- The power of functional differentiation and honest differentiation
- The often overlooked but crucial step before you build your website and marketing plan
- 3 epic fails website owners make all too often
To start, tell us briefly about you. What is your current role at your company, and what are the measurable achievements you are most proud of?
I’m the founder and designer at Alphamark™ – a boutique design studio that exists at the intersection of design and technology. I’m mostly proud that as a young company, we successfully gained momentum by focusing on inbound marketing. (we never used ads, outreach, or anything similar.) Our success so far has been purely determined by the quality of the work we produce and the impact our work has on our clients’ businesses. We have successfully helped clients revamp their identity, carve out unique positions in their industries, rethink their online presence, and attract the attention of investors. As we continue to grow, my focus is leaning toward improving the type and scale of the project that we work on.What pain point(s) do you solve for your customers? What was the “aha Moment” that led to the idea? Can you share that story with us?
Companies today can have a global impact and reach global audiences, but competition forces specialization and therefore differentiation is crucial. Through the power of branding, we help companies achieve functional differentiation by not only solving the visual aspect of it but also connecting it with the business objectives and issues that our clients are facing at the moment. Our design solutions directly impact our clients’ businesses by enabling deeper customer engagement, building trust and credibility, and effectively communicating their core values and true identity through visual communication.
What do you think makes your company stand out? What are you most proud of?
Operating in the global design space, (especially when you are not coming from a big business hub) is very challenging. We narrow down our expertise only to designing brand identities to creating websites — this gives us leverage to provide the best possible results in those two fields (which are foundational for starting an online business or simply for sharpening your online presence). By keeping it small, agile and independent, we can tailor each project, involve our team members’ unique expertise, and deliver a service that perfectly meets our clients’ needs. The level of detail and quality we provide often exceeds our clients’ expectations. As a young studio that is currently shaping its brand, we view each project as an opportunity to grow. We always aim to provide greater value for our clients, whether it’s through business impact, exceptional customer service, or delivering the best possible outcome.From your experience, what are the most important things to build a highly successful website and online business? Please explain each in detail.
Start simple, prioritize user needs and set clear goals. When we first started we focused heavily on the visual side and features when building a website. However, I soon realized that while those elements are important (to build the overall brand picture and brand consistency) they don’t guarantee success if they don’t address the core needs and preferences of the users. First, you need to truly understand your audience and have a good product/service market fit. Once you know who your target audience is and what they need, you can tailor your offerings to meet their specific demands effectively. When building your website, you need to relate all technical aspects to your findings before (I won’t go deep into the technical side, like responsive design, good performance, SEO optimization, etc… assuming those go by default). For example, when designing the UX, structure the website hierarchy and navigation to prioritize the elements that are most important to your audience. This ensures that users can easily find the information they need. Similarly, when creating copywriting, aim to speak the language of your audience, using terminology and tone that resonates with them.💡 If you are just starting out, create 2-3 user personas and start by supposing the user’s needs and interests. This will not only help you set the right structure for your website but also develop and plan effective marketing strategies by understanding where your focus should be. Understanding these personas will guide you in focusing on the key aspects of your business.
In your opinion, which aspect of running a website tends to be most underestimated? Can you explain or give an example?
I believe the overall UX of a site is one of the most underestimated aspects of running a website. It’s not just about aesthetics or the functionality of individual items, but about how changes to specific features impact the overall user experience. Will updating a specific feature (in the future) affect the ease with which users find information? Ensuring the entire site remains intuitive and user-friendly after updates is crucial for maintaining a good user experience. Your website is a ‘living thing’ — it must be designed with a robust plan that ensures the UX remains seamless and intuitive, even after future updates.
What are the most common mistakes you have seen people making when building their website and online business? What can be done to avoid those errors?
Misaligned positioning I usually notice websites communicating values that don’t align with the current position of the company. Has your business overgrown your current website/brand? The services you provide, your product, or simply how you communicate information to your clients/customers should be fully aligned with the personality of your brand/website. Your website should set clear expectations for your buyers about who you are, what you do, and most importantly, how your brand is perceived. Clear positioning helps your company stand out from competitors, attract the right clients, build a strong brand, and efficiently focus marketing efforts on a specific niche. Adding too much information Everyone wants to speak about how great their product or service is. But in reality, users rarely want to read large blocks of text or view too many visuals. Keep it simple, say less, and guide the attention of the users towards taking action. Bad UX (Especially on mobile) Is your website loading quickly on mobile devices? Is the navigation structure still simple and easy to use? Many websites also fail to follow basic UX principles such as text contrast, font size, accessibility, and a straightforward structure, especially on mobile.If I asked you to share the key ingredient in your “secret sauce” for inbound marketing, what would it be?
I’m sharing an important marketing lesson that I learned from my past experiences… Consistency is key! Always aim to be present and build a community with your audience. Be there for them by sharing social media updates, engaging with potential customers, offering free help and guidance, and most importantly, don’t be afraid to present your business as it truly is, with all positive but also negative sides. I strongly believe in the power of honest differentiation. Niche down (If possible) and keep it personal – there is a market for everyone, if you have the right solution.“The collaboration with Alphamark was very fruitful. I was very excited by their ability to deeply understand the core of our business and then apply the findings to our brand and identity. Alphamark is more than just a design studio. They also provided consulting assistance throughout the design process, which added value to the whole company.”
Yannick Heymann, CEO of Purevirtual AG
