As an interior designer, you should already be familiar with the importance of aesthetics and functionality. Your working and living spaces are designed to be both beautiful and easy to use— and the same goes for your interior design website.
Clients view your website as an extension of your business. Your storefront online.
If your website is stylish, inspiring, and professional, it can cast your company in a positive light. If it is confusing and ugly, it’d be a red flag.
A great website tells clients that you’re professional, pay attention to detail, and have fantastic style. Planning a website for interior designers takes time, but that effort can pay off by bringing in a stream of new sales leads.
Our Favorite Interior Design Websites.
Find inspiration with these well put together websites for interior designers.
VIEWPlan Your Content
The first step in planning a website for your interior design firm is figuring out the content you want to publish when you’re building the site.
In other words, what pages do you want to include on your site? To start, you’ll need the basics including Home, About, Contact pages and maybe a few links to your active social media accounts.
In addition to these pages, you’ll need content that convinces potential customers to get in touch with you to discuss your interior design services.
These pages should give a sense of your decor style and communicate your experience. Some useful pages for interior designers include:
- Portfolio or photo gallery of your past projects
- Proposition statement page
- Client testimonials
- Media mentions with images or links to articles
- Services you provide
- Social media profiles
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DISCOVERCreate Intuitive Navigation
Once you know what pages you want to include, it’s time to create a navigation structure.
This is simply how you arrange links and menu bars to help users find the information they need. Simple, easy-to-use navigation creates a great experience for your users.
To start, split your pages up into groups. The main group should include links to your most important pages. These links go on the main menu bar.
Not sure what to include? Think about your website from the customer’s perspective. When they land on your home page, what are they looking for?
If they’re considering using your design services, they probably want to see visuals — which means that your Portfolio or Gallery page links should be easy to find. You might also include your About and Media pages in this group.
The remaining pages are the links that people will eventually need. You could put these pages in a less-prominent menu. Many websites put this set of links at the top right of the page, in smaller text. These links might include Contact and Social Media.
What happens when you have multiple pages within a single category?
For example, you might want to include pages for Commercial and Residential projects under Portfolio. In that case, there would be no need to put all of those links in the main menu. Instead, include a Portfolio link. Then, on the Portfolio page, you can place Commercial and Residential links. This helps prevents the user from getting overwhelmed.
Design A Beautiful Home Page
When someone lands on your homepage, it only takes only a few seconds for them to decide if they want to stay. That’s why it’s important to create a beautiful, compelling page when you are creating a website for interior designers.
Since interior design is highly visual, it’s common website best practice to integrate the highest quality images to tell your story. You could choose a single photo that represents your style. Alternatively, you could also use a slideshow that changes the image every few seconds. This is particularly useful when you specialize in more than one type of interior design.
The images you choose should represent your best work.
If you need help, try flipping through photos of your own work. Select the ones that jump out to you. Then, run them past friends, family, and colleagues to see which they prefer. It’s always helpful to gain an outside perspective.
Choose a User-Friendly Portfolio Layout
Your portfolio is the heart and soul of your interior design website. In most cases, it’s the key factor that ultimately convinces a client to consider your services.
A portfolio does several things:
- “Wows” the user with beautiful images
- Shows off your style
- Demonstrates your experience and capabilities
A user-friendly portfolio makes it easier for clients to browse your past projects. To start, consider dividing projects into categories, such as Office Space, Residential, and Retail. Then, use smaller image files to ensure that the page loads quickly.
Instead of using clickable image tiles for each project, consider giving each image a title and a short description. That way, users can skim the page to find a project they’re interested in before clicking to read more.
Don’t Forget The About Page
On many websites, the About page is typically an afterthought.
For an interior designer, it’s a crucial part of the sales process–– But why?
Interior design involves much one-on-one time with clients, meaning they need to know that you’re friendly, competent, and personable. A great About page shows off your personality and explains your qualifications, which can give users the confidence to get in touch.
You can take your About page in a variety of directions. You might tell the story of how you got into interior design, or explain how you work with clients. These small anecdotes or personal details help readers decide whether or not you’re the right fit for their project.
Somewhere on your About page, it’s a good idea to include an easy-to-find list of your qualifications. This could include a college degree, training program, or certification.
Do you have one or more impressive projects on your resume? Feel free to add them to your list.
To make your page more relatable, consider adding photos of you and your work. This helps clients get a sense of who you are. Some possible images to consider as you create a website for interior designer include:
- A professional headshot
- Pictures of you on the job
- Press
- Team members, locations, etc.
Think About Your Call To Action
A call to action is something that motivates a web user to take a specific action.
Your call to action depends on your sales process. How do you want users to get in touch? For example, you could invite users to check out more of your work on Instagram, or ask them to schedule a free consultation call.
The trick to a great call to action is to put it in the right place— that way, you motivate a user to take action when they’re most interested.
Consider placing a “Check out my recent projects” link at the bottom of each portfolio page, or adding a “Schedule a free consultation” button to your About page.
Choose The Right Designer
The final piece of the website puzzle is choosing the right web designer.
This ensures that your site is designed and built correctly from the start, which helps you avoid costly repairs down the line.
To start, browse through different designers’ profiles to find the aesthetics you like. It’s also helpful to find designers who are experienced in planning a website for interior designers. Once you have a shortlist, request a quote for your site using your list of pages and your concept for the portfolio. Finally, pick a designer that fits your budget.
Building a website for interior designers is one of your company’s most important decisions you will make in your business.
By taking your time to plan, you can create a website that boosts your client base and increases your overall profits.
Check out our free interior design website planning checklist below!