Starting a new business is exciting, but there are so many details to get right that the entire process can initially feel a bit overwhelming. While you might be focused on elements like product quality, customer service, and operations, you also need to figure out your branding. With so much competition these days regardless of your industry, you need every edge you can get to stand out.

If you’re not trying to make your startup look as clean, polished, and professional as possible, you’re setting yourself up for a hard time ahead. Fortunately, you don’t have to guess what will work for your customers. Instead, we’ve compiled a list of the top seven ways to make your startup look professional.

Invest in Good Logos and Graphics

Your company logo is the first thing new customers will see, so you must make it as captivating and memorable as possible. If your logo looks amateurish or shoddy, it can turn people off of your business before they can experience what you offer.

Thankfully, creating a high-quality logo has never been easier. Thanks to A.I. programs, you can enter data about your company (i.e., industry, name, and slogan) and get a polished piece in minutes. While an automatic logo generator may not be as creative as a graphic designer, they can give you a solid foundation upon which to refine the logo into something truly unique.

Once you get your logo dialed in, it’s easy to come up with the rest of your marketing materials, such as your color scheme, website design, print ads, and more.

Build a Professional-Looking Website

Any high-quality business these days needs a polished website. If your customers can’t find you online, they’re far less likely to visit you in person. Even if you’re not selling products or services online, your site can connect you with potential leads and convert them into long-lasting customers.

Fortunately, building a website from scratch is relatively easy and straightforward. Platforms like WordPress, Wix, and SquareSpace allow you to make your site look professional without needing any programming or development knowledge.

That said, while you can build a site yourself, we recommend hiring website design management professionals if possible. This will ensure that your website is as appealing and functional as possible, as well as tailored to meet your needs.

For example, if you want visitors to know more about your products, your website can focus on descriptions and customer testimonials. If you’re trying to get more users to purchase products online, your site can make it easier for them to buy what they want.

Overall, a professional website does more than make your business look good. The more streamlined and functional it is, the more likely you can capture more leads and build your conversion rate.

Have a Business Phone Number and Address

If you want your startup to look as professional as possible, you need a physical location and contact information. Even if your business lives online, having an address makes you look more legitimate.

One thing to consider when setting up a phone number is that you want to avoid putting your personal line on your site or marketing materials. Instead, you can create a digital phone number that connects to your phone. This way, you can control all incoming and outgoing calls without putting your personal information out there.

When it comes to a business address, some companies offer P.O. Boxes and mailing addresses without a physical office or building necessary. This way, you can have the pomp and circumstance of an actual address without the high costs of utilities, rent, and maintenance. Also, you can start with a virtual office space and upgrade to a physical location as your business grows.

Another point to consider when posting your company’s contact information is that you might need to list your hours of operation. Again, even if your business lives online, these hours can let customers know when it’s okay to contact you with inquiries. Otherwise, you may get calls and messages 24 hours a day.

Start an In-Depth Blog

One excellent way to make your business look more professional is to become an authority within your industry. One of the best options is to create a high-quality blog.

While it can take time for your blog to build an audience, it’s crucial to post regularly and offer valuable information to your readers. This way, industry insiders, customers, and potential leads can all gather and share details from your blog.

This is also another element to incorporate into your website. Fortunately, platforms like WordPress are excellent for blogging, and you can promote individual posts across various channels, including social media, search engines, and even email.

If you’re unsure how to start a business blog, look for other blogs from your competitors. Pay attention to the content they’re producing and determine what your insight can bring to the discussion. You have unique experiences that can help your customers get the most out of your products or services.

Focus on High-Quality Social Media Posting

Social media has become ingrained in our lives, and almost all businesses have a presence on the Big Three (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter). However, it’s not enough to just set up profiles. You have to be active on these sites, doing things like:

• Posting Regularly – We recommend using a publishing program that allows you to pre-schedule posts. This way, you can plan the next week, month, and quarter in a single day. If you’re not posting often, how can you build any momentum?
• Engage With Followers – Like, share, and respond to comments and messages from people on your social pages. The more active you are, the more likely new followers will want to engage with your business. Also, social media platforms are excellent for addressing customer complaints or questions.
• Create Captivating Content – Unfortunately, it’s super easy for users to scroll past your content, even if you spent hours creating it. So, you must focus on elements that will capture their attention immediately. This is where knowing a lot about your target customer demographic will come in handy.

Be More Proactive on Review Sites

These days, review sites are becoming more essential for customers to determine whether they want to do business with a company. Customer reviews are just as valuable as recommendations from friends and family, so you must cultivate positive feedback.

While you can’t incentivize customers to post positive reviews, you can encourage all forms of feedback. Then, if someone does say something negative, you can respond to the review and take the matter offline. This way, other customers can see that you’re proactive about solving problems, which often balances out any negative feedback.

Another benefit of staying active on these sites is cultivating positive messages and using them for marketing materials. The more that customers see themselves represented in your marketing, the more likely they’ll engage with your business.

Invest in High-Quality Customer Service Tools

One of the fastest ways to sink your company’s professional reputation is to be disorganized, especially when it comes to customers. Even if you were to use the best reputation management service around to boost it, if you’re still providing awful service, then it doesn’t matter. Customers want businesses to be organized, and they want to get what they paid for.

For example, if you can’t keep track of individual order histories, how can you target and re-target current customers?

Disorganized businesses fail because they can’t engage with their audience and lose potential customers as they fall through the cracks.

Customer relationship management (CRM) software can alleviate many of these issues by automating many of your customer service processes. For example, you can auto-send welcome emails as soon as someone makes a purchase or signs up for your email list. This way, you can be sure no one will get left behind, and you can target every new lead immediately.

Overall, CRM software allows you to improve your business without requiring too much investment. With these programs, you can make it seem like you have a full staff, even if you’re the only employee.

As you can see, making your startup look more professional is pretty straightforward. Now that you’re armed with the knowledge and tools to improve the look of your business, you’re ready to take the next step. And remember – with great professionalism comes higher sales!