You’ve got big dreams for your interior design business—and honestly, who wouldn’t want to work with high-end clients? Bigger budgets mean more creative freedom and the chance to create breathtaking spaces. But let’s be real: if attracting those clients was as simple as posting an impressive portfolio online, we’d all be jet-setting around the world, champagne in hand. 🍾
Here’s the scoop: it’s not just about how stunning your designs are; it’s about the exceptional experience you create for your clients. And that experience starts the moment they land on your website.
Let’s Break It Down: Pottery Barn vs. Vanguard
Imagine this: you stroll into Pottery Barn. It’s cozy and feels like a friend’s comfy living room. You find beautiful pieces, but everyone and their neighbor have it too. Now contrast that with the world of Vanguard—a place where interior designers are the gatekeepers. Here, you don't just get furniture; you enjoy a unique, often customizable experience that makes you feel like part of a special club.
The Pottery Barn Vibe: Cozy but Common
Pottery Barn is like your go-to blanket—warm and welcoming, but very much the same thing your friends have. Sure, you can find beautiful pieces, but the experience feels a little generic. You’ll leave the store feeling satisfied, but do you walk out having had a truly personalized experience? Probably not.
The Vanguard Experience: Luxe and Exclusive
Now, flip the script. Vanguard is the upper crust—the place where designers offer exclusive products that enable them to craft bespoke experiences for their clients. Think luxurious fabrics, rare designs, and service tailored specifically to you. It’s all about providing a level of sophistication that differentiates you in the crowded market.
When it comes to charging higher prices, it’s not just about showcasing beautiful photos in your portfolio. It’s about how you make clients feel, starting with their initial impression of your website and brand. This is their first glimpse into what you offer.
First Impressions Matter!
What message does your website send? Does it give off a Pottery Barn vibe—friendly and cozy, yet too familiar? f so, potential clients might perceive your services as basic, making them hesitate when it comes to your pricing. Conversely, a website that radiates luxury and exclusivity will excite potential clients and help justify your higher-end rates.
People expect different things from their interactions with different designers. In the Vanguard experience, clients anticipate an exclusive, customized journey, with designers rolling out the red carpet and dedicating themselves fully to meeting their needs. In contrast, Pottery Barn offers a more generic experience, where anyone can navigate the store and find something recognizable. And that, my friend, could make them hesitate when it comes to your pricing.
Here are some actionable tips for you to channel your inner Vanguard:
1. Design with Intent: Treat your website like a chic gallery showcasing your work. Everything should scream uniqueness. Opt for sophisticated colors and elegant fonts that reflect your brand. And don’t forget the visuals! If you love coastal design, let that shine through with images that transport potential clients straight to the beach.
2. Craft Relatable Copy: Your words matter! Use storytelling to connect with your audience. Share anecdotes about how you transformed your client’s chaotic living space into a peaceful oasis. Maybe it’s how you helped a family of five who craved a stylish yet durable space by incorporating washable fabrics and clever storage solutions that blend seamlessly into the decor. Or think about that working professional you helped create a home office that doubles as a cozy reading nook. Show them that a home can be both luxe and livable!
3. Create exclusivity through forms: Use application forms and let people know you have a waitlist to work with you because you are focused on providing top-quality service to your clients where you can pay every bit of attention to them and their needs instead of working with 6 clients at a time giving just a mediocre experience.
4. Showcase your process: Show them what it's like to work with you as an interior designer and take them through that journey. Use past client examples to showcase how you've done this for others and have rolled out the red carpet. Let them know each experience is not the same and you craft the experience to their problems and the solutions that they are looking for. You aren't suggesting the same designs to each and every client that you work with, but instead an experience where you have access to select design vendors with customizable options to give you pieces of furniture that not everyone in he neighborhood has.
Bottom Line
Is your website setting the stage for luxury and high-end expectations, or does it resemble that comforting - but generic - Pottery Barn experience? This clarity will help you tailor your website and your overall approach to attract those dream clients you want to work with.
If you are ready for your website to embody a Vanguard experience, apply to work with us here.
