As a business leader, it is up to you to set the professional standard across your company. If you cut corners over the years, you can trust that your staff will follow in your footsteps, which could destroy your brand’s image, reputation, and revenue.
For your business to be a roaring success, you must look for ways to improve your company’s credibility and trust. By doing so, you will impress every customer, improve your annual revenue, and encourage your employees to maintain your brand’s high standards. Get started by reading this guide to running a more professional business.
Launch a professional website
Guaranteed customers will type your brand name into Google when considering its products or services. According to a recent study, 53% of consumers perform online searches, including visiting a company’s website, before making a purchase. If your business doesn’t have a solid online presence, they might question the company’s credibility and buy from its more trustworthy rivals instead.
If you don’t currently sell products online, you don’t need to launch a complex website. However, you must create a professionally designed, easy-to-use website that increases confidence in your brand.
Try to buy your business domain name or a similar URL to convey a professional image. Also, the site must include basic information to educate visitors, such as:
- An “About Us” section
- Contact details
- Business hours
- Menu of services (such as a restaurant menu or business brochure)
Keep professionalism at the front of your mind when creating a business website. For instance, it must have an attractive layout, high-quality images, and a fast loading time. If possible, avoid adding stock images that will scream amateur and source professional pictures from an experienced photographer.
Introduce consistent branding
The branding for your business will determine consumer confidence. Run a professional business by using more consistent branding. Hire a talented graphic designer or branding expert to redesign all elements, such as the:
- Logo
- Branding colors
- Corporate images
- Messaging
Once you’ve established a clear vision for the brand, you must use it consistently online and offline to prove you run a legitimate, trustworthy venture. For example, your new branding should appear on your website, social media pages, brochures, storefronts, business cards, flyers, advertising, and company vehicles.
Professionally wrap your company’s vehicles
Vehicle wrapping is one of the best ways for businesses to improve their professionalism, increase trust, and boost brand recognition. For instance, trade businesses, such as electricians and builders, will confirm their legitimacy with a wrapped vehicle when they arrive at a customer’s address. Also, vehicle and fleet wraps can increase brand awareness for retailers, logistics companies, and couriers. Browse the various fleet and vehicle wrapping options available at arlon.com to improve your company’s professionalism on the road and generate more custom.
Set the standard for office wear
Your hard-working employees will look to you for guidance on how to dress at the office and at important business meetings. Even if the business has adopted a casual dress code, you must wear smart, work-appropriate attire to impress every visitor who enters your workplace.
It’s essential to care for your appearance daily to ensure that your employees do the same. For this reason, you must ditch the shorts and sandals, shower daily, care for your hair, and wear well-pressed, high-quality clothing.
Create professional business cards
Impress every lead or client by handing out a professional business card at an event or at the end of a meeting. It will prove you’re prepared and will reinforce that you’re running a legitimate brand. It’s a tried-and-tested way to promote your company and its professionalism and could convince individuals or organizations to buy your products or hire your services.
Communicate with customers via SMS marketing
SMS marketing tactics can not only boost your company’s revenue, but they could prove you run a professional business with excellent attention to detail. For instance, you could send bulk text messages to your customers or clients to update them on the latest promotions, new products, or relevant information. However, you must avoid bombarding your customers with texts to prevent frustration, and keep all messages short, simple, and compelling.
Always deliver on your commitments
If you fail to deliver on your commitments, it may cause you to develop an unprofessional image that will reflect poorly on your business. Also, a broken promise will send the wrong message to your employees, as they might believe it’s okay to treat other clients the same way in the future.
Prove you run a credible, reliable brand by meeting your customers’ needs every time, and address any problems immediately to hit deadlines and meet or exceed expectations. If you maintain high standards and consistent delivery times, you could retain many loyal customers and grow your business at a rapid rate.
Send more professional emails
In addition to communicating with clients, vendors, and employees from a business email, you must ensure each message you send appears professional and articulate. For instance, write well-written, complete sentences that are free of spelling mistakes, grammatical errors, and slang. Also, don’t forget to include an email footer to boost consumer trust while helping a recipient learn more about who you are and your business.
Conclusion
Every business leader has a responsibility to set the professional standard across all corners of the company, from its online presence to its off-site image. If you want your employees to maintain high standards and consumers to trust in your brand, products, and services, you must find ways to convey your company’s professionalism.
For this reason, you must lead by example when it comes to dressing for work, talking to clients, and delivering on your promises. Also, you could wow every customer by wrapping business vehicles, communicating directly via SMS, and handing out professional business cards.
Remember, the little details will make a difference to your company’s image, which is why you must introduce clear and consistent branding and messaging, launch a professional website, and monitor all mentions of your company on and offline.