Is the Wizard of Oz Hiding Behind Your Website?

Are you the guy behind the curtain, pretending your company is bigger than it is? Some small business owners are afraid to show their true size, thinking their smallness will shrink their credibility in the minds of their clients or customers.  Their websites feel corporate, all hard edges and dull language.  They seem to believe that no one will accept them or really take them seriously if they were to reveal themselves.  They take refuge in a corporate facade. Signs of corporate impersonation on a website:<ul><li>Referring to your business as “We” when it’s actually just you and your cat.  </li><li>A template website that often has little personality.   </li><li>Stock photos of smiling business people or other cliché imagery.  </li><li>No mention or images of a business owner; Vagueness about the people behind the screen.  </li><li>Lofty, inflated or generic language that sounds like it would describe anyone in your field, i.e. mumbo jumbo.</li></ul> There are cases when it is strategic to present a more corporate look or to allude to a larger set of players. Following are some issues to consider as you decide how big you want to appear: 1. Will having a larger business appearance add value in the eyes of your customers and elicit more confidence in your company? Many people seek out small businesses precisely because they value both working with and supporting independent business owners.  By pretending to be a bigger business than you are, you may be repelling the very people who would value your service the most.  Your website should still be professional and easy on the eye, but that doesn't mean it has to be impersonal or artificial in how it represents you. 2. Why force prospects to reconcile a false image with the truth of who you are?If you often put teams of independent professionals together to collaborate on your projects, then “we” may make sense for your company. But if you really work alone, remember, once someone becomes your client, they will probably figure out that it's just you and Kitty holding down the fort—the fort you presented as an empire.  When they do, they may feel disappointed and skeptical, even deceived, because you had set up a different expectation.3. Are you building a business that you plan to grow to large scale eventually? If you really are building an empire, it might make sense to present yourself as a larger entity, because eventually you will be. However, even in this case you may want to reveal yourself and use your image and personality to build your brand.  Look at Go Daddy, Costco, Wendy’s.  They are big companies but the owners are part of the brand and that gives customers someone to connect with. 4. Are you competing with companies that tend to be much larger than yours? Again, it might make sense to project a bigger image in this case.  But consider that many of your prospects may find it refreshing to work directly with an individual in an industry that has become increasingly impersonal.  It might make sense to use your smallness to your advantage--to set yourself apart from the big guys.5. How thin is your facade?Some websites have such a thin facade it feels like you could poke your finger through it; You can easily tell they are bluffing about their size.  It brings up questions about confidence and integrity when I see someone clearly pretending to be something they are not.If the image of a larger company is what your business truly requires, does the facade crumble too quickly?  What will people experience when they call or email you, when they sign onto your service, when they receive your bill? When they come to your office and meet you? 6. Will projecting a larger image online truly help you position yourself in your field and draw in customers? The vast majority of business sites are rather dull and corporate looking anyway, so the corporate-wanna-be aesthetic and language only helps you to blend in--not stand out.  Plus, those sites are often intimidating and alienating, even in their plainness.  This is true both for solopreneurs and genuinely larger companies.  If you must project large, be sure to keep it interesting so you don't fall into the cliché websites that we've all seen and clicked away from so many times.7. Can you identify a specific reason to project yourself as a larger entity or is it just fear that people won’t take you seriously? Unless you have a compelling reason to refer to your business in first-person plural, then I say step out from behind the curtain.  What you will lose by pretending will overshadow whatever you think you will gain.  With a few exceptions, I urge most small business owners to show who they really are and attract clients and customers who aren’t looking for a wizard, but instead an authentic business owner who provides personal service. 2008-02-01T13:12:26Z

2008-02-05T06:40:21Z