Why a professional corporate image matters online

01 Feb 2019 | SMB, Software as a Service, Voice and Collaboration, Digitalisation | 5-min read

Have you felt uncertain about dealing with a company when you find that they don't “look” like a legitimate business? Potential clients and customers want to feel that they are dealing with an experienced, trustworthy business when they purchase your products or services. 

Setting up and creating a corporate image or identity has a big impact on how your potential customers perceive you. For businesses operating online, getting your business image right has never been more important, especially as transactions are done without ever having human contact.

Without a physical shopfront, you want your business to be seen as trustworthy and knowledgeable so consumers will feel safe about buying from you online. Here are some easy ways to make your business look more professional and trustworthy to online customers.

If your business email address ends with “gmail.com” or another free email service, you may appear unprofessional to potential customers. Having a proper “owned” web address and business email address (e.g. jason@commercialbuilders.com) gives the impression of a more established business. 

You can choose between subscribing and setting up separate web domain and email hosting services, or use a solution such as Microsoft 365 for Business that offers business-grade email, a personalised web domain, online office and collaboration apps.

Your logo identifies your business. People take notice of images before they read words, so your logo is what makes your brand recognisable and memorable right from the start.

Your logo should strategically imply what your business is about, and also helps set you apart from the competition. Take a look at 99designs or  fiverr  for freelancer designer services that can be more affordable

Microsoft 365 also lets you set up templates in Word, PowerPoint and Outlook. This ensures the documents you send are formatted consistently. It can be as simple as adding your business logo in the header, and your business contact details in the footer. 

Extending the corporate identity to your digital quotations and invoices creates the perception of having professional operations. 

A well-designed website is a must for any business wanting to make a good impression. There are a few options available. You can hire a web designer, and if you do, make sure you work with someone who can help you create a site that's easy to navigate and update.

You can also consider DIY website creation platforms. You don't need to be an expert designer - simply utilise the website templates, WYSIWYG (what-you-see-is-what-you-get) editing features and easy to follow guides to create a site for your business. Check out Wix and Squarespace to see if they're right for you.

These days customers tend to shop online. Tools like Shopify can help small businesses with most of their e-commerce needs - from the website creation, payments and even logistics. If your product can't be sold online, make sure there's  a clear  and easy way for customers to contact you. 

It’s important to keep the content useful, informative and up to date. A website full of dated content says to the potential customer, this place isn’t keeping up, creating a negative perception.

The most basic requirement of a web store is to have an email or enquiry form for customers to get in touch. While most customers may communicate with you online via email, social media or messaging platforms, some would still prefer to have a person to speak to. A dedicated business phone number means when a customer calls, they can speak to an employee who's ready to help.

Most consumers do their web browsing on their smartphones, and having a phone number listed on the website allows them to just click and call you directly. If that information is not readily available, you're simply missing out on a sales opportunity.

A cloud-based telephony system like Singtel BizVoice Unified Communications gives you one or multiple local numbers that your employees can access on their desktop or mobiles, even when travelling. When all your employees have access, you won't miss customer calls and can immediately answer any queries.