Image is everything. The old saying goes, ‘you shouldn’t judge a book by it’s cover’, but the truth is that most of us do on a regular basis. The business world is no exception. When potential customers or partners are choosing a business to deal with, their initial impression is going to be based on image and style. For smaller businesses that are trying to compete with much larger rivals, the way that they present their business is crucial. You might not have the benefit of being as big as they are, but that doesn’t matter. As long as you can convince your customers that you are, then you can still win that business. There are some incredibly easy ways of changing your businesses image from amateur to professional. Email Address And Phone Number If a customer is trying to contact you and the email address they have is your personal one, it looks very unprofessional. It gives the impression that your business is a side note and that you are very casual about it. Merging your personal and business life is always a bad idea, customers will probably be worried that you won’t be putting enough time into work. It’s even worse if your email is an old, embarrassing one from when you were a teenager. The same goes for a phone number. Using your standard home phone is risky because you don’t know which family members might answer. Passing on messages through a five year old is not going to fill customers with confidence. It’s best to get yourself a specific phone line for the business, that way you can always make sure you know it’s a business call and you answer it properly. Getting free 0800 number will make your business seem even more established, and customers will be more inclined to call. A Good Website You’ve probably heard people going on about the importance of a good website, but it’s worth mentioning again. Invest in your own domain name, it doesn’t give a good impression if your web address is a long-winded mess that people won’t remember. Don’t overcrowd your site, it’s much better to go for a sleek minimalist design that has been well thought out. It’s also important for the website to work. Make sure you are using things like qTest to ensure that all of the software is functional. A company that can’t even maintain its own website is not going to get many customers. Business Cards They might be a bit old fashioned, but they make you look the part. Being able to produce a business card when you meet possible clients shows that you are well prepared and that you are always thinking about your business, wherever you are. It also ensures that they have your details should they decide to do business with you in the future. If it has your dedicated phone number and email address on it, you can easily fool people into thinking you are a huge business. All of these small details add up to give your small business the image of a larger one, helping you to win more business.]]>
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