What sort of image are you projecting to the public about your company on a daily basis? Is it a positive image or one that would make them reconsider the use of your products or services?
Though it is often overlooked, our simple, everyday interactions are saying something, positive or negative about us and any company or brand we represent. Though most of the time we consciously try to project a positive image through advertising, marketing, etc., the way we communicate and express ourselves can be the greatest influence on a customer’s decision.
For example, as everyone well knows one can purchase custom license plates for a car, and some people even go so far as to put something company-related on those plates. What sort of image would be projected if a person with company plates was driving recklessly and exhibiting excessive road rage?
Regardless of the fact that they weren’t consciously trying to, the driver of that car was creating a negative connotation with the brand because they were caught up in the moment. That is the sort of negative brand imaging that you don’t want to be reflected back on your company. The worst part is, the driver probably never had the intention to bring such bad publicity to their name. They were simply caught in a moment of passion, and forgot who they were representing with their actions.
The same can be said in the cyber world as well. What do you post on blogs, social media sites, and other venues can hinder as much as it can help. Customers, friends, and followers of you or your business may interpret what you say in a fashion that it may not have deemed to be offensive, but it can be taken in that way at times.
Image is tied into another important aspect. What types of messages are you conveying about your company through your website’s quality?
This question causes me to reminisce about the days of elementary school projects. As everyone would show what they had been creating on presentation day, there were always a few that stood out as exceptional and those that seemed to lack creativity and effort to put it nicely. The work presented reflected back on the students. The students who had well-planned, designed, and executed projects were thought of as smart, crafty, diligent, and producers of quality work. Those who didn’t were seen as apathetic, disorganized, or poor students.
This same principle can be applied to your website. The quality of work displayed says much about your company to the site visitor or consumer. It’s essential that it give the best reflection possible. High-quality, custom website design and development can give your company a definitive edge on this front and help to bolster your image in a positive way, leaving poorly created and not so well thought out websites in the dust.
Your website is an extension of you and your company; it is an excellent opportunity to show your most positive image possible to an intended audience. What side of you do you want them to see?