We’ve all seen those websites or businesses online that make you pause. Something just doesn’t feel right, and you’re not sure if you’d trust them with your money. Now imagine someone landing on your business—what do they see?
You don’t need to look like a huge company to gain trust. Just a few simple, thoughtful steps can go a long way.
1. Use Your Own Domain and Email
If your email ends in @gmail.com, @yahoo.com, or worse—@aol.com (yikes)—you’re giving away credibility. A custom domain (yourbusiness.com) and matching email address (you@yourbusiness.com) signals professionalism from the first click.
Bonus: It makes every invoice, calendar invite, and email feel more official.
2. Keep the Website Straightforward
You don’t need a bunch of pages or fancy features. Just something that works well on a phone and explains what you do. A clear message, your services, and how people can contact you—that’s enough to start.
3. Branded Visuals (That Actually Match)
If your logo is one color on your website and a different version on social media, or if every post uses a different font, it can feel scattered. Pick a set of colors and fonts and stick with them. This helps people recognize your brand over time.
4. Show What Others Say
Even if you only have one client who gave great feedback—use it. A short review or quote from someone you’ve worked with shows you’re doing real work for real people. Screenshots, testimonials, or quick case studies all help.
5. Set Up Your Google Business Page
This one’s free and worth it. It lets people find you in search, see reviews, and know your business is active. If you haven’t claimed yours yet, take 10 minutes and knock it out.
Looking like a real, reliable business doesn’t have to be complicated. It just takes a few steps that show people you care about how you show up.
Our Top Picks That Don't Break the Bank
We don’t like to play favorites, but let’s be real, we all have them, and we don’t gatekeep around here. These companies don’t sponsor us; we are just fanatics. (P.S. Drop us a line if you represent any of these companies. We would love to chat. 😉)
- Domain Hosting: https://www.namecheap.com/
- Why we love it: The obvious answer is in the name–the rates for .coms are very affordable. The DNS manager is also really easy to navigate.
- Email Hosting: https://www.zoho.com/mail/
- Why we love it: Bro, you can launch your professional email suite FOR FREE. Their free plan offers email hosting for one domain for up to 5 users and 5 GB of Mail storage per user. You also have access to their WorkDrive suite and accompanying apps.
- Website Hosting: https://www.odoo.com/
- Why we love it: Odoo has a huge suite of open-source business apps that cover practically everything you could ever need and more. They offer one app for free, like their Website Builder app: https://www.odoo.com/app/website.
These apps and services are fantastic for small businesses because they are incredibly affordable AND can grow with you.