You only get one chance to make a first impression. First impressions often based on appearances, so it’s important that your business’s first impression is a professional one.

What pops into people’s heads when they see your email? What impression do they form when they call you? What do they think when they see your website? The more professional you look, the more customers will choose you and the more money they will spend with you.

But how can you make a teeny, tiny business look ultra professional? Here are 3 quick steps that will have you well on your way.

Get a Good Domain Name, and Use it For Your Email

Nothing says, 'I’m not completely committed to my business' like JohnDoeLandscaping@comcast.net or TheSuperDuperPlumberGuy@aol.com.  You want your email domain (@blahblah.com) to point contacts to your professional website.  Prospective customers should think, “I’m confident in this company,” when they visit your domain.

Here’s how:

• Don’t have a domain yet?   Check out InstantDomainSearch.com or Go Daddy to find one.

• To set up website that looks professional, check out Pop.co. They make setting up a domain, website, and email as simple as a few clicks, and you can integrate with Google Apps for Business and other web creation platforms like Wordpress.

Sound Like a Business When People Call You

If your business phone calls are going to your cell phone, how are you answering the phone? Will potential customers hear you say, “uh, hello?” when a call goes to your personal phone? Using your personal cell phone as your primary business phone just isn’t professional and doesn’t create a great experience for customers when they call in.

Here are some options for creating a professional phone experience:

• Hire a professional receptionist to answer the phone for you.   You can find someone at Ruby Receptionists or My Receptionist.

• Get a cloud-based business phone system, like Grasshopper.

Get a Business Address That Says, “This is Serious Business”

A professional business address says, “we’re a serious business”, and ensures that random prospects won’t be showing up at your house.  Having a separate business address will also help you keep track of business versus personal mail.

Here are a few great options:

• Get a PO Box from the Postal Service – you can have mail delivered here and pick it up whenever.

• Get a UPS mailbox – You get a real street address, you can list your mailbox as a “suite”, and you can pick up your mail 24/7 at most locations.

• EarthClassMail.com – you get a great address and you can register your mailbox as a “suite”.  Instead of having to get your mail, you get it scanned and emailed to you, and you can also do cool things like auto-deposit checks.

Whether you’re selling monthly pickle subscriptions or running a multi-million dollar business, you only get one chance to make a first impression.   What impression do prospective customers have of you?

Your Turn: What steps have you taken to make your business sound professional?