If you're running an interior design firm, you'll know that one of the keys to success is not only the people that make up your team but also the tools you have in your arsenal that help you get the job done efficiently and skillfully. It's hard to even think back to when we didn't have smartphones, apps, iPads, or the cloud; how did we ever stay on top of all those important business things that needed to be done right away?
With so many new software programs and tools being released left, right, and center, it can be hard to keep up with them all. Which ones should your interior design firm be utilizing? What opportunities for growth and business development are you missing out on? Or how would you be streamlining your workflows or allocating resources differently if you had intelligent business software in place that gave you insight into your firm's productivity and profitability?
Well, fear not, because we've rounded up the top 5 digital tools interior designers should be using in 2021 (including DesignDocs).
1. AN ALL-IN-ONE DESIGN BUSINESS SOFTWARE, ESPECIALLY DESIGNDOCS
If you're using Excel spreadsheets or trying to work across various software programs to manage your design firm's projects, you run the risk of letting something fall through the cracks. Not only that, but you'll also probably be paying for multiple subscriptions to these separate software programs, which does nothing favorable for increasing your design firm's bottom line.
By using an all-in-one design business software such as DesignDocs, all the business documents and financial tools you need are in one complete software solution. You'll be able to combine project workflows with your firm's accounting and bookkeeping functions. This helps you analyze how you're currently processing items and gives you financial insights into how you could make improvements to reduce expenses and increase company profitability overall.
2. ZOOM
If Zoom wasn't a common word in your vocabulary pre-2020, it most certainly is now. Life is bust, and sometimes it can be challenging to coordinate schedules to meet in person with a client or discuss project specifics with a supplier or vendor. However, organizing a Zoom meeting is an easy solution that helps to ensure your clients continue to feel the love and your project timelines keep moving forward.
Zoom also provides a method to stay connected to colleagues and the design industry near and far. Your time is valuable, and Zoom allows you to participate in virtual events with other professionals in your network that you may not have been able to connect with otherwise. So, if you're unable to attend a conference in person because of other deadlines or the location, you don't have to miss out entirely on a networking opportunity.
3. SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS
Your online profiles are an extension of your brand and how you run your company, so it's essential to make sure each platform is a just representation of your business. Using social media effectively can attract new business, attract new talent to your design firm, and attract media interest and curiosity.
However, it's important to recognize that not all social media platforms are the same. Each one has a different focus and thus, the content you put out there needs to align with this. A well-thought-out social media strategy will help you leverage the power of each platform based on the purpose they serve and the audience you want to reach and engage.
- Instagram – Focus: Photography. Use Instagram as your second portfolio to showcase your beautiful design work.
- Facebook – Focus: Networking. Use Facebook to connect with fellow designers and your clients via your brand page or private groups.
- Pinterest – Focus: Photography. Pinterest is an excellent source of inspiration for its users, so inspiring and strong photography will prompt more pin saves and profile followers.
- LinkedIn – Focus: Networking/business. Like Facebook, LinkedIn is a crucial tool for virtual networking. Use it to position yourself and your brand as a professional force in the industry.
4. MICROSOFT SUITE
While DesignDocs provides many of your client-facing materials such as proposals, invoices, and project summaries, Microsoft Suite is still a robust digital tool that many of us would be lost without. By utilizing this universal tool, you can create, edit, style, and finish business documents and presentations with that special wow factor that makes a memorable impact.
The Microsoft Suite file compatibility and various formats also make files easy to use from a client's perspective and easy to modify and share from a business owner's point of view. Plus, by using Office 365, you get all the benefits of a cloud-software (access anytime, backup functionality etc.) while being able to access the full suite across iOS, Android, Windows, and macOS.
5. EMAIL MARKETING AUTOMATION PLATFORM
Email correspondence is a crucial part of communication with your clients, suppliers, and vendors. Having a paper trail to reference and confirm the details of a project will ensure everyone has access to the same information and is on the same page all of the time. But email is not only for day-to-day communication – it's also a powerful digital tool you can use as part of your business development strategy and as a regular touchpoint for current and past clients.
Email marketing automation platforms like Constant Contact or Mailchimp offer automated email services that help promote your business and share information with your subscribers. If you don't have an email subscribe function on your website or a link embedded in your social media profile, you'll miss out on communicating and developing relationships with people interested in following your design firm and brand.
For example, sending a regular newsletter to your subscriber list will help you remain front and center of their minds'. You never know when they may have a renovation or decoration project they want your help with. By including links in your newsletter to your website, blog, or social media profiles, you'll be sending valuable traffic to these end destinations bringing more exposure to your design firm and the great work you and your team are doing.
