Did you know that the average human being forms their first impression in around 7 seconds? In business, you don’t always get a second chance, so you need to set the right tone and impress from the outset. If you’re eager to build a professional brand and ensure customers have a positive perception of your business, here are some tips to take on board.
Customer service
Customer service has never been more crucial due to the popularity of online reviews and the weight they carry. Today, more than 90% of consumers read online reviews. As a business owner, it’s critical to think about the way you and your team of employees communicate and engage with clients and prospective customers. From phone calls, social media posts, and emails to face-to-face interactions, you should take steps to ensure that every individual that represents your brand is polite, helpful, courteous, and professional. You can improve customer service by providing training and implementing policies, and you can also learn from customer feedback and previous reviews. It can also be beneficial to offer access to support through live chat and helplines and to use social media, your website blog, and emails to keep in touch with customers. If you’ve received feedback about service being slow, for example, in a coffee shop, a clothing store, or a restaurant, it’s a good idea to consider adjusting your rota to ensure more staff are available at peak times.
Appearance and aesthetics
When you run a business, it’s always a useful exercise to put yourself in a customer’s shoes. How would you view your brand from the outside? Take a walk around the exterior of your business premises, look at the fleet of vehicles that carry your brand name, and see what your employees are wearing and how they present themselves. Does the outfit look professional, or are there weaknesses you need to address? If your office looks shabby from the outside, there are missing letters in the signage, your store windows look drab or dirty or you have company cars or vans that haven’t been cleaned for weeks, think about the impact. You want people to spot your brand name and conjure up a positive image. Keep your business premises clean and tidy, invest in cars and vans that look the part, and ensure your staff dress appropriately. Using search engines, you can type in terms like Vauxhall van dealer near me to find suitable vehicles and compare prices. If you’ve got employees driving around or visiting customers’ homes in pristine branded vans, your team looks smart and your store, salon, showroom, or office looks inviting, this will help you create the right impression.
Online presence
More and more people are using the Internet to buy products and find local businesses. Statistics show that over 80% of smartphone users will either visit or call a business within 24 hours of conducting a local search. When people search for the products or services you offer, you want to be able to create leads, but you also want to convert them. Investing in SEO can help you drive traffic to your website, but it’s essential to hang onto customers once they land on your site. Your website should look professional, it should be easy to navigate, and it should provide information about your brand. Think carefully about the colours and themes you use, mix up the content to make landing pages engaging, and build trust using reviews and feedback, secure payment systems, and informative, original, reliable content.
As a business owner, you want prospective customers to view your business as a professional, trustworthy brand. If you’re on a mission to impress from the outset, hopefully, these tips will help you set the right tone in your business.