Marketing for Inspectors: There's More to Design Than You Think
You are not a marketing designer.
Unless you're a mechanic yourself, you wouldn't take your vehicle to a mechanic and tell him exactly what’s wrong with it and exactly how to fix it. You'd take your vehicle to him because you need the help of someone with professional training. The same goes for being a home inspector. And the same goes for marketing designers. A designer is not a decorative artist, but a person who understands how to visually organize elements in a way that is both engaging and visually appealing. Designers are trained to understand the ins and outs of visual structure. Everyone can recognize a good or bad design subconsciously, which leads to the false assumption that anyone can create a good design. However, a good designer can tell you why something is effective as well as why it fails in precisely the same way that a mechanic can tell you the same things about your car.
Why does design concern you?
Design is, first and foremost, a method of communication. Everyone has heard the phrase: "A picture is worth a thousand words." Essentially, a strong visual aesthetic is instantly appealing to people on a subconscious level. Good marketing requires good design because quality visuals translate into quality services to a consumer. Due to the rise of design-conscious businesses (including for political campaigns), the bar on visual quality has been raised across the board. Every business worldwide is paying more attention to how they market. The businesses and people you compete with directly are paying attention to your marketing design, so you should, too. Even if you have plenty of experience, a poor design for your business makes you appear amateurish.
Clean, Understandable Visual Design = Perceived Quality of Service
Unless prospective clients know you personally, the visual design you use to represent your business is the first measure they go by to judge your professionalism. Your marketing – including your logo, brochure, business card and website – determines whether or not they would want to meet you. You will be judged swiftly based on how good your marketing looks. The decision to engage in reading your content will hinge entirely on how well that information is visually laid out. If it is cluttered or confusing, it will be ignored.
The direction of design is determined by your market, not by your personal preferences.
Do it right the first time and you won't have to do it again for a long time.
Save yourself money and time in the long run and have all of your design work handled by a professional. If you are just starting out, a good design will make your company look established immediately. On the flip side, even if you have 20 years’ experience, a poor design will make you appear unprofessional and out of touch. A good design will give you the appearance of both credibility and experience no matter how long you’ve been in business.
What if I already have marketing that I’ve invested in?
If you have poorly designed marketing materials, you're losing business to people who have invested the money and energy in having their marketing done right the first time. Take the time, make the investment, and make sure that the quality of your design reflects the quality of your services.
