After having a fourth baby, (fix your face…it wasn’t that bad), there were times when I would look in the mirror and think . . . something needs to change fast.
Unfortunately, slow and steady does the trick when changing your physical appearance, but when it comes to your business, there are some quick fixes you can employ that can make a major change.
I understand that your main concern is producing a quality product and satisfying your clients and customers (as it should be), but just satisfying the customers you have isn’t enough.
You have to attract new ones and positive first impressions are a step in the right direction.
Think back to when you saw a company’s website that didn’t function properly or received a business card that wasn’t designed well…how did you react to it?
I know that whenever I see social media accounts or marketing materials that aren’t well done, they remind of the sleazy salesman stereotype at a used car dealership.
I immediately think, “This company isn’t interested in helping me…it just wants my money.”
You don’t have to go through a long drawn out process to whip your look into shape.
Below you will find items that can be designed and added to your business to give it a quick facelift.
I have listed them in order of ease and importance, so you can prioritize what you want and when you want it.
SPOILER ALERT: Below you will find an infographic that will help you give your social media a makeover.
Learn 3 quick ways to give your brand a facelift and get free logo and business card design planning sheets Click To TweetOh, and all of these quick fixes benefit from a little education.
I have two design course options for you . . .
If you want step by step help in designing your own brand identity, then check out Brand Visuals DIY. You don’t have to know any particular platform and finish with incredible brand assets.
If you want to learn Photoshop to design more of your own brand graphics, check out Learn The Shop. This 8-module course for Photoshop beginners requires no experience and is designed to get you creating your own graphics quickly.
1. Upgrade Your Identity & Promotional Items
Logo
The main identifying mark of your business.Remember, your logo doesn’t sell. It shows the public who you are and gives them a reason to remember you.
Remember, your logo doesn’t sell. It shows the public who you are and gives them a reason to remember you.
When planning your logo, think about where you will want to use it. Will it just be on the web and on business cards or also shirts, buttons, signs, etc . . .
This is important because if you plan your logo to only fit a specific area of your website, it may not look right on other items you need for your business.
Business Card
Some may think business cards are ancient artifacts, but I would say that having something to offer people you are trying to network with is crucial.
Even if he/she loses it or throws it away, a conversation was started or extended because of your business card.
And if you want them to be memorable, consider cool printing options or different shapes for your cards.
Flyer or Rack Card About You, Your Business and/or Your Services
By my definition, a flyer can range from a lightweight poster type paper that can be hung on a wall to a thick cardstock handbill that can be handed out.
And a rack card is a long skinny version of the handbill I just mentioned that is usually about 4 inches by 9 inches.
Both of these items can act similarly to your business card, but they can include information about your story, yourself and your services.
Flyers and rack cards could also include information about specials or other promotional announcements.
Stationery & Envelopes
I used to think that stationery was for law firms…they were the only ones to actually write with pen and paper in my mind, but I realized two things.
1) That wasn’t true and writing a letter with actual paper and pen can be quite refreshing and add a nice personal touch.
2) Stationery also comes in handy when delivering something electronically. Your stationery design can be used on a PDF and sent through email or posted as a download on your website.
Other Print-Related Swag
Maybe you want to create t-shirts, bookmarks, door hangers, posters, etc…
Endless possibilities flood my brain because it all depends on your industry and your plans.
Just remember that everything you choose to create is meant to give your business a quick boost in the looks department, so it should be something that you would use often and can be widespread in its reach.
2. Upgrade Social Media Designs
Giving your social media accounts a more polished and professional look will add to a more polished and professional look overall.
Not all social media outlets were created equally in regards to how they allow your creative juices to take charge, so below is a breakdown of your capabilities with some of the more popular ones.
3. Upgrade Elements of Your Website
Your website is a sum of its very pretty (or not so pretty) parts. Sometimes updating just a few of those parts can make a real difference.
Header
Your header can be as simple as your logo or as involved as a full image slider. Consider upgrading your logo to an image that can be more customized if it isn’t already.
Below is a great example.
Sidebar/Footer
Your sidebars and footers contain all the cool stuff that you want people to have easy access to. If your sidebar is filled with ads or has tons of text with no pictures, it can really hinder your look. Consider replacing some of the text with images that still say what you need (remember to optimize our image for search engines by titling it properly and filling out the alt text for your image). Make your social media feed available in your sidebar and give people the opportunity to connect with you.
If your sidebar is filled with ads or has tons of text with no pictures, it can really hinder your look. Consider replacing some of the text with images that still say what you need (remember to optimize our image for search engines by titling it properly and filling out the alt text for your image). Make your social media feed available in your sidebar and give people the opportunity to connect with you.
Consider replacing some of the text with images that still say what you need (remember to optimize our image for search engines by titling it properly and filling out the alt text for your image). Make your social media feed available in your sidebar and give people the opportunity to connect with you.
Make your social media feed available in your sidebar and give people the opportunity to connect with you.
Don’t be afraid to do some research. Look at other sites to see what your site is capable of in your sidebars and footers.
You can even try a free webinar called “Pimp My Sidebar”.
Text Formatting
When I visit a website, the way the text looks matters to me.
It either invites me to read the page or totally turns me off.
If I see nice big headings, bullets, and small chunks of text, I’m all in. If I see a never-ending sea of words and large chunks of block text, I will move on.
I don’t have time for that kind of reading.
All throughout his site, Nathan Allotey carefully formats his text in nice digestible chunks with large headings that make you want to keep reading his website.
Consistency
You want people to immediately recognize your business whether it be through the colors or the logo or the style.
Having a consistent look across your brand in both online and offline mediums helps with that.
Also, keeping your name consistent across these mediums is helpful as well. If you want to check the availability of certain social media names to keep everything consistent, check out namechk.com.
For instance, I am bmaysdesign on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.
I even own bmaysdesign.com and it forwards to bmays.com.
Also consider consistency in your images. I always use the same combination of fonts in my images for my website, social media shares and blog posts.
If you want to do the same, I would suggest choosing two fonts that are similar with different weights (levels of boldness) and one handwritten/script font.
Usually this combination can give you the flexibility and design capabilities needed to make some cool images with variety over an extended period of time.
Printing
I feel obligated to make a note about printing.
When planning out your budget for these designs, please remember printing.
A lot of people don’t understand that your designer is one side of it and your printer is another.
If you want business cards, they will be designed for one cost and then printed for another.
Where this really makes a difference are with certain promotional items such as brochures or presentation folders. It may only cost $55 for the design, but you can expect to pay anywhere from $200 to $700 for printing depending on your amount and the item itself.
Conclusion
Sometimes your business just needs a little something to feel fresh.
You can choose to utilize all of the information in this post for a big boost or save it to reference later and just do a little now. Either way, moving forward and growing your brand visually is never a bad thing.
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