Lauren Smyth Design
The Client:
The Client was Lauren Smyth, an interior designer with over 10 years experience in her field.
The project:
Lauren needed a revamp of her website copy, particularly a rewrite of her about page, which she had written herself, and was unhappy with.
She felt the heart of her message was lost, and her website did not properly reflect who she was and the uniqueness of the service she provided.
We did a brand message scrub, worked through her positioning in her market, provided creative direction, and completed a copy refresh.
The task:
Customer research, including email surveys, review mining and 5 customer interviews.
Competitive analysis.
Review of brand strategy and execution.
Work with her designer to ensure the maximum impact of the copy in the final product.
Positioning challenges:
Lauren works in a competitive industry, so we needed to further establish her position in her market to help her efficiently and effectively communicate and reach her target audience.
Together we worked through:
1 The competitive alternatives in her space to help determine her own “secret sauce.”
2 We then determined her specific expertise and experience as her unique attributes
3 Her value to her clients, and the social proof proving that value
4 We identified her target market characteristics, to focus her marketing in the right place with the right customers.
A specific area we tackled:
Her about page challenges:
Interestingly, this is a problem that business owners face when writing their about copy. There is also the question of "I" or "we". This is determined by your niche, the image you want to project and the level of familiarity you want to portray. We determined website copy should be in first person, but to leave the about page in 3rd.
First person or third?
Speak to your audience first.
Your about page is STILL really about your audience, so speak with them in mind.
Your niche and your audience research will determine how much familiarity and personal detail will go into your about page.
A family-run, friendly, one-on-one business? A personal "Why we are here" story will resonate. Techy B 2 B? Probably not so much.
TMI:
Best to avoid this, unless you are working with a very knowledgeable crowd.
However, research showed that a professional, knowledgeable tone was important to her clients.
Industry jargon?
Some vague language that needed clarifying:
Ie: “We specialize in making your house a home."
How?
The Client wanted to keep this specific phrasing, so to make it clear, we described how she achieved this.
We ultimately wanted to inspire her audience to create homes that inspire them, that reflect back the family that lives within its walls—a place of warmth, hospitality, collected stories, and unique points of view. Lauren created a studio that is a safe and familiar space, and a place where everyone's invited, and we wanted her digital “home” to have a similar feeling.
Before:Lauren Smyth Design is a company built on our story, and deep seated values that ensure the best experience possible for you.
Lauren’s interest in design began while growing up in Knoxville, TN, starting with her own room and then branching into small design projects for friends and family-before turning this interest into a passion during her foray into studying interior design. Her education continued at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where she received a Bachelor of Environmental Design Studies.
Since that time, she has obtained over 10 years of experience in a variety of roles, which include Lead Interior Designer and Project Manager. She has worked in commercial environments, retail design, and most recently, luxury residential interiors.
Here at Lauren Smyth we integrate our love of both interior design and architecture in every project we work on. We transform conceptual ideas into meaningful customized environments that meet each client's needs by encouraging a strong creative collaboration each and every time.
We specialize in making your house a home.
After:Lauren Smyth has been breaking ground in the interior design world with her namesake boutique agency. A Tennessee native, Lauren has built her full-service design firm to specialize in high-end residential interiors.
Lauren approaches each design opportunity as a blank slate, adding layers of tone, history, and storytelling for each client. Her distinctive style is achieved through a mix of vintage, contemporary, and custom pieces, all inspired by her client's vision.
She ensures your must-have list is fully realized, and that the process is seamless and headache free.
"Your home should be a reflection of who you are now, yet also be versatile enough to grow with you."
Lauren firmly believes that each design journey should tell a story and evoke emotion... and she ensures that your house becomes your HOME. You should love your surroundings, because what surrounds us, influences us.
With a timeless aesthetic that is purposefully tailored to each space, Lauren offers clients a highly creative, practical, and very personalized service.
And creates a space that you will love living in.
Lauren lives in Chicago with her husband, Dean, and their two dogs, Petey and Jackson. An avid traveler and blogger, Lauren is constantly inspired by city life and loves to bring back treasures from all of her adventures.
Her design inspiration continues to grow and evolve.
Copy and creative direction:
Professional but warm and personalized copy.
Clear about who she is, what she does, and who she serves.
Addition of branded photos, and a carefully curated about page picture.
Clarity on why her clients need her, benefit oriented specifics.
Clear sections:
Having a separate section for her education, awards, and experience ensures this information is easily accessible, and doesn't detract from getting to know her, the benefits she offers, and the problem she solves for the client.
The Results:"I’ve worked with a number of copywriters before and experienced mixed outcomes. This exceeded any expectation—not only was Allison warm and attentive, but she was also patient and quick to understand who I am and my business. MY values and strengths, were accurately captured in her work. I felt emotional when I read it. It was perfect!"
-Lauren