Giving Your Small Business A Professional Image

Giving your customer the impression that you are a professional company is crucial to having a successful business. Whether you're starting a business online or offline it's crucial that you send the right message out to all of your current customers and potential customers. Using these simple methods should help boost your business's image and put you on the road to success.

Offer a toll-free number

While some people may tell you that using a toll-free number is a waste of money, it could actually be your reason for success. Toll-free numbers can give your customers the impression that you're a bigger company than you actually are. This is especially true for businesses that sell on television, online, or through mail order. Most people are afraid of giving their credit card information to a company that doesn't seem legitimate. Not offering to pay for your customer's call gives the impression that you could be a scammer. Using a toll-free number gives impulse buyers a better reason to pick up the phone since they don't have to pay for the call. Most people think of a toll-free number as being 1-800. They actually come in different suffixes such as 1-877, 1-866, and so on. You can also purchase a "vanity" number such as 1-800-BUY-HATS which is the most sought after. If a toll-free number sounds right for your business, I would highly recommend RingCentral since they offer a 30 day free trial. If for some reason you decide that a toll-free number isn't right for your business you can always back out.

Incorporate your business

A lot of people incorporate their business solely so they can legally add the "Inc." on the end of their business name. While incorporating your business has other benefits such as tax breaks and personal liability protection, it's easy to see what this can do for your business. When customers see that your business is a corporation, they will envision a large building with professionals in suits. Little will they know that the business they are dealing with is nothing more than a small business run out of a small office building or somebody's garage. The easiest way to incorporate your business is to hire a company such as LegalZoom to do it for you.

Hire a professional logo designer

If companies such as Mcdonalds and Ebay used a different logo, they may not be the huge companies they are today. Some people will tell you that your logo is everything. It's what reminds people of your company and helps you build a solid brand. Some companies choose to create a logo using simple fonts and doing something neat with the colors. You can check out UrbanFonts.com if you feel this is the best way for you to go. If you feel you need a logo that is a little more stylish, you can hire a company such as LogoDesignTeam to create a professional quality logo for you. Their prices are fair and they will create you 2 different design concepts for $49! This deal is a steal considering some companies charge as much as $2500 for a logo!

Create a professional website

Your website is basically like a 24/7 representative for your business. Having an online prescence can increase your sales and offer information about your business to anybody in the world. The biggest mistake that many businesses make is to create a low quality website to save money. Having a low quality website might actually hurt your business more than it helps it. Hiring a web designer to create a professional quality solution will give your customer's the impression that you are a professional. I would strongly advise you to only hire web designers that have a strong reputation and that can offer you references and a high quality portfolio. If you want to save a little money you can use a website such as Guru.com which has a lot of freelancers and web design companies who will bid their best price on your project. This can often save you hundreds if not thousands of dollars since many companies will get extremely competitive to win your business.

Use professional quality promotional materials

Your business cards, brochures, invoices, documents, and promotional hand-outs can all have an effect on your business's image. If you use low-quality promotional materials that you made yourself, you may be taking away from the professional image you want to display. I would strongly advise you to hire someone who can create you high quality promotional materials. Always include a crisp image of your logo on everything you use. Also include your business name, address, phone number, and email address in case your customers or potential customers wants to contact you.