This is the second in a series of articles about the importance of visuals – if you missed the first article, it’s here.
Introduction
Websites, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat – where should your online presence be based? This question doesn’t have any “correct” answers – it all depends on your target market and offerings. But while the social media “flavor of the week” can come and go, websites have stayed integral to online presence. Having a professional website is another aspect that can set you apart from other more amateur detailers, and allow you to reach a more affluent target market.
What’s Your Purpose?
Deciding the main thrust behind your website is vital. Do you just want to hang a “contact us” page and call it good? A simple website at Wix may well do everything you need. Taking the time to produce a professional website with more detailed information can save you considerable time on client inquiries – you won’t have the field as many of the inevitable “how much for a wash and polish?” text messages and phone calls when your offerings are clearly outlined on your website. Slick photography and simple, elegant graphic design also ties back into the “It’s All About the Visuals” theme I’ve talked about in previous blog posts. If you’re offering a premium service, you want everything that interacts with the customer to have a premium appearance.
Compare the BMW website with the Chevrolet website:
Which website conveys a premium experience?
What I Use
My wife and I have used Squarespace for around 8 years for both Revitalize Auto Spa and Four Twigs Photography. They have competitive pricing, and their templates are quite simply beautiful. All of their templates transition easily between desktop and mobile views – and this is absolutely vital when the huge majority of web traffic is mobile (for this month I had 39 views from iOS, 31 from Android, and 26 from other sources).
The user interface is intuitive and easy to use – you can spend as much or as little time customizing, tweaking, and editing as you want.
Obviously, quality imagery is very important for the overall appearance. Offering a client with an exotic or luxury vehicle a discount in exchange for a photo session with their vehicle could pay dividends.
Conclusion
It’s easy to discount having a website as early 2000s business since all your clients may primarily be using Facebook/Instagram now – but don’t discount how much a professional website can help justify the price you’re charging (or want to charge).