Suzanne Harrison, Web Designer & Developer

11/14/2022

"Don't get tied up in the small stuff. Remain aware of the big picture. When your focus is restricted to the details of the problem, your vision and everything else is constricted - including your creativity." - Ginny Ruffner

Yesterday we hopped on a ferry to go see Ginny Ruffner's "What If?" exhibit at the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art and also got to hear her speak about her work. She is so inspiring in her outlook and her incredible creativity, I was blown away. She creates a world of magic using glass, metal, paint, and augmented reality. Each of her pieces seems to be filled with surprises. It made me so happy.

Please treat yourself to a fun day on Bainbridge Island and see her show, and her incredible Aurora Borealis in the window!

Ginny Ruffner: What if? Ginny Ruffner (Seattle) takes us on her unique journey of artmaking, spanning over forty years. Best known for lampworked and painted glass sculptures, Ruffner’s prolific career includes paintings, installations, public art projects, metal and glass sculptures, cast glass, ...

08/28/2021

If you love dance, you need to see ARC Dance's Romeo & Juliet - available to stream Aug 27-29th. ARC Dance has been a client of mine for a very long time and I've been so lucky to see so many of their incredible live performances, everything they do is amazing and I can't wait to see them on film. Please support this amazing local non-profit organization.
https://arcdance.org/event/romeo-juliet-a-cinematic-ballet-2/

ARC Dance Productions Presents the Romeo & Juliet Project – A Cinematic Ballet Filmed at Seattle’s Benaroya Hall – ARC Dance offers a new twist to the central story of Romeo & Juliet. Choreographed by Artistic Director Marie Chong, this cinematic dance version updates the...

06/30/2021

So, how do you define the 4 steps of a sales funnel?

To break it down in an accessible way, think of the sales funnel or customer journey as waking up hungry for breakfast.

1️⃣ Awareness: You wake up feeling cranky. So you grab a coffee, not realizing that you’re actually hungry. Identifying that you are cranky is the first step in identifying a symptom of a problem you have, but at this point, you haven’t done anything about it.

2️⃣ Interest: You finish your coffee and realize “oh, my stomach is grumbling, I need to eat”. You’ve now identified the problem and can begin to think about addressing your hunger.

3️⃣ Desire: You look around your fridge for options. Maybe you’re the kind of person who eats the first thing they see, or maybe you spend a long time considering the possibilities. You’re getting excited, deciding how to curb your hunger, allowing desire to set in as you analyze all your options.

4️⃣ Action: You finally decide “I want pancakes!” and start whipping up a delicious plate of fluffy, buttermilk pancakes dripping in syrup.

So, where are your customers in the sales funnel?

Click to dive into my Beginner’s Guide to Sales Funnels on the blog and learn how to inspire more action with your audience!

https://buff.ly/3x4EfmX

Mapping out your customer’s journey is key to creating a predictable sales funnel that keeps you on top of leads and revenue coming in.

06/28/2021

What problem does your audience have that you solve? And how aware are they of the problem?

Sales funnel. Customer journey. I’m sure you’ve heard these two terms before, but what do they mean?

Well, they are interchangeable. Your sales funnel is the journey your customer will experience as they gear up to signing on the dotted line. The customer journey is how you can identify where your audience is in that journey and how you can authentically nurture them towards working with you.

Simply put, mapping out your customer’s journey is key to creating an accurate and predictable sales funnel that keeps you on top of leads and revenue coming in.

I like to look at the sales funnel in 4 simple steps:
1. Awareness
2. Interest
3. Desire
4. Action

Are you familiar with these 4 steps? Let me know in the comments below. On Wednesday, I’ll be sharing my ULTIMATE Beginner’s Guide to Sales Funnels to help you not only identify where your ideal audience is in their journey, but what next steps you should take to help them take action.

06/25/2021

There is nothing more powerful (and resourceful) than a trusting community you can continually learn from.

But, sometimes in the early stages of your business, you just need some good ol’ business advice, from the legal stuff to navigating your business budget.

On the blog, I’m sharing priceless small business advice and resources to help you confidently jump into Q3.

https://buff.ly/35Z3jQF

marketing

06/23/2021

One of my core values has always been nurturing an abundance mindset. When we focus on collaboration over competition, growth over stagnancy in our businesses, scarcity becomes obsolete.

And that’s why I started the Seattle Freelancers Group.

A community of digital and creative freelancers across the city supporting each other and growing together.

If you’re looking to:
🌼 Network with like-minded creatives
🌼 Connect with collaborators and contractors
🌼 Gain new insight and knowledge on digital trends
🌼 Teach a community of growing entrepreneurs and freelancers on an authority topic

Click to learn more and join us for our next digital meet-up!

https://buff.ly/3d5fTBy

Let's build a community of digital freelancers (web designers and developers, digital marketers, SEO specialists, photographers, videographers, graphic designers, social media experts, copywriters, et

06/21/2021

Happy summer solstice! Today marks the official start of summer and the longest day of the year.

And if you’re a start-up, you KNOW just how crucial extra time is to get going with your business. 😉

If I haven’t made it clear by now, clarity is the ULTIMATE tool in creating effective copy (see what I did there?!).

As Donald Miller always says “if you confuse, you’ll lose”.

The same thing goes for your vision and mission statements.

At this point, you’ve probably thought a lot about what you want to communicate and HOW. And because I know how challenging it can be to write an effective vision and mission statement (especially if you’re The Doer, aka a team of one!), I've put together a helpful article to guide you through the process. Not only does it cover my favorite mission and vision statements from leading brands, it also dives deeper into the psychology behind them. PLUS I give you three exercises to help you write an effective statement and a worksheet to put it all into action.

Click to get started!

https://buff.ly/3cNm8K2

Clarify your vision & mission by writing powerful, succinct statements that create a connection between you, your team, and your audience.

06/18/2021

Wow! We’ve covered a lot this month.

By now you have:
✅ Clarified your WHY
✅ Identified your ideal customers
✅ Started writing your vision, mission, and values
✅ Identified your Entrepreneur Archetype

Sounds like you’re pretty close to getting started on your website!

BUT, before you do, there are some technical challenges I want to warn you of so you can best prepare for building an effective, functional, and beautiful website.

On the blog, I dive into the 3 challenges all my clients have faced when building their website (and why they came to me to help them solve ‘em!).

Frustrated by how complicated building a website is becoming? Here's how to overcome 3 big challenges to bringing your busines online.

06/16/2021

So, you’ve identified your Entrepreneur Archetype and are starting to put all the pieces of your marketing together, from understanding your audience to how to communicate in a clear, consistent brand voice.

Now the question is, how do you ACTUALLY design an effective website?

Think of your website like a store. When your customer first walks in, they need to feel supported in taking action with you. What you do and how it solves their problems should be clear.

Think to yourself:
-- What information needs to be on the homepage?
-- What is the user experience? How does it support their needs?
-- Do you have supporting content that is helpful to their questions and concerns?

On the blog, I walk you through what I have found to be successful in helping clients leverage their website as the ultimate customer experience.

https://buff.ly/3vyWob3

How do you best create, present, and organize your website content? Try thinking about your website like a brick and mortar store.

06/14/2021

⭐️ What is your Entrepreneur Archetype? ⭐️

🐝 Are you The Doer, with your hand (and heart!) in multiple projects?

🛠️ Maybe you’re The Builder with a strong business concept and a great reputation based on a growing portfolio of work.

💡 Are you The Pioneer? You feel at home in your journey, but are always seeking fun and new opportunities to bring fresh ideas to life!

👁️ Ah, The Visionary with your eyes set on clear long-term goals, offering multiple services that support the growing needs of your clients and your team.

🏆 Or, maybe you’re The Leader, an influencer in your industry! You thrive to be at the top of your field, continually growing and evolving, while showcasing your authority.

I’ve had the pleasure of working with all archetypes, from small business owners to creatives. What I’ve learned along the way is knowing your Entrepreneur Archetype helps you understand what your next steps are for achieving growth (starting with what the foundation of your online presence should include, aka your website!).

Click to find out your Entrepreneur Archetype. PLUS get an understanding of your initial website budget and how your website will best suit you and your business goals.

Your website isn't a cost, it's an investment. Here's how to budget for a website that pays you back, based on your business archetype.

06/11/2021

You can’t start your business with a website.

“Suzanne, are you nuts? Of course I need a website! How will my audience find me?”

I know, I know, but hear me out.

I’m not saying you shouldn't have a website (you absolutely should!), what I want to dive into today is that you can’t START your business with a website.

But I get it - when you first think of your genius, problem solving idea, you immediately start to think about the fun parts of your business.

Design. Website. Logo. Killer copy.

But without truly understanding WHO your audience is, WHY you do what you do, and WHAT your brand voice and image is, a “website” is only going to get you so far (or, in this case, not so far).

On the blog, I break down the 5 questions you need to answer BEFORE you start working on your website (PLUS lots of extra goodies to support you in your journey to a successful launch).

https://buff.ly/2Tmk6d8

Starting a new business? Launching your website is not the first thing you want to do. You need to ask yourself these 5 questions first.

06/09/2021

Your website is a reflection of you and your values.

So, when a potential lead lands on your website, what is it you want to communicate that shows them who you are, what you do, and why you do it?

If you guessed it starts with your WHY, you’re on the right path.

Yet, this is often the most challenging part. Clarity and simplicity are key here. And that’s why we need to start with the basics before launching a website.

That includes:
-- Your mission, vision, and core values
-- Your brand image
-- Your brand messaging

Your company mission expresses how you solve a problem that your customer has. Your company vision paints the picture of what you aim to accomplish with your solution.

Ask yourself:
-- What is the problem that your customers have?
-- How do you solve that problem in a unique way?
-- How does solving that problem make the lives of your customers more fulfilling/convenient/inspiring?
-- And what unique values do you bring to your customers that help you stand out against competitors?

Let’s say you are a builder who works on large scale, residential projects. You value safety, creativity, and developing functional spaces to accommodate families.

Communicating these values through your branding might include warm colors, clean and structured fonts and layouts, fluid shapes, and portfolio images that include real families you’ve worked with enjoying life in their new homes.

Bringing clarity and consistency to your mission, vision, and values will allow you to do the same with your branding and content.

Your copy and your visuals need to tell an engaging and transformative story that in turn guides your audience through your sales funnel.

So, ask yourself:
-- What about your process makes accessing a solution to your customer's problem that much easier?
-- What personality traits represent your brand most, and how will they resonate with your audience?
-- What are some phrases or words your customers frequently use to reference your solution that can be written into your story?

Working with a content strategist to clarify your messaging, audience, brand voice and tone will provide you the opportunity to build a memorable brand that your ideal clients choose every time (and can’t resist!).

Already got the foundations covered, or struggling to integrate your core values and your WHY into your branding and content?

Comment below or send me a DM with the pieces that aren’t quite fitting. Happy to help bring clarity to the big picture!