Standing out from the competition is tough in business, especially if you’re a newer or smaller business competing with those who are far more established. Therefore, it makes sense that you will need to create a good impression. You will also need to ensure things are being done to the highest standard to build up a good reputation, as well as save yourself time and hassle. Here are some ideas to consider.
Your Website and App
Since your website or app is the first things most people will see of your business, it’s worth starting here when you want to make a good initial impression. Instead of going with a standard, boilerplate template, speak to a designer and have them create something unique. Of course, it still needs to look professional and you don’t want to put style over substance- but making it more personal to your business will help you to stand out.
Integrating videos, a blog, cool graphics and other elements are all something to consider, professional designers will know how to go about this in a way that works and is interesting without being cluttered, confusing or putting people off. Even just having an app at all can set you apart from your competition, the large businesses of the world got on board with how beneficial these can be years ago- but lots of smaller and medium sized businesses still haven’t yet. Research has shown that in recent years, more sales have been made on smartphones and tablets compared with computers and laptops, a fact you simply can’t afford to ignore. While your site should of course be optimized to work on all devices, with an app you go a step further. It allows your customer to download your business into their phone, which is a very good position for you to be in.
Your Software
These days, you can use lots of great software to make your business run more efficiently and save you money. From financial to legal to customer relationship management software and much more, you really need to be on board with these modern methods as opposed to doing things manually. However, you can go a step further by having your own created by a custom software development company. Instead of having to work your systems around existing software, it can be tailored just for you. This makes it incredibly efficient and can save you serious time, money and hassle in your business. It means that employees have access to the best software to do their job, and you are not paying people to do manual tasks that can be done on a computer in minutes. Whether you run a standard shop or office or your business is something a little more unusual, this is a great option regardless. Running your company efficiently shows that you have things under control and creates an excellent impression.
Your Marketing Methods
Every business needs to be marketed in the right way, after all, regardless of what you do, you need to be discoverable by interested customers. However, you do not need to stick to the same boring marketing methods; you can try many unique and interesting things to grab people’s attention. How about running a fun events day where you can invite food vendors, hire a bouncy castle, o have other different types of entertainment? This will get people interested and down to your business where you get the chance to chat to people about what it is you do face to face. Running competitions is another thing to consider, this could be done through social media or your website. It could be anything from a caption contest to asking people to send in a funny photo or video based on a theme. Either way, getting people chatting and making it interactive will drum up plenty of attention.
Your Office, Retail Unit or Workspace
If you run the kind of business where customers or clients come to your workplace, then it’s important to make sure this is up to scratch. You want to present a professional appearance. For shops, it could be a well laid out shop floor with beautiful window displays. For offices, giving everything a fresh coat of paint, introducing living plants and getting the lighting right are all ideas. This helps to give people a good vibe about your business, shows you’re professional and prevents them from leaving and feeling underwhelmed.