Does your web site shout out “Professional” or “Amateur”? This is the question most people are asking in today’s online world. Part of the reason is it has now become so easy to setup a website that Grandma has one for canning muscadine jelly. With that in mind, it is extremely important to show that you and your business are a professional business.
The other reason it is important to show you are a professional is because you are not trusted just yet. You may have some pretty good information, but at times people can be scared to click on a link. Of course, if you look at a site like wikipedia, they do not look very professional at all. But, they are truly respected. They have the respect and longevity. You on the other hand, can not compete with that. So, making sure your website looks good is important.
There are a few steps you can take to ensure your online presence is one of professionalism.
For starters, ensure every part of the site is clean, easy to navigate, and looks the same. This will help the users to have a feeling of consistency. You also do not want to have any crazy pictures on the site.
Another area to concentrate on in the website copy. Proof read every part of your website and ensure the grammar is perfect. The last place someone is going to spend money is with someone who has poor grammar on their website. A positive tone for the site is also a must. Do not get into any issues with speaking negatively about another company and/or person. Everything should positive, upbeat, and well spoken.
Since social media is a key part of any business, try to incorporate as much of your site into your social networking sites. These social sites need to be specifically for your business. If you can add a picture to each site, and are going to, make it a nice looking picture of just you and keep it the same on all of the sites (helps with the consistency). Some social sites, like Twitter, allow you to change the background image. If possible, make this the same as your business website.
One other thing is to try to keep all of the personal information off of these sites. I mean, you can have a personal social site and blog, but try to keep your personal and business information as far apart as possible.
The last area you want to address is what you wear. At one time it was cool to be able to troll around in flip flops and a t-shirt and say you owned your own business. But, now it is different. You need to be dressed for success, not just with your website, but also with your dress code. Show up to meetings and seminars in a professional look. Whether right or not, people will judge you within the first 10 seconds that they meet you. Do not give them a reason not to do business with you.
The main point to remember is to maintain a professional appearance with your website and with yourself. Separate yourself from those “get-rich-quick” websites and people online. Prove you are a legitimate business and you will be one step ahead of the rest.
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