Why does your brand look unprofessional?
Your brand should be an experience, from beginning to end. It doesn’t just rely on sight, but all the senses. Do you have a certain scent burning in your office? What kind of clothes do you wear to a meeting? How do you answer the phone when talking to clients? What is your email sign off? All of these minutiae play into a bigger story – your brand.
So, what makes a brand or business look unprofessional?
It’s easy to see through a brand that is built without substance. Building a brand with DNA is a sure-fire way to ensure it is punchy, memorable and relatable. So, it begs the question, what are these businesses doing right that so many others are doing wrong?
Inconsistent messaging/copywriting
Want to know the easiest way to bring a brand down a few notches? Inconsistent messaging and bad copywriting. If you don’t have a core mission, brand statement or values, what are you actually preaching? What are you trying to sell when your message is confused? Poorly written copy can turn your audience off in the snap of a finger. Now, you don’t have to be a literary genius, just one that can string a few comprehensible words together to sell your product, service or story.
DIY branding or website
When I see businesses with potential, and then I see their DIY branding, it’s like a stab right through my heart. An inconsistent brand, not just a poorly designed brand is a surefire way to lose customers instantly. I was recently listening to a podcast with a featured expert. This person had amazing tips and advice for business owners, so naturally I wanted to check out their website, read the blog, become an active and engaged audience. This website, while poorly designed, was also poorly written, inconsistent and did not portray their specialty in a great light. It was severely disappointing.
I may be a tad bias, but branding is so super important. It is everything. Your mission, story, product, service, personality, the signature scent they smell when they walk into your office, down to how you sign off your emails. Your branding is one of the top things to invest in for your business. Branding is not an easy DIY thing. Think IKEA furniture instructions tenfold. It’s no easy gig. Trusting a professional to take care of your visuals, with strategy and intention, means a better result for your business.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying to have to spend thousands and thousands of dollars, especially if you’re starting out - that is just not feasible. Using a template website in conjunction with a
No cohesion across touch points
One of the most frustrating things to see as a designer is a complete lack of cohesion between a website, social media and printed collateral. It is such a turn off! This instantly leads to your audience not trusting your brand, and therefore your business. It shows a lack of care and confusion, subtly suggesting that you may be similar working with or purchasing from – not ideal! An audience won’t notice a seamless transition between channels however, they will notice a disjointed approach.
No custom email address
Yikes! One of the first things I did for my business after registering my business name was secure my domain name and email address. Yes, you pay a little bit extra a year to have a custom email address, but it shows professionalism and shows your audience that you are serious business that takes themselves seriously as well. When I think of sending an email to a business with a hotmail or outlook account, my first thought is ‘is this an actual business’? You can buy a custom email and domain name in bundles – you just need to shop around for the best price.
Low quality images
This hurts me. Phone cameras now have more technology in them than the rocket that put man on the moon (allegedly) in 1969. Seriously, there isn’t really an excuse to have low quality images anymore. And poorly edited – nah uh. You don’t need to be a Photoshop or Lightroom expert to edit consistently. There are heaps of apps to help with photography, and plenty of free content and tutorials that can teach you how to take a great photo. The beauty of living in a digital age, means plenty of experts sharing their knowledge for free and our phones with so much technology that take great photos!
These are just a few of the things that make an unprofessional brand which are all easy fixes! And a few things that can be outsourced so you can keep your sanity and get a high quality, professional result.
If you’re ready to take your DIY brand and turn it into strategic visuals that work for you, get in touch, and let’s get down to the nitty gritty.
