We all know that first impressions are hugely important, but they’re not just something you need to think about personally; you need to consider them for your business as well. If your business makes a good first impression, you are much more likely to make a sale; customers will be more willing to trust you and feel that you are valuable. Plus, if you want to find a partner or investor, a good first impression is going to help them make the right decision – one that goes in your favour.
Here are some ideas about how to ensure your business makes a good first impression:
Make Sure People Can Find You
There is at least one and maybe two areas in which it’s crucial to be visible, or at least easily found when someone searches. The first is online – every business needs to have a good online presence. The second is physically, assuming that you want customers to visit your place of work, such as a shop or café. If no one can find you, not only will you lose out on business, but you’ll leave a bad impression with those who had wanted to buy from you but couldn’t.
Being found online is something that you need to work on via your website and social media accounts. If someone searches for you, you’ll want them to come across a site they can go to and explore, and potentially buy from. To be found physically, the key is to ensure every part of your address is listed, give written instructions if you’re difficult to find, and even add a map to your site so that people are completely sure where they’re going. Have all this information prominently placed on your website so that no one has to search for ages to get to it.
Don’t Cut Corners
When you start a business, or even if you’ve been running one for some time, cutting corners can be a temptation. It will save you time and money, possibly reducing the effort you need to put in, and what harm does it cause?
The answer is a lot of harm. Cutting corners will always show. If you’re trying to do everything yourself instead of outsourcing to experts for your IT, marketing, social media, and so on, it will show. If you’re attempting to save money by selling lower quality goods, it will show. The only way to do well and create a good impression is to go all in. Don’t cut corners, and if that means getting help, that’s what you’ll need to do.
Be Punctual
Being on time – or, better yet, being early – and not making anyone wait for you is polite, but it also shows that you care about the meeting, that you think it’s worth your time. Of course, sometimes situations arise when being late is inevitable.
If this is the case, make sure you contact the person you’re meeting to let them know that has happened. Even if you’re not there on time, at least they’ll be aware, and that’s better than nothing.