Four easy ways small businesses can make a great first impression

Photo credit: Styled Stock Society

Making a great first impression on new business customers can be daunting to small business owners. Having professional websites, an engaging social media presence, and inviting offices or retail spaces are all important and yet many businesses struggle with making it all work.

So how you can make a great first impression without suffering major overwhelm or burn out? Here are a few ideas:

Go Digital With Your Business Cards 

Business cards have become largely irrelevant in recent years, except for industries like real estate and banking. The cost of printing and high staff turnover rates have forced many companies to rethink the necessity of business cards, and many have opted for the digital version instead. 

Companies like HiHello help companies evolve in this space and offer a new perspective on digital networking. With cards you can update as often as needed, creative ways to present your brand and social media channels, and flexibility to give your business card to anyone, anywhere, and at any time without physical contact, digital business cards make a great first impression with any first-time introduction. 

Invest In Your Physical Office Space

For small business owners operating in a physical office space, the appearance of the office and its entrance are critical to making a great first impression.

Just like selling a home, your curb appeal is someone's first opportunity to make a judgment about your business. An attractive entryway with healthy and bright-colored plants, a clean sidewalk, and a door with clear identification are the easiest ways to ensure every potential customer feels welcome. 

Inside, you might want to invest in professional carpet cleaners to ensure customers feel they are in a safe and clean space and budget for regular professional cleaning to keep germs and viruses at bay. 

Make Response Times a Priority

Customers don't want to wait around for answers to questions or interactions with a brand. Instead, they want to make sure that they can gain the information that they need quickly. If they don't, they are likely to move on to another provider. 

To ensure your response times make a great impression, consider adding a live chat solution to your website to answer frequently asked questions. With live chat, you can provide customers with the illusion of immediate engagement.

Your in-person team can answer more complex questions requiring personal interaction by filtering out the easy questions with live chat. 

This use of digital technology also frees up your staff to answer phone calls more quickly and to respond to emails in a timely fashion.

Invest In The Right Team 

Finally, you need to think about your business team. 

If you're not a solo entrepreneur, it's essential to recognize that your customers will interact with your team far more than they interact with you. 

During the hiring process, look for people who will make the right first impression based on both their appearance and their personality. Additionally, you need team members who represent your brand and your values and whom you can trust to take care of your customers. 

No one gets a second chance at making a first impression. As small business owners trying to compete with national brands and six-figure marketing budgets, every interaction with a potential customer matters. 

Make time to ensure your impressions from the first interaction to the follow-up experience conveys the message you want to send. Those efforts will be rewarded through customer loyalty, generous referrals, and the satisfaction of knowing your business cares about the community you serve.  

One Nine Design is a digital marketing company helping small businesses and nonprofits learn how to use their website and email list to grow their reach and make a bigger impact!