Does your business have an image problem? Let’s take a look at everything you need to know about finding out if your brand image is damaging your business.
Whether your business is brand new or operates on a global scale, brand image is becoming increasingly important these days. The reality is that your brand image is defining your product, service or image, and it touches on almost every area of your operations – probably a lot more than you might think.
We have covered the importance of business image on this blog before, but today we are going to go into a particular issue a little bit deeper. Does your business have an image problem? Is it showing signs of cracks or disrepair? Are you even aware of how your customers see you? Let’s take a look at everything you need to know about finding out if your brand image is damaging your business.
Do you ‘hear’ customers?
The first step in identifying areas of concern is by listening to your customers. Whether they leave a complaint at your front desk, have a moan on your social media channel, or fail to respond to your emails – it should be telling you something. Start making records of everything your customers are saying about you, and deal with them head-on.
Do you ‘step outside’ your business?
It’s easy to get sucked into running your business, and sometimes you don’t see the wood for the trees. To avoid getting overly familiar with your premises and image, it’s important to step outside of yourself every now and again. Let’s say you own a small store, where you work every available hour. The chances are that you are so busy that you won’t notice you need new banner hangers or that your window display is looking a little shabby. Try to see how customers see your business and you will be more likely to find issues that need fixing.
Do you dress like you mean business?
Like it or not, if you are trying to serve professional people, they will prefer working with other professional people. Regardless of your skills and talents, it’s important to look like you are a professional – and that means dressing well. Be industry-specific, of course – no one expects a builder to turn up in a suit. But your clothes say a lot more about you than you might think – so reassess your working wardrobe.
Does your website show your industry authority?
The Internet offers a whole lot of opportunity for mompreneurs, but it can also end up being a graveyard for online businesses. To make sure you stay relevant online, it’s critical that everything you present is geared towards showing off your industry knowledge. Be helpful and original. Be an answer to your customer’s problems, and preempt any mental blocks they might have about doing business with you. Give your audience great value, and it should – ultimately – end up with more sales and happier customers.
As we have discussed before, your business image is critical if you want to survive – and thrive. But sometimes it can be tricky to see where you are going wrong. The issues described above are just some of the major issues you need to consider if you want to get your mompreneur business in order. Good luck!
