5 reasons your business might look unprofessional
Business owners, you may have heard the phrase "you only get one chance to make a first impression." It's true. Your business appearance matters a lot. Customers form judgments about your company very quickly and decide whether to work with you or not.
It also becomes even more challenging to compete in a crowded market when first impressions are holding back potential customers from even giving your product or service a chance.
Below are 5 reasons why your business might not appear professional.
1. Not using a professional email
Email addresses should be consistent with the name of your business, and they should match what you do in some way. You should also avoid using free email accounts for your business such as Gmail or Yahoo mail.
Use the email that matches your website domain. If you have difficulty getting that set up, your domain service provider can provide guides on how to do it, you can also find these guides on YouTube.
2. Low-quality photos on your website
It’s important to use high-quality images on your website. Your website is a visual experience for your visitors. Just like a physical storefront, you want to create the right type of environment for your visitors and most of that is going to be great photos. If you have low-quality photos, it will make your business look unprofessional and cheap.
To ensure you are using high-quality images:
Work with a professional photographer where the budget allows
Choose images that are relevant to your business
Make sure there is good lighting in your photos
Make sure that the image is not too small and not blurry
3. You are using a free domain link
One of the most common mistakes business owners make is using a free domain link (example: beautyshop.wixsite.com). Not using a purchased domain, may signal to potential customers that you're not fully invested in your business.
If you want to improve the appearance of your business, it’s time to get rid of those free domain links and start using a paid domain name. They are fairly low investments these days.
4. Poor branding
Poor branding can include things like unclear messaging, and inconsistency of imagery, logo, and colors across all customer touch points. Customers are confused when they go from your website to your social media channels and they experience something different every time.
This is the fastest way for customers to avoid you.
5. Poor website
Your website is your online storefront, so it's important that you put some time and effort into making sure it looks professional. Here are a few reasons your website may not appear to expected standards:
Your website looks very outdated from design to content
Visitors are confused about the navigation of your site and how to get to what they need
You have broken links on your site
As a new business, it can be difficult to prioritize investment in all the areas that you need to focus on. But if you want to attract customers and grow your business, it's important that you invest in professional website design and brand. They will be the foundations for the rest of your marketing efforts. If you're looking for help with any of these areas, feel free to reach out!