Adoption And Importance Of Online Platforms In The Global Design Services Market

Online media platforms are a powerful way through which design firms are reaching out to clients. Using platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for marketing enables the firms to project their brand image and promote content. Designers have started using online platforms to promote new ideas, market their work, foster new talent and attract commissions. For instance, Instagram helps designers to bring their followers into their personal sphere, building an authentic relationship. According to the key findings from the “Global Digital Report 2018”, there were nearly 4 billion internet users worldwide and nearly 3 billion social media users worldwide, a 13% increase from 2017. The adoption of online platforms such as Instagram helps design service providers attract new clients, positively influencing the market. The global design services market, valued at $153.2 billion in 2018, will grow to $249.5 billion in 2022 at an annual growth rate of 13%.

The interior design services landscape is also changing rapidly as companies are offering their design services and themes online. Online crowdsourcing enables clients to submit photos of a space online and interior design service providers send design ideas and style boards relevant for the space directly to the clients. Once the client selects a design, they receive a personalized floor plan and shopping list along with instructions. For instance, Homepolish standardizes processes, prices and offers design services to its clients by matching their requirements with interior designer skills. The company charges as low as $50 for a one-hour interior design service consulting session. Similarly, Houzz, an online platform, enables clients to hire interior designers and exhibit projects, conversations and reviews. Major online design services platforms include Hatchwise, DesignCrowd, Designhill and GraphicRiver.

Online platforms are standardizing the processes and ensuring price transparency to offer affordable interior design services to the low-budget buyers. In the past, professional design services were expensive, but new online business models are standardizing the business processes and lowering the prices.

According to a survey conducted in 2019 by Visual Objects, a creative agency service broker, among 529 small businesses in the USA, nearly 60% of small businesses had a website to establish brand authority and legitimacy, while the remaining businesses chose not to invest in a website due to its irrelevancy to the company’s needs. According to the same survey, 20% of small businesses used a web-design agency to maintain their websites, while 52% of businesses kept their website maintenance in-house. The same survey revealed that quality websites formed an important component of a successful digital marketing strategy.