If you were a restaurant, what would you look like?

I’ll make a point here, I promise…

Picture this: You just got off an airplane and you're hungry (there’s something about that travel-day grumbly stomach). You Uber to the nearest restaurant to grab some food and get some work done. Said restaurant has great reviews, but when you arrive, it’s old and outdated. The linoleum floors are dirty, there’s brown wallpaper everywhere, and the letters outside the building are peeling off. All of a sudden, your appetite has gone down.

Next door, there’s a new restaurant, with fresh siding and pretty plants and cozy lighting. The flooring inside is shiny and clean, there are beautiful paintings adorning the walls, and you can tell all the tables and chairs are brand-new. It doesn't have as many glowing reviews as the first choice, but it smells good, and it looks promising.

Where are you choosing to eat? I, for one, am choosing the second option. (I’m big on cleanliness in restaurants).

It’s easy to underestimate how much we evaluate the legitimacy of a business within the first few seconds of interacting with them.

That’s why, for B2B companies without brick-and-mortar storefronts, digital first impressions can make or break your business.

If your business is lackluster at keeping your website up-to-date, or your logo is 15 years old, or your social media presence is nonexistent, it sends subconscious signals to your prospective customers, and it goes like this: We’re too disorganized to keep up with our own to-do list, let alone yours.

I work with four ongoing clients who are all in different stages of updating their websites, social media presence, and email marketing strategies. Here’s what we’re finding as we continue to make improvements.

• Sales and marketing are finally starting to use the same language, which gives the business credibility and uniformity.
• Like a beautiful building, my clients are better able to invite prospects to their website. They’re not embarrassed to send the link anymore.
• Regular marketing emails and blog posts give my clients an avenue through which to build rapport and credibility. It sends the signal: We’re industry leaders, and you can trust us.

So, this week, I’d encourage you to take a look at your business and ask yourself: what subconscious signals am I sending to people who search for us online? If we were a restaurant, what would we look like, and would people eat there?

If you need help or have questions, I’d love to chat.