I declare here and now that I ‘m going to re-design and re write www.dpwebdevelpoment.co.uk

The reason:

I am not convinced it stands out enough from my competitors. I’m going to give it a F*****g personality and cut out the generic, boring language. Some people may hate it; some people will love it. I don’t want anyone to be indifferent. “Nice website”.  Bugger off. I want “that’s crap what were you thinking?!” Or “Holy shit I wish I had a website like that!” Nowhere in between.

I ‘m not saying the current website is totally shit. It does what it does. It has bought in clients and it ranks well in the various search engines.  It’s a nice little site.

I don’t want that. I want a site that generates an emotion.  I want clients to see that DP Web Development is not another corporate drone. In short I want to show DP Web Development has spunk. (That’s not rude, look it up if you don’t believe me).

But how does one achieve that?

Show a bit of personality. Scrub that.  Show one helluva lot of personality. And in that you become unique, memorable, a brand.  Stand out from the crowd.

Because that’s what you need to do. Whatever your business is there will be someone else in the same area. Probably many businesses.  If you don’t stand out from the crowd you will be lost, forgotten. YOU WILL MISS VALUABLE CONTRACTS.

Because if you don’t have a personality, what do you have?

Quality, speed, and good customer service aren’t cutting it anymore. Everyone promises that.

What do you have that’s’ unique?

Your personality gives people a reason to buy from you when you’re selling the exact same thing as everybody else.

Don’t be scared that not everyone will like it. The right people will love it. The ones you want to do business with.

How do you show this personality?

Every aspect of the website needs to be carefully considered. Here are the four most important:

• Images: Why are you using them? How do they help? Do they convey the company’s personality? How? What emotions do they stir up inside you? It is worth investing time (and sometimes money) in finding the right image for the right webpage. Images are what users will look at first.
• Tone: Get this right. You want to show your personality while maintaining a professional approach. My advice. Keep it simple. Don’t use bland overused BORING phrases like,”we aim to please our clients” Who the hell doesn’t?  Show some originality.
• Language: Don’t use jargon. Speak (write) in English. Or whatever language your audience primarily uses.  Use words that everyone can understand. They are not impressed that you “think outside of the box” They want to know if you can give them a product (and more importantly) a service they are looking for. You can show them that not only will they get this but they get smiles and jokes for free.
• Colours and font: In today’s world they count for a lot. Different colours give of different vibes. And fonts are the current “buzz” word on the Internet. Getting the font right is important and does reflect your personality, if only to a small degree.  (Hint: The right font is not comic sans).

Below is an airplane and company that exudes personality:

Ryanair eat your heart out

(click on pic to enlarge)

Check out their other planes (I love the one “This way up”)

A large part of many businesses (if not all) is to be able to network effectively. It is about getting to know others in all areas of business. To find new collaborations, new business and new contacts. Networking is a large part of my business and new contracts have come from various meetings. I am going to a new event this evening. And conveniently for me, it’s at my local pub : )

But getting anything out of these meetings is not always straightforward and you have to remember a few things. So the next time you go to a networking event here are a few things I have learnt.

Arrive early. The reason for this is the place is likely to be quieter, calmer and people won’t have settled into groups already chatting.  It’s easier to find other people who don’t have conversation partners yet. Breaking into a new conversation can, sometimes, be harder.

Forget the sales pitch. The purpose of networking is not about ramming your business down someone’s throat within minutes of meeting. It is about building relationships. Get a conversation started. People will want to do business with people whose company they enjoy. BUT if someone does ask you about what business you are in be ready with an easy description of your company. Before the event, create a mental list of recent accomplishments, such as a new client you’ve landed or project you’ve completed. Also, don’t just say (for example) I’m a web developer. Try to show them why you are unique. Try instead; I help small and medium sized business make the most out of their presence in the digital world. I update maintain and create bespoke websites for these companies.

Don’t forget your business cards. It is still the best way to give someone your contact details that they can take away. It also portrays a more professional image if you have a well-made, good quality card. Many people judge the quality of a business through their card so it may be worth investing a little bit more on yours.

Smile. Simple. Effective. Massively underrated in terms of importance. Don’t forget to smile. You will seem more welcoming, more approachable, more relaxed. The list of positives goes on.

Share your passion:.  You like your business right? You love it right? You have a burning passion that cannot be extinguished right? Share this. Leave a lasting story about why you started your company. Why you  enjoy what you do. How it has helped others and made a difference. Talking about what you enjoy is often contagious and  others will share their passion creating an exciting dynamic and most importantly memorable conversation.

Don’t hijack the conversation.  A  lot of people feel nervous at networking meetings and try to overcompensate by excessive talking. Try not to do this. The most successful networkers are the ones that listen, look the person in the eye, and repeat their name. In short make the other person feel special. It’s a conversation, not a talk.

Focus on the person you are talking to. Forget your own goals for a moment. Think of a way you may be able to help them. Networking is not about securing a business deal there and then it is fostering a relationship. Offering genuine help is one of the best ways to do this. It will be remembered.

Remember to follow up. Don’t just leave and forget all about the event. If you’ve had a good chat, ask the best way to stay in touch. It could be on LinkedIn, email or phone. Get in touch within 48 hours of the event to show you’re interested and available, and reference something you discussed, so your contact remembers you.

What’s your best networking tip?