In any business, it is important to look professional. This guarantees that you attract the right kind of clients. If your business looks unprofessional, no one might take you seriously and clients might consider your work as a hobby. Looking professional is important for many reasons. Your clients might shortchange you with regard to paying for services. They might not trust your talents or they might have little respect for your time which could lead to a lot of requests to rework or requests to return products. If you want your business to be long-standing, you have to work on your image and reputation. Looking professional is a must. Here are 3 things you must avoid in order to look professional:

A Substandard Website

Your website is where your business will live. All your social media links should direct would-be clients to your website. There, they should be able to get all the information they need in order to make an informed decision if they should get your products/service or to go look somewhere else. Therefore, your website should be professional-looking. It should be coherent and clear, with legible fonts and an uncluttered homepage. It should be easy to navigate and must have clear images. Your site speed should be fast, otherwise, potential clients will lose interest.

No Clear Branding

Branding is the foundation of your brand. If you don’t have this down pat, you are susceptible to looking unprofessional. You must have a clear mission, target market, and products. You should be able to describe your purpose and goal or why you do what you do. You must also be prepared to describe your products/services to anyone interested, and what benefit would clients get for choosing your business. Your brand is made of 3 parts: look, sound, and feel. Look pertains to design, sound pertains to brand voice (or the tone in which you communicate), and feel pertains to the experience you create for your clients. Evaluate your branding against these three factors.

Bad Customer Service

Sure, you already have a beautiful website and a clear mission/vision statement. That’s only a part of a professional business. You must also have great customer service and audience engagement in order to grow your business ad make it profitable. Start by securing a professional email account. Yes, let go of the “myprofessionalbusiness@yahoo.com” email address and get a professional email address. Next, be attentive to customer needs and keep them engaged. Make sure to answer all queries and address all complaints. Complaints are a good opportunity to show your clients that you care about them and that you are on top of things.

How does your business fare against these three things? Do you have any more tips on how to look professional? Share them with us in the comments. Remember to work smart and be a blessing to someone today. Stay safe and healthy!

Written by Jaie O. TheHelp