I have been told I am a sucker. Yah, I know I couldn’t believe it.  How could someone say that about me?  Me a sucker?  No WAY!  Okay, okay, here is a moment of truth . . .

The truth is I have been suckered into do it yourself stuff.  Okay it happens all the time.  At times, because I do freelance design, sometimes it feels like I have more time then money.  That’s when the do it yourself stuff seems idiot proof and so appealing.

So then after I have failed at the do it yourself thingy, I end up paying to get it done right, or buying the ‘real deal’, and I come to the realization, I have been duped or whatever and IT was is far from idiot proof.

Over the weekend I thought about buying a home waxing kit for my eyebrows.  I was at the beauty supply store.  I filled my little basket with all the stuff I would need for an at home beauty treatment.  Right before I checked out, I realized, I had no idea what I was doing and thought, maybe I should buy two sets “just in case” I had to do it a second time.  By this time, I would have spent more then double what the professional service at the salon (done by a professional) cost.

Uhhhh, I think the whole reason I was turned on to the do it yourself method, was so that I could save a little money.

I put everything back and went down two doors and had my brows done professionally.  No fuss, no mess, happy with my results and it cost me only $10.00 and 10 minutes. (as long as it would have taken me to read the instructions if I had done-it-myself )

Funny thing about do it yourself products.  They almost ALWAYS imply that it’s a simple process, when in all actuality, it’s really not.

I have a client or two that have opted to try the do it yourself graphic design.  Hey it happens. It’s nothing to be ashamed of.  Not everyone has an eye for it.  And without practice, your results and technique may not be as polished as you had hoped for.  Lord knows, I don’t have a trained eye to look for those baby fine hairs around my eyebrows.

One of the best reasons to hire a graphic designer and implement graphic art into your marketing campaign is to develop a professional image.  If your results end up being counter productive, and you loose the trust of your potential customers with a do-it-yourself design chances are, you wont increase your sales and it was all for nothing.

I would like to think I am not an idiot. The truth is sometimes we can execute a do it yourselfer perfectly and we can actually do it alone.  I guess what it all really comes down to is picking our battles and making smarter buying decisions around what our individual talents are.  As you can see from my waxing experience, I am making progress.  And I’m pretty happy about that.

If you decide do it yourself design isn’t for you, let me create a shiny new design just for you! It comes easy for me. I love what I do can’t you tell?

SO you have developed the coolest downloadable thingy ever right?  Your getting massive amounts of traffic to your website, but your virtual product is just not selling the way you had intended?

Brace yourself… this may sting a little. Right out the gate, virtual products like software products, mp3’s, hypnosis sessions, recordings, instructional videos, ebooks, information, memberships and subscriptions have a disadvantage.

The disadvantage of down-loadable products is the customer fails to see the super fabulous, awesomeness oozing from your descriptive text.  Yeah I know that hurt. (I’m sorry) But seriously, do you blame them?

Using graphic art and design there is a way to level the playing field and come out looking like a pro.  I talk a lot about how I use graphic design as the perfect answer to increase your reputation and ultimately your sales by using smart and innovative graphic design.  One of the BEST examples of this is an ecover or a conceptual package design.

To get your customers seal of approval, give what you have to offer a tangible look and feel with an original ecover design.  It’s the PERFECT solution!  It builds self confidence in your potential customer.  And if that’s not cool enough . . . A clever design can make all the difference in your likability factor. HINT hint: You want your customers to like you!

I’m ready for ANYTHING!  So if you have a virtual product or service and its not flying off your virtual shelves you’re not alone, I can help. I can give you that professional edge, that likeability factor and your customers will see you WHAT you have to offer in a whole new way!  And you just gotta LOVE that!