Design Archives - American Quilt Retailer

Posted on April 28, 2022April 27, 2022 by AQR Piece by Piece

Optimize Your Website: Part Two

Last week we established website goals—including informing your customers and increasing revenue—as well as where to start. During part two of “Optimize Your Website” we’ll cover how to accomplish those two goals.

Inform your Customers

Customers come to your website for information. Feature what makes your business unique and what you do best. Further, on each page, ask yourself “What do I want my customer to do after visiting this page?”

That’s when your call-to-action comes in. Each page on your site should include a clear and concise call to action to encourage your customers to stay engaged. This can be as simple as: Shop Now, View All, or Sign Up.

Increase Revenue with Website Design

There are multiple ways your website can help you increase revenue. The first is through your website’s design.

The first piece of advice is to keep it simple. First, this makes information easier to find. Second, a simple website is easier to maintain. If a customer has to click on your site more than three times to find information they need, your design needs to be simpler.

Another way to have simple design is through maintaining branding. Colors should be similar to your brand, and images should be clear and clutter-free as well.

Other design pieces to keep in mind is your navigation. Navigation tabs should be organized from most-to-least important.

Another way to increase revenue is through conversation. Integrated communication tools help you answer Frequently Asked Questions at any time of the day.

And of course, your website should be responsive, meaning it should accommodate every device including phones, tablets, and computers.

Last but not least, include a search bar so information is even easier for the end user to access.

Inspiration for this post came from “Increase Your Website’s Value” by Brad Tanner of Rain Retail Software and was published in the April 2022 issue of American Quilt Retailer.

AQR Academy

One last thing before we go! The May AQR Academy workshop is right around the corner on Wednesday, May 4 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. CST. The event will be hosted by Beth Montpas, Lifestyle Coach, and the topic is Goal Setting – Setting Yourself Up for Success where she’ll cover how to both set your goals up and make them happen.

If you’re looking for more information to guide you in owning a retail business, subscribe to American Quilt Retailer today. Already a subscriber? No worries—join our Facebook group for insights and dialogue from industry specialists like you. And don’t forget, you can always purchase single issues if you prefer that instead.

Posted on August 1, 2018 by AQR Piece by Piece

The Pursuit of Design

I was reading an article today about UI/UX design and I couldn’t help but to think about the quilting industry.

UI/UX design is a cousin to graphic design, think about every time you open an app or even turn on your computer. The words and graphics on the page start the user experience you are going through, what happens when you click on those words or graphics continues that experience and overall influences—subconsciously or not—what you think about that company or brand. (Check out the above linked article for an even better/more in depth explanation if you’re interested.)

So what does UI/UX have to do with quilting?

Honestly, nothing. But the word “design” does.

What does design mean? As creatives, I think we can relate to the fact that design isn’t a concrete idea, nor are the tools and processes used to get to a design.

Think of your store as a design. (After all, you did design it!) Every time a customer walks through your front door, the experience begins through sights, smells, sounds, and more. Every time someone visits your website, or scrolls through your Instagram or Pinterest, that experience continues. And subconscious or not, they will start making assumptions to associate with you or your business.

When you think about it like that, doesn’t that change how you view every thing you put into your store? Doesn’t that change your perspective on where you get inspiration, and what you do with that inspiration?

I don’t know about you but it made me begin to ask questions about the companies, brands, and products I love. It ultimately made my creations more creative because this idea made me see things in a new light and look for things I hadn’t been searching for.

Even if this article doesn’t give you food for thought, I hope you have the same epiphany moment that I experienced to get your store one step closer to what you want it to be.

Posted on December 1, 2017January 10, 2019 by AQR Piece by Piece

Create your online presence

Now that Black Friday, Small-Business Saturday, Cyber Monday, and Giving Tuesday have all come to a close, you can take a deep breath and pat yourself on the back for surviving the busiest week for retail stores every where.

And as you prepare for the continuing busy holiday schedule, one thing to keep in mind is your online presence.

Developing an online presence can be intimidating; especially if your business has never had one. But one sure way to ensure you are getting the most success during the holiday season is ensuring your website and social media are as on-point as your store.

Here are some tips to get started:

Plan ahead. Have a goal and outline for what you want your website to look like. Think of it as how you plan your store; your business’s website should be clean, welcoming, and easy to manage. Try to follow the three-click rule, meaning you shouldn’t have to click more than three times for customers to find the information they need.
Write. Write your own message but keep it short and simple. Feel free to use calls to action and advertise what sales you have going on. Make sure you tell customers what you can do for them even if you don’t have an online shopping option.
Seek help. Designing a website isn’t easy, but it is so important in today’s industry, so don’t be afraid to ask for help. The most cost effective way to build a website is through a website builder rather than hiring a designer. Check out this article for an in-depth review on which website hosts are the best for you.
Keep it professional. Make sure your website is heavy on visual content; but most importantly, make sure you’re happy with the product! Take your time building the website and try to keep your online brand as consistent as the physical store.

Another important tip is to test your website on a variety of platforms. Ideally, your website should be transferable to all three.

I realize the holiday season isn’t the best time to make a website, but with the new year comes new goals. If you already have a website, now is the perfect time to freshen it up! Creatives love to create, think of working on your website as another outlet for your creativity.