Strategies For Success

Let me ask you a question. Have you looked at your website, logo, business card or other business related materials lately? I don't mean have you glanced at them. I mean have you really looked at them? Have you poured over them and picked them apart? If you haven't then you must be content with them...right?

I want you to take a break from reading this and go grab anything you can find that has to do with your business. Postcards, mailers, flyers, brochures, business cards - open a web browser and load your website. Now ask yourself a couple of questions:

• Do these designs relay the best image possible for my company?
• Is there consistency across all of them so that if someone were to look at my business and my website they would know they are the same company?
• How long have I been using these materials to promote my company?

You may be wondering why these questions are important. That is what we are going to discuss here.

Company Image

Your company image should follow the "best foot forward" theory. When creating a company image it's going to depend on the market or industry that you are in. As an example, if you are a construction company creating a business identity that utilizes a heart and script font really doesn't make much sense, on the other hand if you sell products for weddings this type of image fits within the industry. The best foot forward theory is more than just the logo or business card for your company. Consumers are becoming more and more tech savvy. They are starting to utilize the internet prior to making purchases or visiting a store or restaurant. Your online image is just as, if not more, important today.

Does All of This Really Matter?

Of course it does. As an example. Two competing companies - both selling the same product for the same price. Consumer A - due to him being burned in the past and not wanting to waste time in the store - goes to the websites of both companies. Store 1 has spent the time and the money to invest in creating an attractive, informative and inviting website. The logo on the site matches the logo that can be found on their business cards, their building and their vehicles. Store 2 designed their site themselves. All of the information is there but the website was built 3 years ago and has not been updated since, their is no logo on the site as they couldn't find the logo when they built the site, not to mention the website doesn't display properly on Safari ( the main web browser for Macintosh ) which is the browser that Customer A is utilizing. Customer A has made his choice of which store to purchase from without ever stepping foot inside your establishment. All based on your companies' image on the web.

That's pretty farfetched you say? It happens every day.

Time is money. Not just your time, but your potential clients time as well. If your customers are going to use the web to research your company prior to making purchases they had better have a pleasant experience on your website. Think of your website as another employee. If you had an employee working on your staff that wasn't staying up to date, was ignoring customers or just plain not helping them find what they wanted would you not do something about it? Of course you would. So why do you let your website, logo or business card get away with not putting their best foot forward?

Consistent Image

I mentioned this in the previous section. Consistency across all your company collateral. Why is this important? Brand Image and Brand recognition are sets your company apart from your competitors. As a small to medium sized business I am assuming that you probably don't have the advertising budgets of companies like Nike® or Pepsi®. Therefore you need to make sure that everything you hand a potential client leads back to you. This not only means that you should have your website and contact information prominently displayed on your business cards, brochures or postcards, but you should make sure that the logo, colors, and design of each piece has a consistency that is recognizable. If you take our company for example the logo and colors that make up our website are the same logo and colors that you will see on our business card, postcards, email signature and every other article that relates to our business.

Social Media

The age of the viral video is upon us. More and more the consumers of today are utilizing the internet for more than just downloading stupid pet tricks and watching people get jettisoned into the air from a lawn chair. They are performing research and educating themselves through the internet. The masses are caught up in an ever-expanding universe of Tweets, Facebook apps and LinkedIn business connections. You as a business owner really can't afford not to be out there. Tweet to your heart's content, post pictures to Facebook, but remember you are in this for the sake of your business. To attack the world of social networking from a business standpoint you need to have a solid plan as to how you are going to use these technologies.

Planning for social networking is not difficult but needs a well thought out foundation. You need to think about how much time you have to devote to this. Can you spare an hour a day? Maybe it's only 5 minutes. Either one is fine, but stick to it. Make your decisions prior to setting up your social networking sites.

Let Us Help

Everything Ink Graphic Design can assist you with all of the things that we have mentioned in this article and more. We can put together a package that will focus on the image that you want for your company.

We can assist you with Social Networking and much more.

Contact Us today for a free consultation to discuss where you think your weaknesses and strengths are and let us help you put a plan into motion that will build your companies image and get you active in the marketplace.