It can be really, really overwhelming (and paralysing) when starting with your first steps of turning your hobby into a fully-fledged, solo business. You’ve got an armful of patterns under your belt. Perhaps you’ve been experimenting with print on demand, but you need somewhere, or something, that pulls all this into one space. Maybe you’ve looked at ways of building a website, setting up a newsletter, or you’re already posting on Instagram. It doesn’t help when you see established designers with their own snazzy websites and online presences. No wonder you still find yourself procrastinating on the next step.
Sometimes you just need a guiding hand, and that’s where The Content Alchemist comes in to help. I like to keep things simple. Like you, I’d much rather be creating pretty patterns!
Briefly, here are the four steps to get started online as a surface pattern designer:
- A domain name – aka your website address. The bit that goes after the www. part and is is the name of your business. It’s also a great way to see if your business name is already taken – and do some detective work about what the competition is doing ;). Never copy anyone, and make sure you are not using terms or words that are prohibited (I’ll wait here while you go down that rabbit hole!). You can search for and buy your domain name from a domain name registrar. This is a company that looks after the techie side of having a domain name. Whatever you do, make sure you buy your domain name in your name! This way it is yours, not the kind family member, friend or techie acquaintance, who said they’ll do it for you – you will not own it, and this can make things tricky in the future, no matter how much you trust them. On a side note, make sure you check what the renewal cost will be for your domain name. It might be cheap for the first year, but the second year can be eye-watering.
- A Website – alongside having a web address, you need somewhere to be able to point your domain name, which is your physical website.
The tech that holds your web pages, content and portfolio.
This tech, or your shopfront (that I like to call it), is called web hosting. This is where it can get really overwhelming, but understanding the different types of website services will help you make the right choice for the skills, time and budget you have to invest in getting your surface pattern business online. Website hosting comes in two forms: self-hosted and hosted.
Self-hosted websites are where you are responsible for the setup and maintenance of your website. It can be a steep learning curve, but the set-up costs can be beneficial for those of us on a tight budget and cannot afford monthly subscription costs.
Web hosting companies now provide automatic installs of WordPress, which leaves you to sort out the look and feel and the content of the site. The package you include doesn’t need bells and whistles when you’re getting started.
A basic package that has WordPress installation and setting up your own email will suffice. Like when buying a domain name above, the first of a package can be really cheap, but check how much the renewal cost will be. Otherwise, you might find yourself having to move your website to a new host a year from now because the renewal was too high!
Don’t get stung.
Hosted websites, on the other hand, are just that – hosted. Everything is taken care of for you.
They set up your website, they provide templates that you can customise to your own brand and take care of the techie side of things for you. You take care of your content, logo and images.
They usually charge a subscription fee, which can be quite costly when first starting. It depends on how much you can afford versus your inclination to learn this type of tech.Services include: Wix, Squarespace and the hosted version of WordPress.com.
- A Business Email Address – one of the assets that will set you apart is having a professional email address.
Not a Gmail or Yahoo one, but one that looks like ‘yourname@’ followed by the domain name you have bought.
Most domain registrars also provide a Mailbox service that will allow you to set up your business email address.
There might be a small fee for having a mailbox if you don’t buy hosting, but it’s well worth the investment for when you start pitching.As a side note, a mailbox will be included in your self-hosted package.
For hosted, you need to check if an email is provided as part of the subscription.You can connect your business email address to the Gmail app on your phone or the Mail app.
- Your Business Newsletter – while having a social media presence is great for connecting with potential clients and fellow surface patterns designers, you are still at the mercy of algorithms, or heaven forbid, you lose your account if you get hacked.
A business newsletter allows you to connect with people who are interested in learning about you, your portfolio, and your creative process.
The popular method is to provide a freebie to entice people to subscribe, like a download, for instance, or a discount on whatever you’re selling.
Setting up a newsletter can also be overwhelming. I know I got stressed out doing this.
You may wonder what to write about or how often. But you don’t have to send out weekly newsletters.
Once a month, or once a quarter, whichever feels more manageable for you, will be enough. Whatever frequency you decide, you just need to be consistent and make sure it gets sent.
The great thing about newsletters is that you can schedule them, so you could write two or three and then set and forget.
Again, mailing list providers charge a subscription fee, so you need to do your research. Some provide free packages within limits, but it’s worth having a look around to see what’s available. Services you might want to check out are Email Octopus, MailChimp (both provide free versions, but have paid versions) and SubStack (free).
The Next Step To Get Started Online As A Surface Pattern Designer
Setting up as a surface pattern design business can be really overwhelming and difficult to know where to begin. Focusing on the four steps above gives you a framework to get going. My top tip would be to start with the first step – researching and buying your domain name.
Next, decide if you want to go down the self-hosted and hosted route for your website, depending on your budget and skills.
If you’re unsure about the website hosting side of things and need a bit more time before making a decision, then I’d suggest sort out a mailbox so you can still have a professional email address to communicate with clients.
Consider this your gentle nudge. Focus on what you want to achieve – you can do this.
Steph