Setting Expectations With Design

Entrepreneurs or small business owners in the process of building their company website often instruct a web designer to project a bigger business image. But are they setting themselves up for conflict?

At 9th sphere, we design and develop a lot of websites. Most of our clients want a clean, professional looking site. Many also want to evoke an image of a big company. Understandably companies want to project a confident, credible, and desirable image which seemingly comes with a larger business. But suggesting that a company is bigger than it really is could also set unrealistic expectations for potential clients.

If prospects think that you are bigger; whether in man-power, resources, competitive landscape, or experience, their expectations will also be greater. With an exaggerated depiction of who you are, you may be setting your new clients up for disappointment and setting yourself up for a potentially wide range of customer service complaints.

The truth is that not all prospects want to deal with large firms. Some business owners prefer companies that are small and nimble. Define the market you want to target and build an image accordingly to attract that market. If you are in a situation where your market is big business and you are a small shop, don’t give off the wrong impression. Consider illustrating your credentials, awards, and accomplishments and building your company’s credibility that way. Illustrate why a prospect would have a better experience with you than with a larger company. Being up-front and establishing realistic expectations ensures that clients understand your capabilities, which increases likelihood of positive customer feedback.

Don’t set yourself up for failure. Instead of trying to design for a big company mentality, project the right website image that attracts your kind of target market and focus on what makes you better then the rest.