You might have heard of the saying “The riches is in the niches”

Every successful online business owner would give you this advice. 

NICHE = Your expertise + Ideal Client Avatar

If you want to stand out from other designers, it is important that you establish yourself in a niche. How do we do that in the design industry? It’s quite simple. You have to hone your portfolio in a specific area of design. 

Whether it is:

• a particular industry (ex. food, health, beauty, pet, sports, e-commerce)
• company size (small business owners, corporate companies)
• a particular gender (ex. female entrepreneurs)
• a specific lifestyle or behavior (ex. moms who don’t have time or corporate employees who happens to have a business as their side hustle)

I understand that it’s not easy to niche down, especially if you like to serve different entrepreneurs, but finding one specific niche you’re definitely good at just makes total sense. 

Why is it important to niche down:

1. The more that you focus on attracting a specific target market, the more likely you are to onboard the exact clients you want. 
   
   How’s that easier you may ask. If you have a criteria of the type of client that you want to target, you will also know exactly who to interview, who to look for, who to reach out to, and who to learn more about. 
   
   It’s easier to attract them because every piece of marketing material that you will put out there will be tailored specifically for them. It will easily resonate with them, because you know their pain points and desires, and you have a proposed solution to their problems. Who here doesn’t want to get their problems solved right?
   
2. When you’re niched down, you will be known as an expert in that space.
   
   When I was starting out, I tried to do all sorts of design styles and tapped into different industries. I even tried to serve the pet and tech industry. But when I decided to be known for luxury, modern, and minimalist branding and web designs for female service-based entrepreneurs, I started attracting my ideal clients. It wasn’t hard for me to close them because my design style aligns with the style that they envision for their brand.
    
3. You can charge higher. 
   
   It’s easier to charge higher when you are known as an expert at something. This is the reason why doctors still undergo residency programs because they can charge higher when they have a specialization.
   
   It’s the same thing with us designers, it’s easier to charge higher if you are already an expert at maybe creating WordPress websites. Trust me, people will pay you no matter what you’re worth if there are lesser risks involved. Being an expert means that you’re eliminating the risks for them. If you were able to transform the business of others successfully, then you can do it for them too. 

“Sheena, would working in one specialization limit my clientele?” 

Not necessarily. Specializing often results in a higher skill level and will make it easier to establish yourself as the go-to expert in that type of design—resulting in more work in the long run versus the jack-of-all-trades approach wherein you’re trying to serve everyone in the market.

Here are some guide questions that can help you in choosing a niche:

1. What specific design styles are you naturally drawn towards?

2. What specific services or packages do you want to offer your target market?

3. Is there a particular gender that you’re already interested in and you would want to serve?

4. Is there a particular industry that you’re already interested in and you would want to serve?

5. List down the types of clients that approach you.

To find out if this is a profitable niche, ask yourself:

1. What’s the ultimate result of having branding and a website for these industries/clients?

2. On a scale of 1-10, how motivated are these clients to achieve the results that you’re going to provide for them?

3. Does serving this niche excite you? Do you think you will be able to serve this niche in the next 2-3 years?

If you answered 10 and you think that your niche has a strong motivation to achieve the transformation that you’re going to provide for their business and you think you will be able to serve this niche in the next 2-3 years, then congratulations, you have already chosen a niche.

Now, remember, this niche that you currently have is not set in stone. You’re not marrying your niche, okay? Along your journey and the more clients you’ll take on, the more that you will learn what type of client you enjoy working with and who you don’t enjoy working with.

Pick a niche right now so it’s easier to market and craft your core message. Later on, you will be able to truly nail this as you evolve and grow further in your business.