Cait Christensen
Owner at Creative Designer Directory / Showit Designer
Australia
www.creativedesignerdirectory.com
instagram @creativedesignerdirectory
Q What do you do?
“I’m the owner of the Creative Designer Directory, where I manage everything from marketing and SEO to design and user experience. ”
My role involves overseeing the overall direction of the directory, ensuring that it's optimized for search engines, providing a seamless experience for users, and handling the myriad of smaller tasks that keep the platform running smoothly.
Q What steps did you take to get to where you are now?
Owning the Creative Designer Directory allows me to bring together all the skills I've developed throughout my career. I started in media, working in the advertising department for Women's Health and Men's Health magazines, where I gained valuable experience in marketing and communication. From there, I transitioned into working for myself, focusing on graphic design, website design, and SEO. These experiences have all contributed to my ability to successfully manage and grow the directory today.
Q How do you stand out in your field?
I specialize in Showit websites, offering both website design and SEO services. The Creative Designer Directory was specifically created for Showit designers, but it also includes copywriters, brand designers, SEOs, and white-label services to provide a full-service experience for clients. Focusing on a particular CMS like Showit allows me to engage with a smaller, tightly-knit community. As an SEO expert, I noticed that while there are hundreds of searches each week for Showit designers, only 10 positions are available on the first page of search results. This meant that many talented designers were being overlooked. I decided to address this by creating a user-friendly directory that any Showit designer could join, ensuring more visibility for all.
Q What are you working on right now?
The directory has grown rapidly, which keeps me busy managing users, enhancing the directory for better UX design, and continually marketing it to reach more designers and clients.
Q What’s your style?
I’m a simple woman with simple tastes. While I love color, I believe in keeping design elements cohesive by sticking to a few colors and fonts. This approach ensures clarity and consistency across all projects. As an SEO, I prioritize optimizations and speed over big design choices, focusing on creating websites that not only look good but also perform exceptionally well.
Q Out of all your slashies, which one do you wish you could do more often?
Probably SEO. I really enjoy working 1:1 with clients, helping them improve their business through effective SEO strategies.
Q What is frustrating you right now?
Social media isn’t my forte. It’s a lot of work with relatively low ROI compared to other marketing channels. However, having a strong following on Instagram is seen as a trust badge, so it’s important to maintain a presence there.
Q If you could hire someone for $20/hour, what would you have them do to make your day easier?
I would delegate simple but time-consuming tasks like manually verifying everyone on the directory to ensure quality. And of course, I’d love to offload Instagram management.
Q What do you wish you could have told yourself, when, and why?
Buy Bitcoin! Haha, and start your email list as soon as you start your business. Building an email list early on is crucial for long-term success.
Q If you could talk to an expert to gain more insight on something, what would it be about?
Probably money management. It’s an area where I’d love to gain more insight and expertise.
Q What kind of opportunities/projects are you looking for?
One of the best things about the directory is that it’s all about helping the Showit community. Being so involved, I can see the challenges the community faces and work on providing solutions while monetizing them.
Q Describe your ideal job/client/collaboration.
We already have some big names on the Creative Designer Directory, like NorthFolk, The Buffalo Collective, Create with Danielle, Emma Troy, Hello June Creative, Lauren Rich, and The Autumn Rabbit. I would love to see other top designers like With Grace and Gold, Davey and Krista, and Foil and Ink join the directory. Additionally, I would love to collaborate with Becca Luna.
Q: What is your rate?
Signing up for the Creative Designer Directory is just a one-time payment of $50, keeping it affordable for professionals. My SEO Intensive service ranges from $2,200 to $3,000, depending on the scope of work needed. Unlike other SEO services that spread the work out over several months, I prefer to dive in, get the work done quickly, and then optimize further if necessary. This approach is ideal for small businesses looking for impactful results without the long wait.
Q How should someone approach you about working together?
Feel free to reach out to me by email at hello@creativedesignerdirectory.com. I’m always open to discussing new opportunities and collaborations!
Q Who is a creative you admire?
When you start a business and have zero subscribers, the first people who believe in your vision are the ones you need to keep close.
Chanel from Vanilla and Oak was the very first person to join the directory, and I will always remember this. Chanel, along with Courtney from Coyote Brands, Sasha from Daring Made, and Sara from Studio 8 Design, are all incredibly talented creatives who have supported the directory from the beginning.
Courtney from Coyote Brands
Sasha from Daring Made
Sara from Studio 8 Design
Q Oh! and… how do you stay creative?
You need to have weekends off and not open the laptop at all. Taking time to recharge is essential for staying creative.
This member profile was originally published in September 2024.