A business with a professional image seems more trustworthy, more reliable, and by extension is likely to attract more customers. Here’s a quick guide to help improve your business image.
1. Set up a unique domain
While it’s much cheaper (and often free) to use a hosting platform, free extensions like wordpress.com seem amateur. Customers are more likely to trust a business with its own domain name because it doesn’t look as though it’s sprung up overnight. Domain names bring prestige, and not having one can really damage your businesses image.
2. Put your brand on a business card
Scribbling addresses down on bits of paper, or worse not having any contact details to hand at all, seems amateurish. A well-designed business card is suggestive of a long-running, professional and trustworthy business, and they are considered Really Helpful Marketing.
3. Fine tune your website design
With so many businesses operating online, your website is key. A slow or clunky website will turn customers away immediately, but a slick website with a smooth user interface is indicative of a business that is willing to put the effort into providing good service.
4. Use a unique email address
Much like using a unique domain name, a professional email address gives your business identity, and makes it appear more trustworthy. A company using a free email extension could have been started by anyone, from anywhere, at any time, whereas one with its own, unique address seems immediately more legitimate.
5. Consider company cars
Any marketing strategy consultant will tell you that visibility is key for a business to seem professional. The more recognisable the name, the more trustworthy it appears, and the larger its area of operation seems. Company cars are a brilliant way to increase your businesses visibility while also giving it a more professional image. Depending on how often the cars are used, they can equate to round the clock advertising!
6. Consider professional photography
This is an often overlooked aspect of managing a business, but images are usually the first impression that potential customers will have of your service. While it is true that cameras have evolved enormously of late, a professional photographer will always be able to take a better photograph than you. High-quality photographs make great first impressions, whereas poor quality is suggestive of an amateur.