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As the famous quote by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, “Work was like a stick. It had two ends. When you worked for the knowing you gave them quality; when you worked for a fool you simply gave him eyewash.” Ouch! That must hurt when you realize your P.R, web and(or) media agency has been serving up crap. As it also happens, that’s what it seems to the world when your business is being poorly represented online or in physical media publications.
So, from your website, to your social media accounts and print media, the messages they carry, the mode and choice of delivery and the overall design are the bits that can make or mar the public perception of your business. It is then the responsibility of whoever is handling your business image and publicity to put you in good light to your audience or at the least, publicize you above the level of mediocrity.
We could make a thousand and one pages detailing the nitty gritty of the mistakes that gives off bad impressions and still need more pages, but for now we’ll deal concisely with the most common and easily comprehensible.
BAD OR NON-EXISTENT WEBSITE
Websites are now commonly the second office address for any business, the go-to place when information is needed, or when you need to be directly contacted. And even for some, it is the only address, because they operate basically via the web and do not prioritize a physical address. Therefore, having an address that’s non-existent or non-functional is inexcusably bad. From the choice of website address (domain name), to the website design, the web media content and literature, all these combines to put your business in the right stand with your clients and prospective clients.
Having websites with poorly guided color schemes gives an awful impression from the first glance of your website. A good design agency will make uneducated color choices among other web design principles such as fonts, web components arrangements, the level of functionality of your website and ease of interactivity with the web pages.
Another major issue is that of cloning other business’ website or using freely available or cheap templates for a new business project. While these means the cost of web design is cheap, you also do not want your business being mistaken with another business or having your potential clients noticing the awful similarity and as a result doesn’t take you seriously.
Having typographical errors and lack of consistency across your entire website also gives bad impressions, putting to question your seriousness and level of commitment and professionalism.
POORLY CRAFTED MULTIMEDIA CONTENTS
Graphics and audio both make up this section and they cut through every facets of your business publicity. They are the components of your video ad campaigns, web/social media banners, newsletters, brochures, podcasts and more.
The biggest culprits when it comes to multimedia deliverables are templates cloning, typography, plagiarism and poor design.
The worst of all is using watermarked contents without getting approval (upon purchase) of such media contents on your web and social media platform. This are easily identifiable small texts and logos of agencies and individuals who have exclusive rights to the media contents and demand you pay before you can use them. But instead, you (or your media agency) decides to go ahead and use such materials without due permissions and credits to the owner thereby tainting the image of your organization or in some other cases resulting in lawsuits.
All these are sometimes the reason why your website and media contents commands attention, that don’t in turn translate to patronage.
Ultimately, not knowing about these petty flaws in the publicity part of your business doesn’t exempt you from the consequences of such mistakes and misguided acts, and by the way, you just got served. Cheers to that.
AUTHOR: SOAGA KINGSLEY