Building a small business often means you’re on your own — no IT department, no professional marketing team and no sales force. But that doesn’t mean you can’t establish trust and credibility in your industry. Sometimes, all it takes is addressing the details.
Let’s take a look at the three common things you may not realize are making your business look unprofessional, plus easy ways to fix them.
1. Not Having a Website
Having a Facebook page is not enough. While it’s great to have a Facebook business page, you also need a central hub for sharing your information. And a website is the only place where you have full control over the information listed. Plus, not having a website is a red flag to potential customers that your business doesn’t have the time and resources to create your own website.
Not only will not having a website give off an air of unprofessionalism, it will also make it hard for your potential customers to find you online. Most users will use a search engine like Google to do a general search for what they need. So they need a stand-alone site where they can quickly get the details about your business such as the hours, locations, phone number, etc.
Remember, first impressions count. Make yours the best it can be. Having your own website will make your business look more trustworthy. Even professional services providers such as attorneys are expected to have web and mobile presences as lawyer marketing has become a competitive field.
If you don’t have a website, you’re missing out on opportunities for your target market to identify who you are and what you offer. Your website is a powerful tool to inform, engage, and convert visitors. Use it, together with your social presence, to nurture your target market through the sales process.
You don’t need to be a coding genius to have a website. There are plenty of template based websites available that you can customize for your unique business. So there’s no excuse not to have a professional-looking website these days.
2. Not Having a Professional Email Address
It’s almost impossible to do business these days without an email account. While it is practical to use one of the many free email options available, it will send the wrong message to your customers and potential business partners.
If you want your business to be taken seriously, then don’t use email extensions such as yahoo.com, gmail.com, or hotmail.com. Having your business name in the email address will speak volumes and will be well worth the couple of extra dollars a month you will need to spend. It will help create a “bigger” image to help build your credibility.
A branded email will indicate that your company is established and professional. A generic email on the other hand, may project inexperience, or worse, illegitimacy. So take the time to create a professional email. There are affordable solutions such as Gmail for Business that you can take advantage of, and only cost $5 per month.
3. Not Having Business Cards
People want to deal with businesses that they feel they can trust. And business cards can help bring that feeling of legitimacy to your small business.
You don’t want to be caught without a business card, especially during networking events. Having a sleek card will look impressive and could open doors of opportunities for your business. Make sure to prepare business cards that are well designed and reflective of your brand or company.
While smartphones and networking websites, such as LinkedIn, do a great job in interconnectivity and contact information collection, having something more tangible as a reminder to reconnect is a great idea. Having a business card gives a personal touch to your networking strategy.
Bottom Line
While having your own business is already an accomplishment, everyone will have their own opinion about you and what you offer. That’s why it’s important to be buttoned up — both online and offline. Always strive to think, act, and look bigger in every aspect of your business.
Author Bio: Marc Prosser is the co-founder and managing partner of Fit Small Business, a small business informational website that reaches over 700,000 small business readers a month.
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