Clients will share various frustrations with the 21^st century approach to business when Brian Petruzzi spends time listening.  Many people are surprised that certain businesses are able to survive because of the lack of customer service.  Business methods may have changed over the past century, but people have not changed.  Common courtesy is less common than ever before.  Clients tell Brian Petruzzi about inconsistent results and refusal to address issues in a timely manner.  Each conversation provides important insight for nurturing the relationship.  A graphic designer must exceed the client’s customer service standards.

Listening is the most important facet of being a successful graphic designer.  Clients want assistance with the expertise that is part of Brian Petruzzi’s designer role.  Delivery of the product is a multi-step process that must include answering questions and listening to ideas.  Suggestions back and forth between client and designer will result in an excellent final design.  Along the way, the client expects prompt responses and respect for his busy schedule.  Two people who work well together will be prompt and efficient.  Extensive meetings where time is wasted will be frustrating for the client.  Brian Petruzzi asks the client for 30 minutes and leaves within 15 minutes.  These short meetings allow the client to return to his day.

Keeping commitments is more important to the client than the arrival of his own customers.  Brian Petruzzi calls the client 10 minutes prior to arrival to ensure the time will work.  Rescheduling is better for both parties.  Following up with the client allows him to ask questions and learn everything possible about the process.  Clients want access to the designer more than unnecessary meetings.  Response to questions and calls will allow the client to feel as though he is in control of the project.

Clients are wise to discuss the budget and schedule that must be followed for the design project.  Brian Petruzzi seeks to interact with clients throughout the design process.  Multiple versions of the designs should be presented to allow the client to choose the one that fits his needs.  Deadlines for the designer are paired with response deadlines for the client.  This mutual understanding allows the designer to make progress while the client is working on creating content and making final selections.  Missed deadlines on the client’s part will affect the final product dates.  Designers will establish expectations prior to the first day of work.

Business websites must create trust and confidence to every visitor.  Familiar colors, fonts and images will strengthen the brand and customer belief in the products are services offered by the company.  Brian Petruzzi has been creating websites for businesses of all types for many years.  The business logo from a business card or exterior sign must appear on the website.  Each page of the website will reinforce certain messages to remind the customer of the reason for his visit.  Logical progression throughout the site map will keep the customer interested long enough to complete a purchase or make a phone call.

Colors used for banners, backgrounds and images trigger memories in the right side of the brain.  Each time the color is noticed, the brand recognition grows stronger.  Web pages should encourage the customer to continue to read about the products and services long enough to make a decision to buy.  Any webpage with a different appearance will cause the customer to question his location.  Brian Petruzzi works diligently to establish a framework for every webpage within the site.  Each design element will appear in the exact same location on every page, including the checkout process.

A trial version of the website will be presented to people who are in the focus group of customers that are most likely to use the site.  Site statistics are studied to determine which page elements held interest for the longest periods.  Every page that causes the customer to leave the site prematurely is evaluated for subsequent changes.  Some visitors will know what triggered the exit while others will have to revisit the site to determine the cause.  Clients have hired Brian Petruzzi to correct existing websites that are not providing sufficient sales.  Once the changes are made, the client is amazed at the increased number of online sales.

Advertising efforts are designed to hold the attention of the viewer long enough to convey a message. Brian Petruzzi believes that graphic designs must be engaging enough to cause people to pause long enough to process the images. Any graphic design that does not spark interest is a waste of the client’s money. Brian Petruzzi strives to put interesting elements into every design that will encourage the potential customer to make a series of decisions. Graphic designs can be placed in any number of places, and Brian Petruzzi knows that the common denominator must be interest from the person looking at the design.

Webpage design follows various recommendations that hold the interest of those who visit the website. Brian Petruzzi incorporates proven practices that will retain the interest of every website visitor. Placement of each image and paragraph of text must meet the reader’s expectation. Logical flow is created as Brian Petruzzi attaches each design element to the grid. Floating text and images are not included because of the importance of the reader’s flow of thought. Multiple people are asked to look at the pages Brian Petruzzi creates. This test phase eliminates problems once the pages are published. Clients also provide opinions about the elements on each page.

Elements positioned on a webpage convey a great deal to the website visitor at the very first glance. Brian Petruzzi has started to use a grid because of the crisp appearance of each page. When clients ask the reasoning behind this, all he has to do is take them to websites that have centered paragraphs of text that are not positioned next to anything else. The client learns to trust his judgment because of the significant improvement in website traffic experienced in the first month after his updates were applied. Web surfers have preferences about appearance although most cannot define them.

All of the elements on the page should have a logical relationship with other elements. Floating text or images leave the visitor confused about the next step to take. If this happens, the risk of departure escalates rapidly. Close relationships can be maintained through designing a series of pages that flow together in progressive levels of detail. Brian Petruzzi asks his clients to provide mountains of information that can be grouped and parsed into meaningful content. Images and pictures are added to each page to convey the unspoken meaning behind products and services described. The result is increased traffic on each page with each visitor staying longer.

Traditional business owners struggle to see the reason to invest funds in a professional website design. After one discussion with Brian Petruzzi, most decision makers realize that an effective website design is comparable to opening another brick and mortar location. When an experienced designer is hired, the website will win sales and communicate to people from many walks of life. There are many reasons to hire a website designer, including:

• Augment existing staff – Everyone already has job duties that are directly tied to the functioning of the client’s business. A website designer will work independently to generate a few different designs from which to choose. Employees will be able to stay focused on their jobs and answer questions as they arise.

• Expertise – Software and hardware advances require people who have stayed abreast of each new capability. Experienced web designers know what must be included in each design to ensure that the website includes every possible feature that would be effective.

• Save time – Whenever an expert web designer is engaged, the amount of time required to design and develop the website will be shortened. Once the initial appearance is chosen, additional pages can be added to the site without impacting the visitors. A well-developed approach to website design will create an online presence in an acceptable time period.

• Advanced approach – Web technology changes every year, and experienced web designers include the most advanced design elements in each web page. Simple web designs are bypassed by website visitors who are looking for interesting websites to visit. Excluding the “bells and whistles” from the website can be a very costly decision in the long run.

• Knowledge of SEO – Search engines are the governors of the Internet, and experienced website designers and developers know that certain internal aspects of the website must be present. Optimizing the web pages for recognition within the various search engines is essential for the website to be visited frequently.

Clients of Brian Petruzzi Studios know that they can ask for certain design elements to be included in their websites because he can handle special requests. Attractive web pages will keep visitors interested and cause them to take action and contact the business. Instead of opening additional branches, some companies are choosing to establish effective websites and win more customers from all over the country. With proper use of local listing services, customers in the same location also find the companies in their own area.

You can read a new article about Brian petruzzi studios at http://brian-petruzzi.com/2011/11/brian-petruzzi-studios-your-graphic-design-advantage/

Brian Petruzzi Studios: Your Graphic Design Advantage

In today’s competitive market, you may not get a second chance to make a favorable impression on potential customers. The average consumer is bombarded by images on a daily basis and will likely forget any that are not striking, clever and memorable. If your signage, ads, website and business cards are unremarkable, you are wasting all or part of your money.

Creating a cohesive corporate image begins with the smallest details, such as your business cards or the sign on your door. Your logo, letterhead and brochures should build on that image. Your website, newspaper or magazine ads, product packaging and catalog should complement your image, not detract from or compete with it.

The staff of Brian Petruzzi Studios has the creativity and experience to design all aspects of your business image. Our artists stay abreast of all of the latest developments in software, web design and printing techniques. Such continuous education allows them to choose the best solutions for your project.

Our graphic designers also understand the challenges businesses face. They take the time to learn about your company and your vision for its future. As they are not only experts on marketing history but constantly keep up with current trends, our designers are in a position to advise you on what does and does not work.

From designing your shipping packages to creating a national television campaign, our talented artists are ready to help you develop your image. We can provide animation for your existing website or develop a complete online store. You might benefit from a review of all of your marketing pieces, from your business cards to your social media page, to help you brand your products or services.

Unlike some of our competitors, we do not try to lock you into a contract for more services than you can afford. You can choose one small project or a complete package. We can design a bumper sticker for you to distribute to your customers, or we can design all of the elements for your booth at a major trade show. If you need to create a video for your website or a television commercial, we can produce that as well. Simply stated, no project is too small or too large for our talented graphic designers to handle. Call or email us today to discover all that Brian Petruzzi Studios has to offer.