Are you earning money from the sale of the products you specify in your designs?
Earning a commission from affiliate links is a great way of monetizing a blogs post or in a "shop" page without doing any heavy lifting. Just place a link to a retail site that handles the actual sale, and you earn a reward for the referral.
But, do you just want to earn referral rewards for doing the heavy lifting work of product sales?
For a retailer, acquiring a customer is a long and expensive marketing process. So, some use programs that make it quick and easy for an interior designer or decorator to create a virtual design by grabbing links to purchasable products. This allows the retailer to step in when the client is ready to make a purchase because the work of "marketing" the product has been done, and the retailer pays you a small referral fee.
Is this method really the most beneficial for you if your goal is to build a sustainable business that is profitable and attracts clients?
The point is not to just create a design to get paid, but to see how much more value can be created than what is paid for.
The challenge of using the affiliate link method is
knowing when or if your clients make a furniture purchase
if they're finding the selections to be in stock
if they're encountering any hassles
knowing when their purchases ship and get delivered
if all their pieces arrived safely
if something arrives damaged, does the retailer have an easy damage claim process
Setting up processes that help you stay engaged with clients throughout their entire journey will strengthen and affirm how your client values you.
This is a highly emotional experience for your clients. Do the systems and processes you have set up empower you to guide and serve your clients through every step of their journey?
Your value is determined
at the point clients feel you're
creating the most value for them.
Your clients' journey begins the minute they realize they want to hire a professional to guide them through their project.
Let's go through the phases from your Client's perspective.
Phase 1 - Searching for a designer
Most likely, your Client has discovered you from the marketing efforts or discovery platforms you invest your time and money in. All of which, are results from the effort you spend to get in front of potential clients.
Phase 2 - Choosing to hire a designer
After perusing your website to see examples of your work and check out your package fees, the client decides to hire you because they like your design aesthetic and feel they know you.
These are very impactful phases for your business, and you've probably spent as much, if not more, time on your marketing efforts than you have on paid design projects.
Phase 3 - Waiting for the design presentation
This is the phase your Client believes happens overnight, even though you have very clearly reviewed the timeline with them; hmm, thanks, HGTV.
Nevertheless, the design presentation day comes, and you deliver a stunning design they absolutely fall in love with.
What does your client's purchasing journey look like from here?
Imagine how your business would grow if you partnered with a procurement professional who provided strategies to strengthen your client relationships.
Providing you with the ability to
earn profit margins of 40% or higher on the pieces sold in your designs
source from lead manufactures and distributors
provide in-depth manufacturing information and warranties, making it easy for the client to see the benefits of the selections
keep your clients updated with shipping and delivery schedules
Virtual designers can make more money . . .
As you set systems and processes in place, just think about your client's entire eDesign journey. Look for methods that support and allow you to stay fully engaged with your clients throughout their entire journey. Methods that give you the resources to add value beyond a commodity transaction so your clients reach the end of their journey with you and are completely in awe of how you made the whole experience so easy for them.
If you would like to learn more about our system and processes, I would be happy to answer any questions you may have. Please send me an email
Or, if you would like to try us out with one project, there are no long-term commitments or monthly fees.
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