Many of our industries are over saturated, which makes it difficult for one business to stand out against another or attract our ideal target audience without having a major marketing budget to get our businesses seen.
Your biggest challenge is to make a good first impression and having a business that looks professional is a sure fire way to make that vital first impression. Fortunately, you don't need to have unlimited budgets to make your brand look professional.
You simply need to focus on these 3 ways to make your business look more professional
PROFESSIONAL BRANDING
When we talk about your brand, we are referring to the idea that comes to mind when your customers think about your business. Yes, this means your logo and visual identity, BUT it also includes every interaction the world has with your business, from viewing your website or social media to talking to you on the phone. Every one of these touchpoints represents your brand.
Having a clear and professional brand is important because it influences what people think about your business. A professional brand creates the impression of credibility, a good reputation and trust. From an internal business perspective, having quality branding creates a sense of confidence and clarity for everyone in the business which then influences their performance in their jobs.
Some questions to ask when approaching your branding:
What is the personality of your brand?
What sets you apart from the competition?
Who is your ideal target market?
BUSINESS MARKETING
In a competitive landscape, having a good product or service isn't enough…you need to market it. Marketing is an ongoing process, from the moment you think of a product or service all the way through to that final interaction with your client.
Marketing is not simply about advertising or promotion, it is about generating customer interest and satisfaction, managing one product or service while also managing your entire brand simultaneously and growing your business as a whole.
Things to consider when approaching your marketing strategy:
Establish your target market
Your messaging
Define your business goals
Research your competitors marketing styles
CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
We've already hinted at your customer experience above, this starts from the first time a customer interacts with your brand whether that be in person, via your website or social media. The customer experience is every interaction from that point onwards, we call this your customer journey.
There are 5 stages in this journey:
Awareness: Your customer has become aware that they have an problem they need to solve and will start doing research or keeping an eye out for a potential solution. Here you must ensure that your first impression i.e. Your Brand is fulfilling its role of standing out and catching attention.
Consideration: Based on their research they will then start to compare their options. Your marketing efforts will come into play here.
Decision: Once they have chosen your business to work with, you then need to ensure that this process of product or service delivery is seamless for them.
Retention: This is once the customer has completed their business with you, the goal now is to maintain them as a customer for the future instead of them leaving for a competitor. Things like building a relationship with them and having a pleasant customer experience throughout will help to ensure they stick around.
Referral: If you are able to prove yourself to your customer and give them the best experience possible, often they become a marketing asset themselves. A referral to friends, family and colleagues is an incredibly valuable marketing strategy. Nurture the client relationship to ensure you are top of mind when they meet someone with a problem you could solve.
If you are able to get these 3 ways to make your business look more professional and up to scratch, not only will you have a far greater understanding of your own business but you will also find it easier to represent your business in every platform. All this translates to confidence and clarity in your brand which your audience will understand, trust and in the end believe that you are the best solution to their problem.