10 reasons to use mockups on your site
If you are a blogger or run a ecommerce site you may have thought about mockups before. If your initial thoughts may be negative. With the same ideas as over use of stock photos, that it can all become a bit samey.
I believe you need to think again. Mockups are a fantastic design resource that every blogger and eseller should be using. Whether you want to boost your social media engagement or Drive traffic to your blog using fresh pins these are 10 reasons to use mockups on your site.
1. What are mockups?
Mock ups are ways in which to digitally allow you, to view potential ideas. Whether that is on a Poster, a book or a tshirt. They are ideal for designers to create a range of ideas to show potential customers. Without having to create a physical product. Not sure if your latest logo or pattern design would suit a bag or mug better. A mock up is the tool you’ve been looking for.
2. Make ideas come to life
I’ve run my etsy site for a number of years now. Selling digital cross stitch patterns. It would cost me far too much in materials and time in producing a stitched version of each design. Which is using a mockup of a embroidery hoop was a godsend. This way I can make the ideas come to life for potential customers. They can imagine what the finished product will look like. It also allows me to consider how a pattern sits within a hoop shape and decide if in fact it would be better in a different frame. 
3. Improve your website
If you don’t sell your products via a 3rd party platform and you have your own website for selling. Mockups can really help improve your website too. With the aid of photoshop you can soon have your site imagery looking professional and high quality. Without the need to have products manufactured and professionally photographed.
4. Help with branding
If your business or blog is growing you may need to consider branding. If you have a blog it’s worth taking a look at this post on how to make your blog a brand I wrote. Branding is important because it allows customers / readers to instantly recognise your work. If they can see your logo, appear on for example a mug in your instagram feed or a cover of a sketchbook that you shared on facebook. (You can always create your own design logo online free.) These mockups help tie all your work together and create a cohesive design across your site, shop and socials.
5. Packaging idea
Perhaps you’ve decided to take the step into having a physical store or taking a concession in another site. You now have to think about how your products will be packaged. Seeing a customer walk out of the store with a branded bag with your logo on. Will help boost sales. But what will be the right fit for you, your designs and your products. Why not test them out on bags, boxes and wrapping paper to see what will work best for you.
6. Graphic design
If all this is seeming a little overwhelming for you and you can’t see how you’ll cope with all the graphic design. Fear not, the majority of the hard work has already been done for you. The beauty of buying premade templates is that the design process is simplified. You can simple head to this Canva templates shop. Just drop in your visuals that you have created and overlay them with the templates you have chosen.
7. Social media
Love it or hate it. Social media is key to driving people to read your site and purchase products from your eshop. If potential customers see your ideas coming to life across your instagram grid, your twitter feed and your facebook page. They are more likely to click through and make a purchase. You don’t have to have all these products already created. They can be a whole host of potential ideas you try out on social media. Then by analysing the engagement on your different images you can see what will be popular with buyers.
You could even offer two ideas of a new product and ask followers to vote on which one to make. This would be a great way to make them feel part of your design process. Again making them more likely to go o to buy something.
8. Promotional materials
You might continue to ride the wave of engagement on social media with a giveaway. Creating products for promotional materials, get customers interested in new ideas and products with a range of mockups. Have a vote and then you could offer the most popular product to made up for the winner.
9.Print on demand
I love selling through print on demand sites and have sold my work via stores like redbubble and society 6 for a number of years. One of my favorite aspects of these sites is the fact they offer your designs on so many different products. With their quick design manipulation you can see your idea on rugs, dresses, shower curtains, tables and so many more products.
The downside to these sites, is because they are the ones manufacturing. Doing the print on demand. They take the biggest cut of the profits and although I’ve worked with them for many years. Having had lots of sales, they money I have made hasn’t been amazing. Yet it is a good way of generating passive income.
If you want a bigger cut of the profits, then you may want to look at something like becoming an amazon seller.
This way you can potentially offer lots of products via the use of mockups. But only need to out lay in materials and manufacturing costs when the orders come in.
T Shirt design is a great example of a successful way to do this. With the addition of a heat press and a vinyl cutter you can run a small business from your back room.
10.Templates
Once you start looking at what templates are available in creating mock ups you’ll be amazed at the wide variety. You can find them for all manner of blogs, businesses and crafts. From bags, bottles, mugs, tshirts, and books. To magazines, posters, mobile and web displays. Whatever you imagine been designed, with a quick search you’ll be able to find a suitable mockup for your design purposes.
