Startups are notoriously difficult to get right, which is why so many of them fail within the first year. There are so many things that can go wrong, and so many people think that starting a business is going to be easy and don’t do their research or planning that it’s no wonder most of them don’t make it.
One of the biggest issues that a lot of new business owners (and even more experienced ones, come to that) have to contend with is not being taken seriously. Customers, investors, suppliers, and potential partners might find it hard to take your business seriously because you’ve got no history, barely any customer testimonials, and no one’s recommending you. That means working with you, lending money to you, or buying from you can be something of a gamble, and people will be much more likely to stick to their usual businesses (the ones they know they can take seriously) rather than try something new. That’s a shame for you because until people start to take you seriously and use your business, you won’t be able to move towards your goals and become successful. So with that in mind, how can you make sure people take your business seriously? Here are some ideas for you to get started with.
Get The Name Right
It won’t matter what your business does or how great it is, and it won’t matter if it’s far superior to your competitors; if the name is wrong and it means people can’t take you seriously, then they’re not going to connect with your business and they’re not going to feel confident in buying from you.
Your business name is so much more important than you might think, and choosing one that sounds professional and also explains what it is your business does and the kind of business you’re running will help you to be taken more seriously. A fun name that’s full of puns or a name that sounds good but doesn’t really give anyone any information about you might seem like a good idea – you might really love the idea – but you need to remember that you’re not naming your business for you; you’re naming it for other people. It’s great to make your own choices when it comes to your business, but it’s also vital to take others into account because they’re the ones who are going to help your business grow, and that’s precisely the right attitude to have when naming your business.
Have Plenty Of Knowledge
Something that can really help your business be taken more seriously is if you can show you have a lot of knowledge about the sector you’re working in and the products and services you’re selling. By showing you’re an expert, you can give people reasons to trust you and believe that you’re saying about the things you’re selling and why they should buy them.
To do this, you can start with your blog. Your blog is crucial for marketing, and it’s what’s going to help you rank better when it comes to search engines (it’s down to SEO, which involves keywords, links, and other information – it’s complex but worth learning about to ensure you rank well), but it can also be a great way to quickly prove you’re an expert in your field. You can provide content that’s full of useful information about the things you’re selling and why they’re going to help people, and you can write about anything else that shows you have a good knowledge of your business. Not only will people see you know what you’re talking about, but they’ll also know your site is the one to return to when they need more info – and ideally, they’ll decide to buy from you as well.
As well as your blog, you can do plenty of other things to prove your expertise, and the more you can do, the better. You can engage with customers on social media and answer their questions, you can have a great FAQ section on your website, you can create explainer videos (which will also help boost your SEO efforts), and you can host workshops and talks. It all adds up to showing people you have the knowledge they need to see to take your business seriously.
And in those rare occasions where you won’t be able to prove your expertise, you can leave it to the pros. Discover why certain locations in Mexico have become hotspots for international manufacturing and what they offer to businesses looking to expand. You don’t have to go global quite yet to take advantage of support like this. Remember, the more you work with those who do know what they’re doing, the more you’re going to learn.
Look Professional
You’ll know from your own experiences in life – not just those related to business – that first impressions are important, and undoing a negative first impression is going to be much harder than providing a positive first impression from the off. Even if you’ve got a lot of knowledge and you’re an absolute expert in your field, and even if your business name is sensible and informative, if you don’t look professional, people are going to wonder whether they can really trust you, and, of course, whether they can take you seriously.
This means your branding has to be on point and professional right from the start, and it’s wise to take plenty of time over this to ensure it’s right before you launch your business. In fact, it can be a good idea to engage experts to help you (assuming you’re not a branding expert yourself) because they’ll understand what it is people want when they’re looking for a professional business they can really take seriously.
Once you’ve created professional branding, you can use it on your website, clothing, vehicles, paperwork, and anything else your customers are going to see. Being consistent with your branding is just as important when it comes to being taken seriously as having good branding in the first place, and it’s definitely going to help.
Be Honest
There are dishonest business owners out there, and it’s these people who can give small businesses a bad name – if a customer has been scammed and lied to in the past, they’re going to find it a lot more difficult to take any new business seriously; they might just assume that everyone in business works in the same way and will try to cheat them just like before.
So if you run a business and you want to be taken seriously, honesty is the best policy – always. Remember that your customers need to be able to rely on you to give them the information they need to make a decision when it comes to buying something, and if you can prove you’re honest and trustworthy, they’ll stick with you rather than chance getting scammed again.
