionals are infamously bad at promoting their own work, but by utilizing a USP, it makes the job that much easier. Today, I’m going to show you how that’s done.

Creating Appeal

When determining a product’s USP, first advertisers must come up with a unique proposition to make to their potential consumer market. Specifically, they’ve got to come up with a specific benefit that their consumers will reap by using the product.

For example, if you buy a specific brand of mascara, advertisers might tell you that you will receive the specific benefit of “longer, fuller lashes.” Or if you buy the latest iPhone, according to Apple you will get “the most amazing iPhone yet.”

In order for these claims to be effective, they must actually be true, or at least potentially true to their ideal consumer. USPs aren’t just hyperbole or meaningless advertising – they are actual, direct benefits that you will experience by using the product.

Notice how Apple doesn’t tell you you’ll be getting “the most amazing phone yet.” That would be ridiculous and impossible to quantify since it’s completely subjective. But by having the corner market on iPhones, they’re able to confidently tell you that their latest version is their most amazing version of the iPhone so far.

Of course, any of these USP claims could also be true for the same product produced by a competing brand (how exactly is a hamburger patty from McDonald’s different from one from Burger King?), but that brand didn’t claim that benefit as its USP – your brand did.

If you’re a designer, you’re swimming in a huge pool with other people who do exactly the same thing you do. When you’re marketing yourself to clients, it’s important that you select a USP that separates you from the pack. What specific benefit do your potential clients stand to receive by working with you?

What The Competition Lacks

As a designer, your USP must be something that your competition either cannot or does not offer. If you studied psychology in college, for example, you have the ability to position yourself as “the psychologist designer” (except with a better name, because that one’s pretty lame).

To your clients, you will be known as the designer who uses your strong background in psychology to reach further into the minds of your users, which clients will definitely remember as something unique. Most designers wouldn’t be able to compete with you on that front – that’s your Unique Selling Point.

Of course, you can substitute psychology for another special area of expertise you have that most other designers don’t. I use my professional background in the culinary industry as a USP to catch the attention of my design and writing clients – it helps them remember me and I can use that unique perspective to add a special kind of value to them.

This is the kind of effect you want to have. Even if you haven’t studied anything else in school or worked in any other industries, you can probably still find something in your array of hobbies, interests, and passions which will lend a unique vantage point to your personal brand. Do you like cars? Fashion? Artisanal beer? Interesting – how can you use that as a USP to draw in specially targeted clients?

If you use a side of yourself that others in the design industry don’t normally show, you will immediately stand out to potential clients, as you will have ignited their curiosity.

Of course, there’s a right way to incorporate your personal interests and hobbies into your career, and there’s a very wrong way. Most people, when they attempt it, get it wrong, which is why I’m going to show you the right way here.

Make Them “Get” You

When advertisers develop a USP, they must create something so compelling that it works on not only their existing consumers, but new consumers as well. It must have the power to “pull” in new business. Your personal USP as a designer must accomplish the same thing. It’s vital to any freelancer to have a steady stream of new work.

And potential clients must find value in your USP in order to be interested. And in order for them to find value, you have to provide them with something that they, specifically, want or need.

This is where many people make a wrong turn in using a facet of their personal interests or passions to lure in new clients. They assume that any personal interest will be just as effective, which is not the case at all.

If your special niche is clients in the legal industry, those clients aren’t going to benefit much from your latent passion in basket weaving, fine art, or cat grooming. A personal interest in sociology, philosophy, or chess, however, will catch their interest if presented in the right way. Think about what your hobby provides you in the way of practical skills.

While reading my chess example just now, you might have been tilting your head in confusion, thinking ‘how would liking chess be helpful when catering to legal professionals?’

Well, chess is a strategy game that builds critical thinking skills. As long as you present it in an intriguing way (rather than a creepy way; no one wants to hire a humorless, geeky chess master), you can position yourself as someone who can think in the same kind of way your clients are used to thinking in their own line of work.

Having those critical thinking skills makes you less exotic as someone who’s merely “creative” and possibly a loose canon. It will make you more relatable to non-creatives, or, even better, it will funnel your creativity into a vehicle that non-designers will “get.”

USPs are a powerful tool for freelancers when used correctly. They allow you to harness your own unique skills, interests, and passions to make you stand out from your competition and land exactly the kind of clients you’re perfectly tailored to.

The post As a Freelance Designer, What Is Your Unique Selling Point? appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

Then, search engines came along. Providers such as Yahoo, AltaVista, and (eventually) Google made it easier to find websites.

Almost immediately, humans began trying to manipulate these tools. People would do just about anything to propel their website to the top. Keyword stuffing and adding hidden text were among the “black hat” techniques of the day.

This behavior marked the early days of search engine optimization (SEO). A cottage industry has grown around trying to get Google’s blessing. And it includes people who do play by the rules.

It’s just that the rules keep changing. And they’re not always clear. You might be an SEO champion today. But that could change with a mere hiccup in an algorithm.

The whole thing has left a bad taste in this designer’s mouth. And I wonder if the way we practice SEO is past its prime.

Perhaps we should focus on the basics instead of chasing every new gimmick. Let’s talk about it.

Guessing What Google Wants Us to Do

What I’m about to say may sound obvious – but here it goes: Google makes all the rules. Sure, there are organizations for putting standards in place. And other search providers exist. Only one company has the power to change the game in an instant, though.

Google publishes plenty of information on SEO. However, it tends to be vague. That’s on purpose. We can’t expect them to share the inner workings of their algorithm, can we?

Plus, every website is different. Perhaps the best Google can do is provide general guidelines. There are too many variables at play to offer specifics or guarantees.

The situation leads to a lot of interpretation and speculation. We may “think” we know what Google wants from our website. If we only do this, that, and the other, we’ll stay ahead of the competition.

Sometimes, we hit the jackpot. Our site ranks well and brings in search traffic. But fortunes can change at any time.

Did a competitor outsmart us? Did Google change something important? Could they have made a mistake?

The answers aren’t always obvious. If you find an answer at all, that is. The reasons for a sudden downturn can be mysterious.

Focus on the Fundamentals of SEO

Yes, SEO can quickly become a mess. Tracking Google’s every move will have you spinning like a dog chasing its tail. Is it worth all the trouble?

Here’s the thing: we don’t have to buy into all of the hype. Nor do we have to play guessing games.

The fundamentals of SEO aren’t mysterious or broken. Maybe it’s time to step back and focus on what we can control.

Here are a few SEO practices that never go out of style:

Publish Quality & On-Topic Content

The more we try to please Google, the worse our content gets. In practice, this means repeating keywords ad nauseam. Or artificially inflating word counts.

Sometimes, we train our focus on bots instead of humans. The result is content that doesn’t lead to conversions – or social media shares.

Try to remember the reason your content exists. Think about your audience and the message you want to share. From there, develop a plan to make it work as efficiently as possible.

Content that is informative and helpful will always be a winner. And there are no tricks required.

Take Steps to Organize Your Content

Both users and search engines appreciate well-organized content. Your website will be easier to navigate. Search engines will gain a better understanding of who you are. It’s a win-win situation.

Content management systems (CMS) like WordPress simplify the process. You can use parent/child relationships and taxonomies to organize content. These tools will help you create a logical content structure.

Meanwhile, features such as breadcrumb navigation and related post listings go a step further. They offer convenience and increase content discoverability.

Adding structured data can also be helpful. This data can enhance your SERP (search engine results page) listings. The information displayed could convince users to make that click.

Use Helpful Tools for On-Page Optimization

The right SEO tool can help you optimize content with confidence. It’s like having an expert guiding you through each step.

WordPress users have access to an array of options. Several SEO plugins are available – and they specialize in various tasks. Some are jack-of-all-trades, while others focus on niche use cases.

These plugins are great for ensuring quality. For example, some will “grade” your content based on best practices. You can use them to cover the basics.

Don’t follow these ratings too literally, though. You’ll end up in the same trap of trying to please a bot.

Oh, and be careful about combining SEO plugins. Make sure their functionality doesn’t overlap. That can cause problems.

See the Bigger Picture with Analytics & Search Console

If you want to gauge your SEO progress, start with an analytics app. You’ll get a baseline for your search performance. And you can see how various tweaks impact your numbers over time.

Google Analytics is still free to use. And it works well enough – if you can deal with the changes in version 4. But there are other providers worth checking out. Go with whatever tool fits your budget and needs.

Google Search Console is also a worthwhile tool. You’ll be able to learn more about how Google is indexing your content. It will also alert you of any errors.

Build a Great Website – Not a Shrine to Google

Perhaps the folks at Google are flattered by all the attention we show them. Some of us build websites that aim to please them at every turn. But it’s easy to let the search giant distract us from what matters.

Following the hot new SEO trends tends to lead us nowhere. The rug will eventually get pulled out from under us. And what do we do then?

The safer bet is to focus on the basics. Produce quality content. Make sure your website is organized, performant, and accessible. Use the available tools to ensure proper markup. Measure your progress and adjust as needed.

That will put you in a position to succeed. And it doesn’t mean you should ignore algorithm changes. Just don’t live and die with them. Take them for what they are.

Your goal is to build a website that pleases your audience. Users will be happy. And search engines will take note.

The post It’s Time to Get Back to the Basics of SEO appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

• A pretty-looking web site with an undesirable and/or unclear call to action equates to crappy conversions (and ultimately, disgruntled clients).
• Conversely, minimalistic sites with a clear call to action that speaks directly to the ‘lizard brain’ of the visitor have proven to convert quite nicely.

Hence a high-conversion traffic funnel superbly blends the very best elements of compelling copywriting, minimalistic design, direct-response UX/usability, and neuromarketing into a savory end-user experience.

With this in mind, we’ll be exploring simple, time-proven evergreen methods and strategies that are easy to integrate, yet can produce amazing results (often, very rapidly).

These tips and techniques work equally well with lead-capture pages (aka “squeeze pages”), up-sell sales funnels, down-sell sales funnels, straight-sale funnels (i.e., no up-sells/down-sells), and even really creative “funky hybrid” funnels.

What Exactly Does a Traffic Funnel Consist of?

Although certain multi-stage traffic funnels can be quite sophisticated, at the most basic level it is comprised of three elements:

• A landing page,
• A unified, singular, distraction-free call to action,
• And a well-crafted blend of ‘emotional triggers‘ that compel the visitor to take immediate action (typically either Subscribe or Buy Now) – without coming across as hypish or solicitous.

Essentially, a high-conversion traffic funnel is a delicate balance between ditching the hype, yet retaining all of the excitement of your service or product. While at the same time, empowering your visitors to actually envision the desirable experience you’re offering them at the lizard-brain level.

Hence one of the keys to successful Traffic Funnel design is seeing the beginning from the end (from the visitor’s point of view).

Image via Zolemia.com

Core Traffic Funnel Considerations

Understandably, most highly talented web designers have no real grasp of creating a traffic funnel that converts well. Instead, they create a ‘Mulligan’s Stew’ of sorts by slapping together a bunch of elements that they hope will impress their client (aka “Spray and Pray” method).

For example, many talented Web Designers are still under the illusion that the be-all-things-to-everyone approach is the way to go.

Simply not so.

Given the exact same offer, a minimalistic distraction-free singular call to action landing page will always out-pull a “nice-looking” (yet noisy and confusing) landing page 100% of the time without fail.

So the goal is to create a landing page which:

• Is neither over-hyped nor reads like an obituary,
• Has zero noise and confusion whatsoever.

Always remember – anything that detracts/distracts from your call to action is merely visitor repellent; hence it’s wise to get rid of any hype, noise, and confusion. Which brings us to…

The Four Crucial Questions Landing Pages Must Answer

In no particular order of importance, here’s a brief overview of each:

Question 1: What are you trying to sell me?

Whether a product or service-based offer (or even a lead-generating freebie offer), your concise value statement (aka “value proposition”) is what initially entices your prospect into becoming a subscriber, customer or client.

Think of your value statement like the teaser on the back of a book or a movie trailer. Its sole purpose is to gently lure the prospect in, wanting to discover more about your offer.

As such, your Value Statement needs to address the following in literally just a few short sentences:

• 1 or 2 main results/benefits your buyer, client, or subscriber can expect to achieve.
• What those results will do for the buyer (i.e., how your offer will change their lives for the better).
• Why should they even care about achieving those results.

Question 2: How much?

This is where a lot of creative professionals blow it. Rather than prominently displaying their prices, they instead make their prospect have to jump through one or more hoops just to find out how much.

From the prospect’s point of view, this is a complete turn-off. However, what about service-based offers that are customized/specific to each client, you ask?

At the very least, there should be an easily accessible base-rate menu of “main package” price options, along with key value-added price options, as well, to give the prospect an overall idea of what they’re looking to shell out.

Hot Tip: An enticing call to action along the lines of “contact us with your project details for your own custom quote and get 10% off your work order by mentioning this discount” (or similar) has been proven to increase conversions.

Question 3: Why should I believe you?

While an “about” page is a great place to establish your authority/expertise, equally important is social proof (i.e., testimonials, familiar “As Seen On” icons/logos within your niche, trust seals, etc.)

Question 4: What’s in it for me?

Combined with compelling copywriting skills, this is where neuromarketing comes into play.

By skillfully blending the best benefits and features of your offer together in a way that effectively communicates your story to your prospects ‘lizard brain’… a distinctly visceral emotional response is stirred up within your prospect; whereby causing them to take immediate action right now.

Landing Page Caveats

Several years back, legendary Internet Marketer, Mike Filsaime launched his butterfly marketing script, and accompanying manuscript. Long to short, the core principle behind butterfly marketing always has and always will hold true: Small changes to your traffic funnel can have profound results.

With this in mind, ask yourself the following questions – in the most brutally honest manner possible – as they relate to either your own or your clients’ sites. Start by putting yourself in the ‘shoes’ of a complete stranger visiting your site for the very first time.

Literally be your own worst possible critic, as you take copious notes on improving your own or your clients’ traffic funnels:

• Does your site display any unnecessary content/web elements whatsoever, including a distracting color scheme/theme, banners, irrelevant videos or any other “click me” crap?
• Does your Traffic Funnel design cause your visitors unnecessary confusion (i.e. no clear and concise call to action from the customer’s point of view)?
• Does your site clearly cater to a specific niche audience by properly anticipating your audience’s needs and concerns?
• Do you actually come off as someone who is truly there to help solve your reader’s difficulties (i.e. does your site exude real compassion)?

Ironing out just these ‘wrinkles’ alone will significantly amplify whatever conversions you’re typically used to. And always remember: Small changes can produce dramatic results.

A Brief Word on Squeeze Pages

In the purest sense, a squeeze page is a highly optimized and focused lead generator catering to a specific niche; the top (aka “mouth”) of a high conversion traffic funnel.

The very best converting squeeze pages are the ones that never attempt to be ‘all things to everyone.’

They excel at catering to unique problems and concerns of one specific niche. Think of your squeeze page as your rapport-building mini “solutions provider” that never sleeps and is willing to tirelessly serve your prospects 24/7.

Done right, your visitor is practically salivating to get in on the action.

And unless you have a damn good reason for doing so, your squeeze page should never, ever ask for more personally identifiable info than just an email address and, at the very most, a first name.

Numerous marketing studies over the years have shown that opt-in rates are directly related to the amount of information being collected. When split-tested, just an email address and nothing else generated the highest response.

Opt-in form conversions were discovered to rapidly decline on split tests requesting more than just an email and first name.

After your visitor submits their details, your autoresponder (i.e., Aweber, GetResponse, MailChimp, et al.) then automatically sends them an email shortly after that with an opt-in verification link (aka “double opt-in”).

Right after clicking on the verification link, they are then automatically sent a second email containing the access/download link to the promised goodies (depending on how you set your Traffic Funnel up).

Although there’s a wide variety of different squeeze page strategies, that’s the overall gist of a basic squeeze page.

Maximum Conversion Squeeze Page UX Tips

For maximum conversion, ensure that all of your squeeze pages:

• Serve the sole purpose of getting your visitor to take one very specific action: Subscribe.
• Address the “The Four Crucial Questions Landing Pages Must Answer” covered above.
• Are benefits bullet packed, with zero hype and zero unnecessary visual clutter or “click distractions” (i.e. irrelevant content, ads, etc.)
• Build trust every step of the way.

Aside from your squeeze page offers and premium offers themselves, the aesthetic appeal of your site can help turbo-boost your overall conversion across your entire traffic funnel.

The aesthetic elements I’ve found most effective when at all possible (in no particular order of importance) are:

• Familiar icons, logos and trust seals (i.e. “PayPal Verified” seal)
• Genuine end-user testimonials.
• Alluring eCover graphics.
• A crisp, clean, non-convoluted quick-scan-friendly layout (i.e. your sub-headlines and bulletpoints convey the most important elements of your story)
• A photo of you at the end of your squeeze page or sales page.
• A compact Johnson Box (or equivalent attention-grabber) and Value Statement up at the very top of your offer.

Closing Thoughts

For self-hosted WordPress users, I have found the free version of s2Member absolutely indispensable for creating password protected download pages and membership sites.

Although it does have a premium upgrade version, even just the free version is plenty robust in its own right.

Amongst numerous other highly desirable capabilities, s2Member can be configured to protect individual pages, posts, and downloadable files and limit total downloads to a certain number per day, week, etc.

It can also be configured to seamlessly integrate MailChimp’s autoresponder in the background as a single opt-in lead capture device.

In other words, it can be configured so that there’s no need for your subscriber to inconvenience themselves by having to click a ‘confirm subscription’ link in a secondary email. They simply log in with their credentials as they would with any typical WP site.

Then, once your visitor enters their credentials and logs in to download your awesome freebie offer, they would automatically be re-routed to your “Member Download Page” (automatically protected by s2Member).

Granted, it does take a bit of work to initially get everything set up right, but once you’ve done it as many times as I have, it flows like clockwork, thereby providing a remarkably smooth end-user experience.

The post Effective Traffic Funnel User Experience (UX) Design appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

As the IoT (Internet of Things) expands to encompass virtually every aspect of life, there’s been no better time for web designers to start their own companies. If you’re considering entrepreneurship as a web designer, here’s what you need to know.

Key Skills to Possess as a Web Designer

Web designers, like other digital startup owners, need key skills to continue onward. These skills include marketing, data analysis, and, of course, fundamental knowledge of design. Marketing today involves a savvy understanding of social media, SEO, and the newest methods of getting your message across.

Luckily, web designers don’t necessarily have to be marketing experts to start their own companies. They can hire a marketer specifically for this purpose if they have the resources to do so.

While today’s web designers have to be on top of current trends to stay relevant, they cannot bypass basic design fundamentals. Trends will come and go, but the fundamentals of design are here to stay.

To become an entrepreneur, a web designer needs to have a firm grasp of design elements such as layout, space, navigation, image techniques, and best code practices. Without the building blocks of web design, a designer can’t establish themselves as an expert in the field.

Data analysis is the new face of a successful business, regardless of the industry. Learning to collect and analyze website data is imperative for a designer’s success as a business owner. Obtaining data such as website traffic, user behavior, and click-through rates are the only way to tweak parts of a website that aren’t performing optimally.

Data analysis is what makes a successful web designer able to help so many different clients in different industries – they can optimize any website according to its individual needs.

Perks of Choosing Web Design

Web designers have a few advantages over other types of entrepreneurs. They don’t need a brick-and-mortar shop, for one. Creating a digital franchise has its own difficulties, but it eliminates several major costs of finding a property to do business from.

Web designers also have another major gain – the ability to create a website. A web designer’s website is the crux of their business, and it’s also one of the easiest achievements for a designer.

An additional perk of web design is that it doesn’t require oodles of expensive equipment to start – at least at first. Entrepreneur.com estimates the startup costs for a web designer at only $2,000.

A web designer typically already has most, if not all of the tools needed to start designing websites: a computer, a fast Internet connection, and webpage creation knowledge.

Today, many important tools and apps are free to download and use on most systems. Basic hardware and software, combined with raw talent, can be enough to get a startup off the ground.

These immediate advantages can give web designers a leg up they need to start their own company without the risk of major losses.

Lessons From Designers Who’ve Been There

Web design is an overcrowded industry. However, it’s also the fastest-growing industry with a need for designers who know what they’re doing.

If you want to embark on becoming a web design entrepreneur, take a few tips from people who’ve been there.

Mark Atkinson, who owns and operates a web design studio in South Africa, encourages aspiring website designers not to give up even when the competition is more experienced than you. It took Atkinson several years to build a successful design studio – and more than one pitfall.

Atkinson had created a mildly successful design business when he realized one major thing his company wasn’t doing – setting itself apart. The websites his company created were template-based and boring. He was taking advantage of “consumer naivety” in the technological age to merely get by.

After this realization, Atkinson brushed up on the latest design trends, created a unique selling proposition to differentiate his firm from others, and focused on exceeding client expectations. His main takeaway is to always keep learning to grow as a business.

Other web design entrepreneurs stress the importance of making relationships with others and networking. Some admit that while they have skillsets that are desirable and provide valuable services to customers, it’s the relationships they build with clients that keep their businesses afloat.

Networking in your niche, making connections, and cultivating real relationships with your clients are ultimately what make people talk about your brand. Organic growth depends on a web designer’s ability to leave clients with a lasting impression.

The Five Pillars of Entrepreneurship

Some people were born to be entrepreneurs. Others work hard and craft the businessperson they want to be from the ground up. There is no wrong way to become an entrepreneur, but there are a few pillars that serve as cornerstones for aspiring business owners:

1. Love what you do. Consumers can differentiate a brand created by someone who’s lukewarm about the subject from one with a passion. Web designers who become successful entrepreneurs truly love web design, and have the backgrounds to prove it. They surround themselves with web design, taking courses and doing everything they can to build a life around their passion.

2. Fill a gap in the market. Entrepreneurs see a gap in their desired industry and can’t sleep until they’ve figured out a way to fill the need. A web designer may work for a design firm that ignores responsive design and so wants to start a business that emphasizes this aspect instead. As long as a web designer’s contributions to the field are fresh and relevant, they can become a stand-alone enterprise.

3. Have a vision. Web designers who branch out on their own know how to capitalize on burgeoning trends and predict new ones based on user behavior. They have a vision for what they’re capable of creating and know they can do it better than the competition. Maintaining a goal-based vision is important for the focus of a new company.

4. Gather resources. Hire the right people or do it on your own at first. Either way, entrepreneurial web designers need to have certain tools of the trade to succeed. These include design tools such as Atomic, Sketch, etc. Stay on top of the latest resources available to consistently beat the competition.

5. Make a plan. Without a hard-copy business plan, web designers can’t expect their visions to become realities. Entrepreneurship is full of freedoms in many ways, but there’s no avoiding the business plan. Take a page out of a successful web designer’s book and learn from others’ mistakes. Include everything you need to start your business in your plan, and take small steps toward your final goal.

Once you’ve established the five pillars of entrepreneurship, begin your journey toward being your own boss. With the right amount of determination and creativity, a web designer can certainly be an entrepreneur – a highly successful one.

The post Can a Web Designer Be an Entrepreneur? appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

Now, imagine we think about UX in the same way: the key to a successful product is creating a solution (a better way to make a hole), and not just a tool (the drill).

“People don’t want to buy a quarter-inch drill. They want a quarter-inch hole!” – Theodore Levitt, Harvard Business School.

What Does Marketing Have to Do With Anything?

Sales and marketing teams often spend more in-person time with customers than the engineers or product developers do. As a result, the best information about the user’s needs may come from the people who know those users best: the marketers.

Clayton Christensen, a Harvard Business School professor and author of many books on business and marketing, has studied many successful businesses, and the solutions that made their marketing successful. He theorizes that Theodore Levitt was right: people want to buy a solution.

Fedex and Their “Jobs-To-Be-Done” Philosophy

Imagine how hard it was starting FedEx. The US Postal Service was the main competitor. Millions of dollars of startup capital were required, and, as with any new business, there was a pretty big risk that it would fail. Imagine yourself in this situation, starting a new company like FedEx with these huge risks. How would you discover what your customers really wanted?

Start by looking at things from the ‘jobs-to-be-done’ perspective. What are people who use the postal service trying to get done?

One thing only: Get their package from one place to another as quickly as possible. The traditional mail service in 1973 was highly unreliable and many packages were lost or damaged in transit. The founder of FedEx provided customers with a solution: FedEx focused on getting a package from one place to another in days, instead of weeks or months.

This illustrates an essential point. What customers do is more important than who they are. Regardless of age, social status, or gender, when you buy a drill, what you want is a hole, and marketers know this.

What Does This Mean For UX?

Selling a solution works well in marketing, but user experience designers aren’t marketers or salespeople. We don’t want to sell a solution – we want to build solutions.

Eric Schmidt describes Google as more than just a tool. In his speech at D: All Things Digital, he says, “we’re trying to move from answers that are link-based to answers that are algorithmically based, where we can actually compute the right answer.”

A search engine is a tool that responds with links. Google is a solution – a way to provide people with answers. Back in 1999, the best way to do this was by providing links to relevant sources, and Google did so. Now, as algorithms make it possible to provide answers directly, Google is moving toward that.

Try typing “London temperature” directly in Google. Before the search results, you’ll see a box where you’re shown the most recent temperature for the city and the temperature predictions for future dates.

Or type “Berlin flights.” Before any results show up, you are shown a summary of flights to Berlin. Better yet, if you turn on location, you’ll be shown flights from your location to that specific city.

In other words, you are being provided a direct answer to what you’re looking for. Google’s ultimate goal is to give you answers to even more complex queries, for example, “the best way to lose weight”. One thing they could do is to intelligently compile the most popular advice on losing weight, compare that against scientific research on what works and display the summary at the top.

How is it that Google understands exactly what visitors are trying to get done and provides such a successful product to solve visitors’ needs? It all comes down to user research.

Start with User Research

Earlier, I said that what customers do is more important than who they are. Ask yourself a few questions to see if it’s true in your case:

1. Do you identify more according to your ancestry, or your occupation?
2. How do you introduce yourself to others?
3. Are you more likely to ask someone about their activities, or their looks?

User research is about how users spend their time, what they care about, and what actions they take. By learning about your prospective customers before beginning any product development, you can create a truly successful product.

Observe What Your Visitors Already Do

Use available tools or services to get a better understanding of how people interact with your site or application. These are so-called “behavioral tools” which allow you to observe the actual way your users behave.

Before using these tools, write down your own predictions. How do you believe users interact with your site or application?

I cannot emphasize enough how important this is because of the hindsight bias, which is basically looking at past events and interpreting them as predictable. Every time you tell yourself “I knew it all along” after an event occurs, you’re probably a “victim” of this bias. Here are some examples:

• After some unexpected event occurs (like the 9/11 attacks or the 1986 space shuttle disaster), many people cited Nostradamus and some verse as a “proof” he predicted it was bound to happen.
• The “analysis” part on news networks after some event occurs. When the Madoff Ponzi scheme was busted, you saw all sorts of experts saying, “if only this and this were in place, this would not happen.”
• In one study, several students were asked if a particular person nominated for the Supreme court would be confirmed. 58% said yes. After he was confirmed, the same students were again asked if they thought he would be confirmed. This time, 78% said yes.

That’s why it’s important to try and write your predictions first to stop this bias from occurring and realize the unexpected interactions of your users with whatever it is you’re testing. Stop the “I knew it all along” thought before it’s too late.

Ask Users What They’re Trying To Do After You Observe Them

You can do this after observing what they do using various tools. Specifically, ask them what they are trying to get done by clicking on x and then on y and then on z. There are many usability testing and survey tools to accomplish this, but after all, they’re just tools.

What you’re trying to get done here is ask the right questions and come up with answers that will improve your prospects understanding.

It’s simple: First observe what they do and then try to find why they do what they’re doing by asking questions. What were you trying to accomplish while clicking on X and then on Y? Why did you click Y after clicking on Z? etc.

To give you a good idea about how to get started with this, I recommend you first:

a) Install behavior analysis tool(s) and run it for at least 7 days and make predictions how they’re going to behave before you start running the heatmap tools, as mentioned above.

b) Get at least 10 users and ask them what they are trying to get done with your tool.

If your prospects are close to you, you might consider doing live interviews. If your prospects are worldwide, get their contact info and conduct an online survey. I recommend you talk to them directly and not just sending them a generic survey via email.

c) After the heatmap study, see any unexpected occurrences and ask your users what they were trying to get done by clicking on y and then on z.

It’s Simple To Get Started

User testing provides UX designers with the information they need to create successful products. Just as marketing teams learn from speaking with users, so can UXers. And in doing so, you can come away with new insights and lessons that will help you create the perfect solution.

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