Simple tips to make your business look more professional online

Create an identity and a memorable brand

Creating a brand might seem like a complex and arduous process but it comes down to what your business means to you. So tap into what drives you to maintain your business going and express that to people the best way you can.

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Before creating the visual identity of your brand, take some time to think about how it will impact your customers and your workers. Try to make it: 

1. Distinct, so it stands out among competitors and catches people’s attention;
2. Memorable, especially visually. Your logo should be automatically recognizable;
3. Cohesive, so people will understand what you sell and what this means to them;

Scalable and flexible, so it can grow and evolve with the path your business trails.

Brainstorming is a great way to reach the core of your business. Seat down in a quiet place and start writing words that are relevant to your product, brand and business. Don't overthink it, just write down what comes to mind and let the thought process evolve. Once your ideas are all on paper, start designing your individual elements.

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Colours 

A consistent palette will help you express the emotion behind your brand and create a more solid visual identity. Colours are registered by our brains in an emotional way so they can be used to guide your customers towards the feeling you want your business to portrait. 

Warm colors tend to be more energetic and promote positive reactions. 💥

• Red generates feelings of passion, love and lust but it can also be understood as a warning sign or a dangerous situation so it can be used as a great eye catcher.
• Orange has a strong association with autumn leaves and seasonal transitions which brings a warmth to heart and nostalgic feelings. 
• Yellow is the sun, it will create feelings of hope and happiness.

Cool colors can help make your customers calmer and at ease when interacting with your business. 💧

• Blue is a very popular color in corporate branding because it represents honesty and loyalty but also brings to mind peace and spirituality.
• Green as new plants are, can mean new beginnings and growth. It is as energizing as yellow while being a calm and cool colour.
• Purple has always been linked to luxury and royalty while also being used for mystery and occult related images. Lighter shades, closer to pink will promote a more romantic vibe.
  

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Neutral colors are used to complement stronger colours in your chosen palette. They are also great to create a visual impact such as a yellow image on a black background. 🚧

• Black is usually related to death and darkness but it is also a representative of elegance and sophistication.
• White shows purity, innocence and cleanliness. Use it amidst stronger colours and it will become a great focal point in your visual piece.
• Gray is the most versatile shade, it can be used to create contrast with any colour in your palette but use it carefully because it can dull down your design's visual impact.
• Brown means solid and dependable, it works greatly with warm colours. 
• Beige can contrast with warm and cool colours just like gray, so be careful not to impact your palette in a negative way.
  

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💡 Tip: Always keep in mind the culture of your surroundings. Colours have different meanings to different people. 

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Typography

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Fonts are great to sources of attention grabbing, not only the style but the shape and size of them. Keep your brand visually clean by choosing up to two or three different fonts: 

• A primary one to be used in titles and headings;
• A secondary one for longer texts;
• A third one to create contrasts or call attention to a specific information.

There are a lot of stylish fonts available for free online. Just search "free fonts" on Google or go to websites such as 1001 Free Fonts and Font Fabric.

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Logo

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Your logo should express your brand in a nutshell. To get to the perfect design, pick the main ideas you want it to represent and turn them into a visual expression. Choose the colours based on your palette and remember to use contrast to make your logo pop! 

There are websites that help with the design and creation of your logo, as well as will generate a package of images that you can use. Here are some of them: Logo Master, Design Evo and Tailor Brands.undefined

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Slogan 

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Just like your logo, your slogan should be concise and memorable. To do so, get all the ideas from your brainstorming and filter them with these suggestions in mind:

• Keep it short and simple, don't go over 9 or 10 words.
• Be consistent, make it a reference to your logo, your product and the image you want to your business to have.
• Focus on what makes you different, bring forth the uniqueness of your business and make it clear. 
• Make it timeless, keep away from time references or puns that are related to current situations. 
• Ensure it can stand alone, don't make your customers ask for more information on your business.
• Consider your target market, if it is local, national or international. Culture is very specific to an area and your slogan can become offensive or make no sense to whom you want to reach.
• Get input, not only on your slogan. Once your brand's identity is created, send it to people you trust and get their feedback on it. This back and forth will help you see how your business is being perceived and understood.
  

If you still need a hand, here are some websites that can help translate your business into a slogan Design Hill's Slogan Maker and Slogan Generator.

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💡 Tip: on the Canva website you will find templates and designs for other business related materials such as business cards, banners and gift cards.

Use HTML code to personalize your publications

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Websites are created using HTML code, that is what makes them visually appealing. If you are not a developer, just use some simple lines of code to make your content more attractive.

1. Separate your text between heading and regular text. Use <h1></h1> on the beginning of your sentence and on the end of it. If you want a second, third or fourth heading, just change the number after h.
   

2. For regular text just add <p></p> in the beginning of the sentence and end it with <p></p>.
   

3. To play with styles, use <b></b> and for bold, <i></i> and for italic, <u></u> and to underline the words.
   

4. If you want your text to be double spaced between words, add <tt></tt> and to it.
   

5. To break lines you only need to use <br> at the end of the sentence and if you want more distance, add a second or third <br>.
   

6. Colours can be added to your text by using <font color="blue"></font>. Add the code to the beginning of the sentence and change the name of the color inside the quotation marks. Keep in mind that the names of the colours must always be in english.
   

7. To strike information like prices, add <strike></strike> before and after the data you want to strike.
   

8. You can list items or text both with numbers or bullet points. Start your code with <ol></ol> for numbers and <ul></ul> for bullet points. List the items using <li>Item 1</li>, <li>Item 2</li> , <li>Item 3</li> and complete the sentence with a respective or .
   

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To help organize your code, write each feature on a separate line, it won't affect the final result. And to visualize the final result before putting your code online, use the W3 Coding Platform to write it. Paste the text below to see how it works!

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<h1> Mastering HTML with Kyte! </h1>

<font color="red"></font>

<h2> Here are three reasons why great text can help your business </h2> 

<font color="blue"></font>

<ol></ol>

<li><b> Better presentation. </b></li>

<li><i> Useful information at first glance. </i></li>

<li><u> More personal approach and closeness with your customers. </u></li>

<ol></ol>

<br>

<font color="orange"></font>

<h3><strike> Don't use only text. </strike></h3>

<br>

<font color="green"></font>

<tt> Use as many images as you want :) </tt>

<br><br>

<a><img src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn%3AANd9GcR7Njk-oQz4ii-kzBS1nurP9ypDXQ6fZrC-ZQ&usqp=CAU"></a>

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Take stylish photos using your phone 

Making purchases online is always a gamble so great and realistic photos of your products are a great way to assert the quality of your business. New technology in cellphone cameras allows you to take great snapshots without needing a professional photographer or a studio. Here are some tips on how to make them look more professional.

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💡 Tip: Always clean your lens and screen before taking pictures. Do not use the selfie camera, it tends to be of lesser quality than the one on the back of your device.

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Find a way to position your cellphone on a hard surface, instead of holding it in your hands. This will help you maintain the same angle and position while testing the light and placement of your product. It also avoids you losing the perfect shot because of moving or blurring. Tripods and cellphones holsters are the best option but if you don’t have them, use cups, books or bottles. Get creative!

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Choose the best background for your visual identity. The most classic option is a white background that can be made using regular paper sheets or white bed linens but you can also create an ensemble or theme with other objects that are relatable. To find the best option, take shots of your product around different textures and positions, just remember not to let the background distract the view of your product.

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Don’t zoom, get closer. Zooming affects the quality of the image and blurs with any tiny movement so position the phone closer and find the best close up by tapping around the screen of your phone and playing with the lighting.

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Get creative with angles, use portrait mode, twist and dip your camera. Try positioning your phone lower than the product or take aerial shots of it. Pretend you are the customer and that you are analysing every inch of the product. Once you have all the images, select the most flattering ones and post them. When using a background with other items, make sure the focus is on the product, using blurring as an effect on the rest of the ensemble.

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Lighting is everything and natural lighting is what you want. Set your photoshoot next to a big window on a sunny day and use white fabric to bounce the light around the product and create well placed shadows. If you don’t have access to a natural lighting source, use table lamps to create the same effect. Move them around and use papers or fabric to create spotlights, always keeping them about 45 degrees above the object. And don’t forget to turn off your flash. 

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Every phone offers an image editing software with the camera, use it! Try all the features on the image and open it on different screens like a PC or a TV to see how they will look. 

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