When you’re talking about business, the number one thing is image. Nothing is more important than image because whether you like it or not, you’re going to have to deal with snap judgments.
First impressions do last. 50% of the effort is to make sure people have the right first impression of your business. When that opportunity is lost, you may not be able to recover it anymore. With COVID-19 and all the uncertainty in the world now, no business can afford to have an unpalatable or unprofessional image.
There are ten common areas where businesses tend to goof, and you can find them below. You can check your business against this list to find out areas of improvement. Then, with the proper adjustments, you can recover and start anew, knowing better this time around.
- You Don’t Have a Website
There’s a reason why it’s called digital marketing. First, you need a website to exist on the internet. You don’t have much of a business if you’re not online, and the truth of the matter is that there are so many businesses that still don’t have a decent online presence. So you need a website – full stop.
- You Don’t Have a Domain Name
Some businesses rely on free websites offered by platforms like WordPress or Blogger. It’s OK to experiment with these initially, but you need to own your brand and domain as a business. You don’t want to appear as a hobbyist – you want people to take you seriously, so your business has to have the correct type of identification online. Hosting and domain services have become affordable nowadays, so it shouldn’t be much of a problem for someone who wants to start building profit from a digital presence.
- You Don’t Have a Professional Email Account
Sure, everyone has a free email account like Yahoo or Gmail. These are fine for personal emails, but your email needs to have a professional address if you want to create a good impression on potential clients or customers. A professional email address looks like [email protected]. Businesses must truly own their brands online, and every email from your site should reflect your domain name, ideally.
- Your Email Doesn’t Have a Professional Signature
An email signature is like a microcosm of your entire online presence. Having this type of electronic signature is critical if you want people to start being curious about what your business has to offer. I recommend adding your company name, contact information, your full name, social media links, main website address, logo, and don’t forget elements like company taglines, either.
- Your Business Doesn’t Have a Logo
Before the digital age, logos flew high above brick-and-mortar stores. Brand logos define people’s childhoods. They’re no less critical now. So if your business doesn’t have a decent logo or its current logo is cobbled together, you need to plan a new one. Use online marketplaces to connect with skilled vendors who can create a new logo for you.
- You Don’t Have a Facebook Page
Regardless of your market, having a Facebook Page is essential. Facebook is the world’s largest social network, and Facebook (the company) also owns WhatsApp and Instagram. These are behemoths of social media. It’s a good idea to be where the action is – and people are now using social media as a search engine to find goods and services. It’s natural for search to evolve this way because people now consider social platforms as their digital homes.
- You Don’t Have a LinkedIn Company Page
Like Facebook, your business needs to have a presence on LinkedIn, too. LinkedIn now has almost 800 million members and is a driving business force in social media in two hundred countries. While your consumers may not all be on LinkedIn, founders, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, and other essential personages are on LinkedIn. CEOs and managers spend most of their time on this platform, too.
- You Have No Idea What Google My Business Is
People look for almost everything they need online. And since Google is the planet’s foremost search engine and it created the business platform GMB, GMB is going to appear first in listings, as well as Google Map pins.
Combine these facts and understand why it’s a good idea to sign up for a GMB account today. If you don’t have a GMB account yet, you miss out on potential sales and profits. Be sure to make your profile as updated and be thorough with adding essential details like payment method, years in business, and business hours (especially during the holidays!)
- Your Blog Doesn’t Contain Any Blogs
A “blog” is a piece of content posted on the web. You’re reading a blog right now. Sound simple, right? Blogs contribute to organic traffic and lead generation – a lot. Companies that regularly maintain a blog have 55% more traffic from search engines, and they also generate up to 67% more leads in the process. While blogging isn’t cheap and can require considerable planning, you still can’t afford to skimp on producing blog content.
- You Don’t Have a Client Management System
Some businesses have only one employee – the owner. When you start scaling and add contracts and employees to the picture, you can forget customers and orders. Every business needs a system for managing contacts and communications. There are plenty of free online tools for basic management tasks, like Contacts and Google Calendar. Every Windows user also has access to Outlook or Mail. If your business is starting to scale, you need to shop for more sophisticated systems like Salesforce or Hubspot CRM.
Conclusion
Ultimately, having a professional online image requires the expenditure of time and resources. Don’t fret – it’s the cost of doing business in the age of the internet of things. If you want to succeed on the internet, you must be prepared for its demands. Avoid these ten fatal mistakes, and you can create a much stronger foundation. Expect better things in the future.
