5 Effective Ways To Give Your Small Business A Professional Identity - Magzinenow

5 Effective Ways to Give Your Small Business a Professional Identity


Gas Safety Certificate Manchester
Gas Safety Certificate Manchester

Does your small business exude a professional image?

In a competitive marketplace, consumers are always looking to buy from businesses that stand out. Ensuring your business looks more professional than its competitors can be the one thing that gives it an edge.

Yet, building and maintaining a professional identity for your business isn’t an easy thing to do. The average small business owner doesn’t have the expertise to craft a professional brand image. As long as the business is up and running, its primary focus is cutting costs and increasing sales – often at the expense of the look and feel of the business.

If you want to learn how to make your business look professional, read on.

1. Take Care of Your Website

Over 70 percent of small businesses in the U.S. have a professional website. If your business already has one, some of your customers are able to find it online and learn more about your products, services, location, and other details.

However, the quality of your website has a significant impact on the image of the business. If your website is poorly designed, isn’t mobile-friendly or responsive, lacks HTTPS security, or loads slowly, it’s not giving users (customers) the best experience and it’s hurting how they think about your business.

If it’s been a long time since your business website had a revamp, or if you developed it on your own, it’s time to hire an expert to work on it. This way, you’re guaranteed of having a website that improves the image of your business.

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2. Get a Physical Business Address

There are over 4.5 million online businesses in the U.S., and over 50 percent of all U.S. businesses are home-based. This means there are a lot of businesses without a commercial physical location.

There’s nothing wrong with running a business out of your home, but it can have a negative impact on its image. Imagine a situation where a customer rings you and there are noises of young children playing in the background. Or when a client wants to mail you a cheque and notices that it’s going to a home address.

The good news is there are things you can do to make a home or online business look more professional. For example, getting virtual addresses that are tied to a real location means you won’t need to use a home address. Business mail will be delivered to the virtual address, from where it’ll be forwarded to your home or other designated address.

3. Use a Dedicated Business Phone Number

Does your business phone number also double as the business’s?

If yes, you’re hurting the image of the business. First, you may not be to tell if an incoming call is for personal or business reasons until you’ve talked to the caller. The last thing you want to ask a customer is who they’re or why they’re calling.

Plus, a business phone line should have a customized welcome message, especially if callers have to wait in line before speaking to you. With a dedicated number for business, you’ll be in the best position to give your customers the best call-in service.

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Along with a dedicated number, it helps to use a custom email address as well. Using a Gmail or Yahoo Mail address can suffice, but it doesn’t give your customers a lot of confidence or trust. Anyone can create a Gmail address and mimic your business, for example.

Ideally, you need a business email address that’s on your website domain. For instance, if your business’s website domain is “mysmallbiz.com,” the email address can be something like “[email protected].” With such an address, people who want to send you an email will be confident that the address belongs to your business.

4. Use Personalized Office Supplies

In your office, you’re always handling lots of paperwork and other stationery. The nature of that stationary says a lot about your business. If you haven’t personalized it, clients aren’t taking you seriously.

For example, let’s say you’re printing invoices on low-quality paper without a company letterhead. When a client receives it, they’re not able to immediately verify whether it came from your business. Some clients can discard the invoice since scammers have a habit of sending fake invoices on low-quality paper.

To give your business a professional image, use personalized office supplies. A company letterhead that comprises the logo, name, address, and other details should be on all paperwork going out to clients.

Even your employees need to use personalized office supplies. Otherwise, they’ll also think you’re a cheap business owner who doesn’t want to invest in the business’s image.

5. Be Active on Social Media

Ever visited a company’s Facebook page only to find that it last made a post several weeks ago? What a bunch of jokers! That’s probably what first came to your mind.

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If you now run a business that’s on social media but rarely posts, your followers are also thinking you’re a big joke. Should you avoid being on social media entirely because posting and engaging followers is a lot of work? You won’t be helping your business’s image and brand identity either.

Social media is a powerful tool for building your brand, but you must use it correctly. Post relevant and entertaining content regularly, engage with followers and maintain a consistent brand image across the various social networks you’re using.

Your Business Needs a Professional Identity

Consumers have nearly unlimited choices when they’re out shopping. They’re also aware that there are many businesses waiting to rip them off. This is why most consumers will judge the professional identity of a business before making a purchase decision.

As a business owner, you have the responsibility to craft a professional image for your company. These tips will help you achieve that goal and reap the benefits.

Browse our business section for more helpful small business advice.


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