Jokingly last night, a fellow BIGSHOT team member said to me, you should blog about how your curly hair is “unprofessional,” and this got me thinking…

A little bit of background – I have naturally curly hair, but rarely wear it this way due to the fact that a previous employer told me wearing my hair curly was “unprofessional.” Ever since then I have been extremely hesitant to go to work, and especially meet with a client, when my hair is curly. I wore my hair curly for the first time yesterday since joining the BIGSHOT team. To my surprise, everyone really liked my hair curly, even saying they prefer it that way. I was shocked, but it got me thinking…as an Account Coordinator the client will obviously judge me on everything from my appearance, to how I conduct myself in front of them, but isn’t the client being judged the same way?

Just as the client is judging me based on my appearance and how I conduct myself, the consumer is judging their website the exact same way. The look and feel of their website is essentially their appearance, and the usability of their website is essentially how they conduct themselves. If a website does not feature a user-friendly interface, the user is likely not to visit the site as often, or even at all. If a website is unattractive, the client can possibly be viewed as unprofessional.

Nowadays, mostly everything is done via Internet. Where we used to walk into a store, we now shop online; where we were once able to judge whether or not we wanted to purchase something based on the appearance of the establishment, we now base our decision on the appearance of the website. After reading this article, Is Web Design the Next Search Marketing Battleground, and this article, Professional Looking Design Drives Conversion,  I am even more convinced this is the case. With some search engines featuring a preview of the website next to the search results, the consumer can now see the webpage design prior to clicking on it. Obviously, if you do not have an appealing design, the consumer will not visit your webpage. Even if they do visit your website based on appearance, if they are unable to use it once they get there, they are likely to leave and never be seen again.

Now you may be saying, “Rachel, how did you go from curly hair to website design?” Plain and simple, where my curly hair was not pleasing at a previous job, it is now more than okay at my current job. So you may think that your current website is professional and appealing, but as time changes, so do opinions. What was once acceptable in terms of website standards, may not be anymore. The only thing constant in life is change, and as the Internet becomes the essential marketing tool, the standard of Internet appearances are evolving. Your website is essentially your appearance.

One more example. My fiancée and I recently encouraged my future mother-in-law to participate in a leadership training seminar, so she immediately visited their website to find out more information. Once she was at their website, she was no longer interested in participating, mainly because their website was unattractive and difficult to use. The seminar is fabulous, features many specialists from all around the country, but because their website did not appear credible, she assumed they were not. This is a prime example of how your website can determine your business. If the website is not credible, the client is not considered credible unfortunately, despite how credible they may be.

Rachel Cantor brings to BIGSHOT a vast amount of drive and ambition, having graduated college in only three years with a degree in Interpersonal and Public Communications, as well as a minor in English. A Magna Cum Laude graduate from University of Missouri-Kansas City, Rachel brings to BIGSHOT the same amount of passion. Learn more about Rachel.

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