Warning, Will Robinson: This is a bit of a rant.
I, like many people, visit dozens of websites everyday for a whole variety of reasons ranging from hard core research to just having some fun.
Yet, I continue to be amazed (and dumbfounded) by the number of companies who are “bashful” about who they are. I’m being charitable because its not really being bashful at all …but it is very bad marketing.
I’m a private person but when I launched my site last year, I wanted to be as credible as possible. So from the very start, I attached my name and face to my company. Plus I did a variety of other things to ensure that when people were looking at my company, it came across and credible and legit. Here’s a brief list of things I do to achieve these goals:
- I publish an address for my company
- I publish a phone number for my company (and if you call, I answer it!)
- I publish an email address for my company.
- I have an About Us page with actual information on it that is …you guessed it …about us.
- I personally write a blog.
- I provide a photo of myself to quasi prove that I am an actual person.
- I’m on Twitter.
- I publish on other social media sites like Focus.com, Zoomit.ca and BizSugar.
OK, I realize that not all small business CEOs have the time to do all the things that I do like blogging and social media (although I would argue that even a minimum level of social media work is mandatory for every CEO these days).
But at a bare minimum every company should publish:
- Physical Address
- Phone number(s)
- Generic company email address
- About Us page with brief company history and a CEO profile, preferably also mention other key leadership members.
If I don’t see most or all of the above minimums, I honestly wonder about the credibility of that company and why are they not more forthright. Or I just think their marketing is incomplete. Either way, I tend to move on.
It takes so little to put your best foot forward …and so little to cast doubt.
Thanks for reading my blog and please visit again.
Vincent out.