Editor’s note: This article was first published in October 2010. Its design and marketing suggestions, such as metallic colors and 3D lettering for logos or print and radio campaigns, reflect that time; logo trends and the media mix have changed since.
In a previous article we looked at how to boost your business’s sales by using the internet to your advantage. This time we’ll explain what a company should do every so often.
The best way to attract more customers and increase sales is to improve your image. Here are some ideas for improving your company and its image:
1. Renew whatever is worn out
Many businesses put up signs and illuminated signs that have deteriorated over the years, just like the paint on their premises. Sometimes we don’t notice because the wear is slow and gradual, but if we look at photos from years ago we can see how much things have changed, and that is what customers see of us today. A neglected business can come across as unprofessional.
2. Update your company logo
We’re not suggesting you change your brand, but that you modernize your logo. You can try something new with metallic colors, 3D lettering and so on. A company that updates its logo is a company that’s ready to put up a fight. Make your logo more eye-catching and striking, and ask other people for feedback and ideas on how to make it stand out.
3. Review your business plan and project
Your business plan should be reviewed every year, and these days every six months, because markets change more often now and new technologies can leave us behind in as little as three months.
Study new markets, draw up an expansion plan, look into new products or services. In business, the winner is whoever innovates most and stays one step ahead of the competition.
4. Review your prices
The time has come to look closely at your prices. Work out which ones you can compete on most easily, which ones make you the most money and, above all, which ones you could agree on with your supplier to run an aggressive promotional campaign, such as a two-for-one deal or a gift for your customers.
Any way of bringing a new customer into your business is fair, as long as the advertising isn’t misleading. If before we talked about making yourself known online, now it’s time to run an advertising campaign in print or on the radio.
Don’t be afraid to invest in advertising: it’s one of the best investments you can make in a business. Paid advertising also boosts free word-of-mouth publicity.
5. Take a look at your workforce
Times are changing, and some people adapt better than others, while some can’t adapt or get on board with the changes. And be careful: I’m not saying that workers over 50 are surplus to requirements, because in some cases these people bring experience that a young person won’t gain for another 20 years.
Invest in training and hold meetings where your own employees give you ideas. Involve them in your project and get them committed. A motivated, committed employee is worth two. Big companies listen to their employees and, funnily enough, small ones don’t (which is why they never become big).
6. New ways of working
Remember that, as a business owner, you don’t have to understand everything, but you do have to be able to hire the best in their field. If you surround yourself with a team of good professionals, the result is a successful project.
Further reading
- Advantages and disadvantages of remote work for a company
- Common mistakes of Spanish entrepreneurs
- Differences between Hispanic and American entrepreneurs
See also: Download PowerPoint templates for business projects
Featured image: Faded shop sign – Green Street by The Carlisle Kid, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
