Nowadays, more and more people are starting up their own businesses thanks to the Internet. Often, when launching an online business, you do everything from scratch. You don’t have a professional writer to put together the website content. You don’t have a design expert to create your logo. You don’t have an IT department to set up your email and deal with all of the other tech issues. Everything falls on your shoulders. It's hard work, and sometimes this can lead to a brand image that is not as professional as it could be. This is no reflection on yourself; you can’t be an expert at everything. However, there are some things you can change to make your online business appear much more professional. So how do you make your online business look more professional?
Design
Stop trying to be a web designer – Of course, if you have experience in graphic design or web design, you can ignore this point. Nevertheless, so many budding entrepreneurs attempt to take on the role of a web designer. They cover their website with badges and annoying pop-ups. And that is without even mentioning the horrible colour palettes! Your website could be letting you down, and you may not even realise it. Check out this blog post for more information: http://www.beautiful-solutions.co.uk/2017/04/is-your-site-is-letting-your-business.html. If you have no experience in web design, simply turn to one of the pre-designed templates that are available. There are so many to choose from, and they can all easily be adapted to suit your business.
Contact and About Pages
Make sure you have a Contact page AND an About Us page – A lot of people think you don’t need to have both, but you really do if you want to provide an optimal customer experience. The ‘About Us’ page gives you the opportunity to tell potential customers what your business is all about. This is really important when individuals don’t have the opportunity to meet you face-to-face. The ‘Contact’ Page is designed to be an area for customers that have any concerns, comments, or questions. Don’t shove these pages together, and don’t clutter the contact page with information that is a better fit for the ‘About Us’ section.
Mailing Address
Have a physical mailing address – You most likely manage your online business from home. While there is nothing wrong with this, it would not hurt to have a prestigious mail address, like those available at www.yourvirtualofficelondon.co.uk/london-mail-address-business-services/mail-forwarding-london/. Customers will value your business more if they see that you are established at a premier location. It also helps to make your business feel ‘real’ – after all, there are a lot of fraudulent websites out there.
Email
Set up a business email account – Last but not least, make sure you set up a business email account. Your personal email address is fine for sending messages to family and friends. But if you are going to be interacting with your clients, you need consistent and professional branding, which is why a business email address is a must. You can get a bit creative, for example, ditch ‘contactus’ and opt for ‘hello’ instead.
