Making a good first impression is more important than ever before. With social media and the web, your online presence is an important tool in portraying your company and brand in a positive light. Here are nine ways to craft your online image to make a good first impression on your customers.
1. Show Up Online
One of the first things you need to do as a business is to make sure that you appear in search results, including Google, Bing, etc. You also want to make sure your information is showing up in other places on the Internet, such as local directories, blogs, etc. Also, you want to be sure to claim your listing on Google, Yelp, and other review sites.
It can also be helpful to make sure your business is appearing on Google maps so that users looking for nearby businesses can easily find you.
2. Keep Your Info Updated
Not only is it important to make sure that you are appearing in search results and directories, but it’s also essential to keep your business information up-to-date. You want to find all your online listings and work with the websites to ensure that all business and contact information is accurate. This includes a proper link to your website, social media channels, phone number, email, etc.
3. Have A Quick Response Rate
Many social media networks monitor the response rate for businesses and post it on their profile. You want customers to feel comfortable enough to reach out to your business with questions or inquiries. Having a quick response rate can help. This means responding to messages right away, even if it is simply to inform the customer that you will get in touch with them once you have an answer to their question.
Answering their queries quickly will help make a good impression that your business is active and that customers are valued.
4. Fast and Responsive Website
In today’s online environment, businesses have less than a fraction of a second to make a good impression. Companies that have websites that look dated, are slow to load, or simply don’t work on various devices have difficulty making a positive first impression on prospective customers. In today’s day and age, it is easy to get a fast, responsive, and professional-looking website that works on numerous browsers, tablets, PCs, and phones. The easier it is for customers to access your company’s information, the better the impression you make.
5. Maintain A Strong Social Media Presence
Many customers look to a company’s social media presence before deciding to make a purchase. If a company has a social media profile, but it has not been updated recently, has out-of-date information, or simply looks messy or unprofessional, customers may choose a competitor instead.
Maintaining a strong social media presence that is regularly updated and following current trends can leave a strong first impression, as it shows that the company is in touch with its customers and what they want.
6. Interact With Commenters
Responding to commenters on social media platforms can help personify your brand and shows that you, as a brand, are connected to your customers. Choosing to respond to comments can show your brand’s personality and can develop a loyal fan base, simply for your witty responses to what customers and competitors have to say about your brand.
Take Wendy’s Twitter account as an example. The company’s profile has become notorious for its roasts and witty comebacks on the platform, increasing brand recognition and recall.
7. Focus On Customer Value
No one likes a friend that simply focuses on themselves. The same is true for relationships between customers and brands. Brands that freely and willingly provide value to customers, rather than simply focusing on making a sale or talking about their products, make a positive first impression.
Social media provides various platforms and ways for companies to create value for their customers and build trust with the brand without any purchase having to be made. When it comes time to make a purchase, customers remember the value you provided and will often act accordingly.
8. Address Negative Comments and Reviews
The way a company responds to disgruntled customers can make a seriously good impression on prospective customers. This is especially true on review sites like Yelp or Google reviews. If a company proactively tries to resolve a customer’s issue or addresses a disgruntled customer concern positively, new customers are more likely to have a favorable impression.
While monitoring all of your reviews and responding accordingly can seem taxing, it can go a long way in building new customer relationships.
9. Add New Content Regularly
Like maintaining your social media profiles, you want to make sure that you add new content regularly. This includes content on social media platforms, your company’s website, blog, etc. Regular updating and adding new content show prospective customers that your company is actively looking for ways to provide value to customers and staying up-to-date on the problems and issues they are facing.
It also shows customers that you are willing to put in the effort to stay relevant, which makes a positive impression on potential customers.
First Impressions Are Everything
Customers make their purchasing decisions based on their first impression of any brand or company. While there is always the possibility that you can repair a poor first impression, it is much more challenging to change a customer’s mind once they have already formed a poor impression of your company or brand.
When there is a bad impression of your brand, they are less likely to make a purchase, and if they do, there is a higher probability of buyer’s remorse. Therefore, as time-consuming as some of these efforts to make a good first impression may be, it is crucial to make an effort to create an excellent first impression and start a new relationship with customers on a positive footing.
