How to Make Your Business Look Professional

When starting a business, it's important to think about the kind of impression you want to make. You might want to seem friendly, funny, or fun, but you should look professional above all else. No matter what kind of business you run, it's important that customers and suppliers see you as a professional. 

People make snap judgments about you in just seven seconds, and the same is true for your business. If you want people to take you seriously as a business, you need to look as professional as possible as soon as possible. When you are just starting out, it can be hard to do that. With that in mind, here are some excellent ways to make your business look more professional to get you started. 

Go to industry events 

Networking is an essential skill for any business owner or professional, and this is widely understood. Meeting new people and making connections is a key component of any business, and industry events are ideal. Your company will be seen in a more positive light if you attend these events, plus sharing images from events on social media will increase your credibility with both the event's attendees and the general public. 

Get your own domain name 

You need a way for people to find you that is easy and simple to remember. When you sign up for a service, many of them give you a free domain name. However, this usually means that your URL will be long, wordy, and impersonal. This might help you get up and running quickly, but you should switch as soon as possible to your own private domain name.

 Try to pick a domain name that is short and easy to remember. People are much more likely to remember a domain that is simple than one that is hard to understand. Use tools that help you come up with names to help you think of ideas. Spellings that are different from the norm can be "cool" or "edgy," but most people who are looking for your site will spell words the way they are used to seeing them, so you could lose out on customers by trying to be different.  

Have a website 

Every serious business needs a website, and it needs to be a website that looks professional and shows your clients that you take your business seriously and have spent enough money on its look. The problem with many websites is that their design shows who the owner is, but not what sells or brings in business. 

Figure out what your customers want from your website. Do they want to know more about you? To buy things directly? To check for expert knowledge? Also, keep in mind that 85 percent of people do online searches, including going to company websites, before making a purchase. You don't want to miss all of these people. 

The key to making a good website is to make sure it looks professional and is easy to use. 

Have an EIN

Even if you're not required by law to have an EIN, it's still a good thing to have. By getting an EIN, you can get a number of benefits, such as making it easier to file taxes, hire employees, and build credit for your business. You can also use it to gain a tax ID number for trust after death.  

However, on top of all this, it helps to make your business more professional. When you have an EIN, people know that you are a real business and not just a person running a side business out of your home. This can make it easier to get loans, find customers and business partners, and be taken more seriously in general. 

Have a dedicated phone line 

Do you talk to customers over the phone? If so, what do you think they think when the phone rings? If you don't have a separate business phone line, it's likely that potential clients will notice, and it won't make them feel you are professional or like you're running a serious business. 

If you are serious about your business, it should have its own phone line. You should have a separate mobile number, at the very least. But a landline number will give you an even more professional look (even if it diverts to your business cell).  

Have a business email account

You can email your friends and family with your Yahoo! or Gmail address with no problems – they’re not going to think anything of it. But when you send and get emails from customers, you want your brand to look professional and consistent. To do that, you need to use your domain name to set up business email addresses with a reputable email provider. A customer might not get a good opinion of you if you’re using a Gmail account, for example.  

Ideally, you’ll want to have your email address match your domain name, so it’s wise to set these things up at the same time. Often you can find bundles that will reduce the cost.