I have often come across entrepreneurs, especially solopreneurs and freelancers, who do not have a professional email address and a website. For example, a small business owner would have an email address like NalediSpices@gmail.com when then they should consider a more professional email such as nomsa@naledispices.co.za. Not getting a professional email address and website has an element of self-sabotage. It is important to understand that in this case, the hard work that goes into communicating and building a brand is frustrated by the mechanism that is used to deliver your message.
Why get a Professional Email Address and Website
There are many reasons why businesses, no matter how small, should get a professional email address and website. Here are the reasons that were true to us back when we started, and are still true today:
Credibility
An email address from Gmail or Yahoo tend to make small businesses look smaller than they are and cast doubt on their credibility and reliability. A professional email address and company website signal to potential clients, funders and partners that entrepreneurs are serious about their business and are invested. A professional email address and website create a positive first impression and demonstrate dedication to the business.
Reviews
Having a professional website makes it easy to collect and display customer reviews. Even for a business that sells through other channels, attracting new customers depends on trust. A company website that displays a business address increases this level of trust. Channels such as Instagram and Twitter position the company to a certain type of customer and unfortunately, they work well for certain types of products and services.
Brand identity and consistency
Consistency is important, especially in the growth phase of the brand. It is vital for the business to maintain identity across different communication channels. A website is a less limited platform and is not impacted by, for example, the number of characters allowed, image types and sizes, etc. With a company’s own domain and website, full control is maintained over content and the opportunity to communicate the brand’s unique identity and values is unlimited.
Present authority and professional content
In some instances, it is important for a business owner, solopreneur, or freelancer to showcase their knowledge, skill and talent. Channels such as Instagram, Twitter and Facebook have limitations. With an own website, knowledge and skill can effectively be presented through a blog. Increasingly, consumers gravitate towards brands and personalities that tell their stories over time even if their journey is far from perfect. The best way to present this consistently is through a mechanism such as a blog.
Central hub for digital marketing
A website and a blog can serve as a central hub for all digital marketing efforts. Different channels have different limitations and are different in terms of how content needs to be presented. The most effective way of managing content is to centralise it; and then minimise customisation by creating links and teasers that eventually point to the website and the blog. For example, we have accounts with Twitter, Facebook and Tiktok, but we still link all activities across the channels back to our website. Information such as product data sheets are best viewed on a website and not on Instagram.
Streamline communication and business processes
Email hosting normally comes with additional email addresses that allow for better organization and management of business communications. With a domain-based email, you can create multiple addresses for different business activities, for example info@yourdomain.co.za or sales@yourdomain.co.za or support@yourdomain.co.za, and this helps with streamlining business processes.
Search engine optimisation
A professional website is necessary for businesses to appear in relevant search results across search engines. A well-designed website with high quality content tends to help generate leads and increase sales. Search engines prioritise domain-based websites over generic providers such as wix or weebly.
So what are the hurdles?
With all these advantages cited, there are still three major reasons why business owners are still unlikely to get a professional email address and a website:
- The perceived cost of setting up the systems;
- The inconvenience of putting the content together; and
- The cost and inconvenience of keeping the content up to date.
All these concerns are dealt with in the next where we show how adopting a professional website is not as costly or as tedious as expected.
Conclusion
Going professional is an imperative. With increasing competition, it is becoming more important for small businesses to pay full attention to what and how they communicate. Portraying professionalism and building trust is one of the most important drivers of sales. No one buys a brand they do not know, buys from a company they have not seen, or buys through a company that presents itself poorly.
Further Information
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