4 things that make your online advertising look more professional

1. High quality photos of your work

Whether you’re selling a product or providing a service, there’s a good chance that what you’re offering can be demonstrated visually. When researching your goods, more often than not, customers will scour the internet for photos of your product or service to compare the quality to those of your competitors. This is the case in most industries, whether you’re a shoe company, a hairdresser, or a professional landscaper.

To highlight the best features of your product or service and ensure that it is represented accurately, it’s important to take high-quality photos if you’re sharing these online.

A few recommendations for taking high-quality photos include:

• Use a good quality smartphone camera, a digital SLR camera, or if your budget allows, hire a professional photographer
• Take advantage of natural lighting if possible, or if not, setting up adequate lighting or suitable flash for the space
• Use portrait and landscape orientations at the appropriate times

Here’s what to avoid when taking photos:

• Blurry or grainy images
• Finger in the lens when taking the photo
• Dim lighting
• Product not centred

2. Correct spelling and grammar

No matter what you’re writing, whether it’s some information about the business’s background or experience for your website, a Facebook post, or an email to a customer, it’s critical that you proofread your writing before sharing. This will ensure that you can fix any spelling mistakes and that what you’ve written makes sense, before your customers read it.

If your writing is filled with errors, it can appear as though it has been carelessly written. Many customers may perceive this as an indicator that the business doesn’t pay attention to detail, which may apply to the quality of their work as well. If writing isn’t your strong point, that’s okay! Grab a friend or family member to double check your writing for you, and also use your computer’s spell check function to pick up on potential mistakes to be certain your content is professionally representing your business.

3. Responding to customers professionally

Ensuring that your spelling and grammar is spot on is only one part of producing a professional written response to a customer enquiry.

Here are some other suggestions for effectively replying to a customer email or text:

• Use the customer’s name
• Don’t forget your manners - everyone appreciates a “please” and “thank you”!
• Avoid excessively contracted words that may not be understood by everybody - eg. instead of “wud h8 2 delay ur prjct”, say “would hate to delay your project”
• Sign off with your own name

Here’s an example of a poor response to a customer request for a quote:

Hey $80 call me

Here’s an example of a professional response:

Hi John,

Based on your job description, the job would cost approximately $80, but it’d be best if you could please give me a call at your earliest convenience to discuss the job details further and organise a time to visit you.

We have been in the industry for over 10 years, and we are focused on quality workmanship and customer satisfaction, so I’m certain that we can exceed your expectations for your project!

Thank you,

Dan

When managing your customer enquiries that you receive through your Service.com.au subscription, we have several more tips for how to respond to a quote request and win the job. It is also important to understand how to respond to negative customer reviews when they arise.

4. Consistent branding

When you’re trying to take advantage of the internet to market your business to potential customers, it’s important to maintain consistency throughout all your online advertising. If you have a professional logo, make sure you use it on your social media, your website, advertising platforms such as Service.com.au, as well as your physical marketing materials such as your business cards or flyers.

Why?

Imagine if you give a potential customer your business card, then they search for your Instagram page to see photos of your work. If you aren’t using the same logo on both advertisements, the customer may be confused and wonder if they’re looking at the wrong social media page and not contact you for their job.

Consistent branding across all channels will also make your business more memorable in the minds of customers when looking for a product or service you offer. For example, if your logo or brand colours have appeared in front of them several times on Facebook, during their Google search or when they are browsing trades and services directories, they will be much more likely to remember your business and feel an increased sense of trust after being exposed to your business more than once.

Professional branding is also an indicator that your business is committed to being well-presented and willing to invest in the success of the business - a sign of a high-quality company that takes pride in their work.

Keeping these tips in mind when presenting your business to potential customers will ensure that they perceive you as professional and reliable company that they would love to deal with!

Want to expose your business to new customers and generate more work?

Advertise Your Business Today

Further reading:
Tradie insurance guide: what you need to know
5 ways to encourage more customers to call you about work
Tradies and tax debt… what you need to know now
8 reasons why good design is good for business