On the occasion of Inreact’s recent listing in the Top Design Firms curated ranking in two separate categories —Florida’s Top 10 UI/UX Top Design Awards List and Ecommerce Design Firms— we thought we’d have an informal sit-down with Ann Nunez. As Inreact’s veritable alma mater, her take on recent corporate achievements, her vision of the business and the design firm’s place in it, and the acumen of an established industry leader were especially poignant.
Hi Ann. Tell us about your latest achievement, the Top Design Firms listing.
It’s a curated web design directory, but in the last few years they have started ranking design firms domestically and internationally. For Inreact, being rated as one of the top firms for UI/UX Design is very important. This basically encompasses any platform (mobile app, site, software) which is graded on its user interface. Usability excellence, leading to low bounce rate, is one of the main success benchmarks of Inreact.
Is this part of a long list of success stories of late?
In a certain sense, it’s part of the development and advancement scenario we are seeing in our startup turned full-service web design firm. We measure progress and success based on a full-throttle vision strategic plan. The major breakthrough came 5 years ago, when we became a Google Partner certified for PPC Text Ads and Shopping Ads. Now, we are fully dedicated to the establishment of solid ties with the education, healthcare and government & public service sectors. We have pending SMB and WOSB (woman-owned small business) government-sanctioned certifications, which should lead to federal contracts, RFPs and RQs. We have also secured a position as vendor of the Miami Dade County School System, the fourth largest in the nation, comprised of 392 public district schools, 345,000 students and well over 40,000 employees.
How has this horrible pandemic affected your business? Rise? Decline?
We have a huge amount of proposals in the pipeline, so our prospect and lead count has skyrocketed. However, there’s a definite stagnation at present between call and close. In terms of business, we have we have seen a steady rise in activity, close to 20%. Overgeneralizing for argument’s sake, before the COVID-19 pandemic, everything boiled down to Convenience: How fast I can get it? Now convenience has taken a back seat, with Quality the new driving factor. This is great for Inreact because it’s one of our core values. Also key is the great virtual work organizational setup we already had in place, which allows for clear comms, client outreach, and expectations set and met.
Passion Project?
Hmmmm… it’s in the works. Metrics and tangible goals have not been met yet. For example, we’d like to reach the half-million-dollar revenue mark soon. But that’s just a yardstick. Our true driving force is making sure that all our client base is giving back to charity and non-profits. You know, working with industries that somehow benefit humanity, such as education, healthcare, public service & government, charitable organizations. This is definitely at the core of Inreact’s ethos.
Can you give me, say, 3 digital marketing and design trends to watch out for in the coming months?
Yup.
Carving out a client mold is an overriding priority. Of course, this has extremely close ties to whatever collateral you are working on: social media, digital marketing, communication, etc. You need to make sure it jives with your target demographic. Y’know, by means of content, language, and color branding and personalization. Much like what Outbrain articles are achieving or how Linkedin is seeing leisure activity uploads, pitting personal alongside professional content. The other day I saw a video of a guy paragliding.
Watch out for influencer importance, which is not celebrity-based anymore, and keep a close eye on the SEO and Google symbiosis, updating the rhythm and bounce rate of your website media content. Oh, here’s a free tip: use a solid background for your online headshots. We are just starting to understand the massive impact of headshots in setting yourself apart and carving out opportunities. Pro goes per, DIY, comment pods… all have viral impact potential; ultimately, this means you’re working the algorithm. User interface has everything to do with layout and establishing a blueprint of your media will guide you to better communication and heightened user experience. We have a 30-day bug support period, so you can do your own testing and let us know what works and what doesn’t from your side. So, you know, user-led interfaces, which basically carve out the path of the user. Tracking tools, such as heat maps, also help a great deal.
Between tips and trends, I just gave you much more than 3 items and hopefully some food for thought and a conversation starter for everyone out there.
