by Tanner @ ExpertSumo
Is CF Design School right for you?
Yes …probably.
But for some types of people, the answer is a definite NO.
That doesn’t mean I don’t love the course – I think I prove that here. And it’s clear that I think it’s a great course for most people.
But “most” does not mean “all”. So, let me share the 4 types of people who shouldn’t buy CF Design School (and their opposites: the people who should).
Bad Match #1: Bloggers
The business goals of a blogger:
Bloggers / news outlets / content-heavy sites are driven by two goals:
- Churn out as much content as possible, as quickly as possible, and have it read by as many people as possible.
- Show as many banner ads on their website in order to optimize ad revenue.
Why CF Design School fails bloggers:
CF Design School is built to help people learn to design web pages that sell.
Content sites aren’t about sales, they’re about page views and ads. CF Design School doesn’t touch on either of those subjects. You’d be better off just buying a WordPress theme.
So if bloggers aren’t a match, who would be?
If you have a website where you need to sell something online or get registrations online, CF Design School will teach you how to design your website so it converts your visitors to buyers and signups.
What does that successful match look like?
That depends on who you are:
Business owner? One person tripled their conversion rate overnight after applying the CF Design School system to their website.
Agency? The up-sell ability for your current clients is huge. Redesigning a website for thousands and putting them on a retainer for continuous improvements (which is taught in CF Design School) means an extra five figures per client.
Freelancer? I ran the numbers in this blog post if CF Design School was worth it, and the answer is that CF Design School can increase your rates by 2.88x.
Bad Match #2: Web artists (award chasers)
The goal of a web artist:
First, there is a HUGE difference between a web artist and a web designer.
Web artists are award chasers. They spend loads of money on Photoshop, Sketch, plugins, and more in pursuit of ‘award-winning design’, something other designers all will say, “wow, that’s beautiful”.
…and, as a secondary thought, if the website sells, that’s okay too.
Why CF Design School fails award chasers:
CF Design School has a mantra: “Good design does not equal pretty. Good design equals conversions.”
The only award CF Design School cares about is if the website generates cash.
This system forces you to take ‘pretty’ of the pedestal. If something pretty doesn’t convert, it gets stripped off the page.
If you’re an award chasing web artist, this feels like selling out. Which feels bad.
Another rough thing for award chasers?
The entire system is anti-Photoshop, meaning that her process shows you how you don’t need it in order to create highly converting websites. The course takes power away from those who have become ‘Adobe experts’ and gives it to people who have mastered her design principles and tactics.
Sidenote: if you’re a web designer who is hyperventilating because of the anti-Adobe vibe in this section, don’t stress too much. You actually can use your Photoshop skills with this system (and she teaches you how…) but it isn’t necessary to be successful.
So if web artists aren’t a match, who would be?
The anti ‘award chasers’ will thrive with this course. People who don’t have design skills, and web designers who think business trumps beauty (and especially those designers who realize the two do NOT have to be exclusive).
Another sidenote: Non-designers are one of the main target audiences. The goal of the course is to turn marketers, VAs and other non-design people into people who can design great websites that convert, without needing to learn any new tools.
What does that successful match look like?
That depends on who you are:
Non-Designer Business Owners? You avoid the need to hire an expensive web designer. This is especially important if you have multiple sales funnels or different pages you need to create.
Non-Designer Agencies or Freelancers? If you’re a marketing agency or freelancer, congratulations: You’re now a design agency as well, and you didn’t need to hire a web designer
Business Savvy Web Designers? This will change the way you pitch clients, as well as your rates and your close rate. For example, which pitch sounds better…
- These are three websites redesigns from my portfolio that are similar to your website.
- These are three websites redesigns from my portfolio that led to an average 50% increase in sales, and they all are similar to your website.
Bad Match #3: WANNA-BE CODERS/PROGRAMMERS:
The goal of a coder:
Classes for coders and web designers are very similar: “How to use ‘X’ tool or framework”. Coders usually want to learn how to use new tools, new frameworks, or learn new languages.
Why CF Design School fails wanna-be coders:
CF Design School fails coders for the same reason it fails web designers – CF Design School isn’t about learning how to code. It’s strongly marketed as a ’no coding solution’.
So if wanna-be coders aren’t a match, who would be?
It depends on who you are:
Non-coders? Non-coders will be able to create websites and sales funnels without learning how to code. In fact, you’ll be able to create a replica of almost any website (this is actually one of the modules of the course). This is the same kind of shortcut as above in the web designer section.
Actual coders? CF Design School shows how to create high converting websites. Which pitch sounds better to a client:
- “I am a React developer who creates SPAs for small businesses?”
- “I am a React developer with a track record of creating SPAs that double your website conversion rate.”
CF Design School positions you as someone who can make the client money, not another freelancer who will cost them money.
What does that successful match look like?
Almost the same as the web design section: Business owners can avoid hiring an expensive coder, non-coding agencies and freelancers are able to quickly add another service to offer to clients, and coders themselves become unstoppable when adding clients.
Bad Match #4: THE ‘GUTS’
The goal of the ‘guts’:
First, who are the guts?
The guts are the people and parts of the business that never interact with customers or clients. They have responsibilities like HR, finance, accounting, legal…
Their goals are to make sure the operations side of the business runs smoothly – they serve employees so that the employees can serve the customers.
Why CF Design School fails the ‘guts’:
The CF Design School system is ultimately about how to create hyper-persuasive experiences for your customers.
If your role within your business isn’t customer-facing, then this skillset won’t help you or your department.
So if the ‘guts’ aren’t a match, who would be?
It’s the people in the business who interact with customers: Marketing, sales, lead gen, product, customer success.
What does that successful match look like?
That depends on who you are:
Are you in marketing or do you help clients with marketing? Then this course will help your marketing department quickly create different, high converting landing pages to match your campaigns.
Are you in sales and lead gen or help clients with sales & lead gen? This course will help you learn how to create sales funnels that get signups, registrations, and that are optimized for sales, up-sales, and follow-up sequences.
Are you in product? Creating websites that match your branding, are aesthetically pleasing, and are highly effective is easy to implement. And you aren’t held hostage by whenever your IT guy or coder has free time to help you… you can do it yourself.
Conclusion
CF Design School doesn’t try to cater to everyone, which is what makes it great.
If you’re one of the people who are not a good fit, then you’re welcome! You can still learn from Kathryn, but you know this isn’t where you’re supposed to spend your money.
But if you are a fit, I have to ask: what are you waiting for? Go sign up for CF Design School… or leave a comment about what is making you hesitate – it’s great marketing research for Kathryn.
About the author:
Tanner is the founder of ExpertSumo.com, which helps its readers with super detailed reviews of products and courses, but with a lucrative twist: they add bonuses worth hundreds of dollars to each review.