Startups have a hard time being recognized and gaining the trust of customers. After all, customers feel more secure purchasing from the usual businesses because of a better professional image.
However, you can gain the trust of prospective customers and partners by making your business appear more professional. Here’s how!
1. Build a striking website
Build a mobile-compatible website that highlights your business values and mission. Don’t rely on the Facebook or Instagram business pages alone, as they don’t provide sufficient information about business offerings.
Ensure all product/service catalogs are categorized and labeled. The necessary details must also be included in all business offerings.
Here are some must-have sections:
- About us
- Contact us
- Live chat option
- FAQ
- Best deals and offers
To introduce website visitors to your team, get high-resolution professional headshots with a short bio for everyone. Update these pictures every year.
Don’t add sections with “Coming soon.” Instead, add pages once they are ready.
Ensure all fonts, colors, and designs are easy on the eye. If you struggle to create it, seek a professional website maker.
2. Enroll for professional contact information
Regular personal emails make your business appear low-authority. So, invest in a paid professional email address matching your chosen domain name. It must look something like your_professional_position@business_name.com.
Get a phone number specific to your business rather than using the same number for both your personal and professional life. Otherwise, you may receive business calls during your personal time or forget to greet professionally while using a personal number.
3. Get a business address
You may run a business from anywhere – a coworking space or even your home.
Of course, if it’s a space in a high-end business district, gladly share that location.
However, it may not appear as professional if it’s a more humble space. And let’s be honest, it’s a privacy concern if this is a home address. In such cases, invest in a PO Box and use that as your business address.
4. Design a good business card
Your business card symbolizes your entire business, so never overlook its power. Design an impressive card and add all relevant information.
If you feel confused about which details to add and which to skip or if some information is too good not to mention, invest in a digital business card NFC.
These give the other party a luxurious feel as you tap the card against their phone. All the information about your business is transferred to their phone immediately. The best part is that it helps reduce the overall cost of reprinting your card!
5. Get a nice logo
If you don’t already have it, design the perfect logo for your business. You can also hire a professional to make a unique design.
If you often entertain clients and customers at your physical office, don’t just spruce up the space. Strategically put up your business logo as well.
Ensure the logo is on your business cards, website, and stationary items like writing pads and pens.
6. Never entertain payment delays
In 2023, small businesses faced about $825 billion in unpaid invoices. To appear more professional, ensure your startup is never one of them,
Usually, people with startups excuse clients when they pay late or even miss their payments. They don’t want to make a big deal out of it to stay on friendly terms.
However, professionalism is all about timely payment. So, establish a contract for every business deal and promptly send an invoice via email after the work is done. You can also find programs to create and forward inexpensive professional invoices.
7. Create a social media presence
Nowadays, every established business has a social media presence. It helps increase brand awareness and makes you more visible to the target market. It also provides a great opportunity to interact with customers and build brand trust.
You can also create valuable content about how your business offering can help them in multiple ways and share industry insights.
Create business accounts on Instagram and Facebook today to build your brand and speed up business growth. However, make sure the pages stay active.
Conclusion
With these effective strategies, your business image will be elevated to new heights and make it seem like a reputable player in your industry. So, get started right away!
