Young Designers Look to the Web for

Real Opportunities

The emergence of the web and the ease with which almost anyone can tap into the seemingly unlimited resources it offers has presented young designers with tremendous opportunities that weren’t available just a few years ago. But does it really make a difference when it comes to actually selling products or is it just another way to waste valuable time in an attempt to reach the right audience? Like so many things in life, your success depends on how much time you are willing to dedicate to using the powerfully effective tools the internet has to offer.

There are sites and software out there that make it extremely easy to build your own website. There are even web design services that cater to the design industry. But just because you have a website, doesn’t mean you will necessarily be successful. It takes more than just having an online portfolio or even an online store to achieve success on the internet. You have to essentially learn how to employ proven internet marketing techniques in order to drive the right traffic to your site… either that or be willing to pay someone to do it for you.

There are so many factors that can affect your website and what kind of traffic it attracts. Using social networking sites like myspace and facebook can help, but only if you use them correctly and actively market them. If you’re at a tradeshow, make sure your website is on every business card you hand out. Let your visitors know you’re on facebook or myspace and invite them to join your online community. Place pictures of your best products on these sites and have them link back to your online store. This way, if a visitor is interested in that product, they can easily find your store and purchase it right online.

If you have a website, make sure it is optimized for the search engines. This includes your on page content and your off page content. You may have heard the term “keyword” floating about as you attempt to make your way online. Keywords are extremely important when it comes to making your site visible to the search engines. A mistake some young designers make is choosing to use their company name as their main keyword. This will only help you if someone is actively searching for your company. For example, Iris Design Studio, while important as the name of my company, isn’t necessarily what potential online customers would search for if they were looking for my lighting products. Instead, my keywords need to revolve around lighting fixtures, chandeliers, and lamps because these are the search terms people will input into search engines like Google and Yahoo when looking for the products I sell on my website.

The internet presents vast opportunities to designers and a full arsenal of tools that can help increase the exposure and sales of your products. By learning how to use these tools correctly, you can easily see that success on the internet is not just a possibility, it’s a reality. One that is easily achievable with the proper amount of time and dedication.