Whether you’re a big corporation or a one-person start-up, it always pays to be professional. The stakes couldn’t be higher: it can be the difference between a person choosing your company or looking elsewhere, the difference, in effect, between success and failure. The good news is that it’s never too late to become more professional. Even if up until now you’ve been a little bit too casual in your approach, you can step up your professional game by taking care of just a few crucial details. 

Taking Care of the Website

Every begins with your website. For the vast majority of your customers, this will be the first impression they have of your company. If they visit your site and see a poorly designed website, one with grammatical and other errors, then it’s unlikely they’ll be inspired to get in touch with you. On the other hand, if you have a well-designed site, a mix of high-quality photographs and videos, and contact and other important details, they’ll have no reason to head elsewhere. Have a third-party look at your website and see if they can suggest any improvements. 

Professional Communication

What looks more professional: ‘[companyname]@gmail.com’, or ‘hello@[yourcompanyname].com? When it comes to communication, professionalism is everything. Instead of having your own personal phone number listed, get a unique company phone number and enlist the services of a company like AnsweringService.London, which can give your business a professional front even when you’re busy taking care of the day to day running of it. Clients want to feel like you’re there for them when they need you, and having watertight contact methods can make sure they always can. 

Solid Branding

Before you launched your company, you should have been thinking about your branding and what you wanted your company to represent. After the initial launch, this can begin to slip if you’re not actively working to stay on top of it. Consistency is key: if you market yourself as a progressive company, then you need to make sure you’re progressive in all factors of your business. Framing all your decisions through the lens of your branding will contribute to the overall professional look of your company, a watertight image that spread from one factor to the next.

Get Serious About Social Media

The biggest companies make their social media postings look natural, casual, effortless, but that’s not the case: a lot of work goes into promoting an image that best represents their company. You need to be similarly hardworking when it comes to your social media postings. You can’t be firing off tweets and Facebook posts a la Donald Trump (i.e., without much consideration). Your social media campaigns need to be coordinated and have a purpose. They can be relaxed, of course, but they should always be intelligent. Find your voice for each social media channel, as they do differ, and then plan your weekly postings for each. 

Hosting Events

Nothing says you're serious like hosting events. For starters, it shows that you actually care about the appearance of your company and that it’s doing well. It also allows you to show the world what you’re all about and allows you to put forward your agenda in a fun, positive environment. What your event will be exactly will depend on what type of business yours is: it could be a party, street pop-up stand, or something else. Whatever it is, it’ll help legitimise your business in the eyes of those who attend.

Walking Opportunities 

Never assume that you’re “off the record” when you’re talking business. If you’re representing your company in any setting, then make sure you’re acting in a professional manner. For example, you can carry business cards with you, or treat your everyday life as an ongoing opportunity for networking. 

Take it Seriously

There are a million and one different ways to make your company look professional, but in the end, it’ll come down to how seriously you take your company. If you treat your business as seriously as you can, then the professional side will naturally follow by default. A company, no matter how seriously it may project an image, can be seriously undermined if there’s a problem with professionalism at the core. A good example of this is Uber, who have been dogged recently by accusations of unprofessionalism. You can be more professional than some of the world’s biggest companies, just by acting with dignity and treated your company and its customers with respect.