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Are you looking to start a business or take your existing business to the next level? If so, you need branding and marketing help! Luckily for you, Built By Pro™ is here to provide just that. From getting started with naming a business, through website design, social media, and more, this is the Pro Branding Guide.
First things first, we are not lawyers. The information provided on this site is for informational purposes ONLY. When it comes to the legal parts of starting a business, you should always consult with professionals in the right field. Business Licenses, Legal Documents, Accounting and other parts of business IS NOT what is guide is about. There are some steps that will be covered in this guide to assist with some of these steps, but you should ALWAYS CONSULT PROFESSIONALS & USE YOUR BEST JUDGEMENT.
I am starting this guide with Google Chrome. I am putting this first because, for some of the steps, we will be using different extensions with Chrome. We are going to cover how to start a new Chrome profile along with what extensions to install and more.
Your clients/customers PAY YOUR BILLS! Don’t you think you should try to understand them more so you can help them more?
That is what the Client Compass is. It will walk you through understanding who your target market is. Then it will cover them asking the question(s) that start their journey, to doing business with you and beyond.
This is a touchy subject because we all want to believe we are immortal. But, unfortunately, we are not. So this step is to help find what your exit is going to be. Is the business something you’re going to pass down to your kids, sell to another company, or do you plan on just closing the doors when you retire?
Your passwords give up access to everything from your businesses email accounts, to your website, and banking accounts. Having a secure password is very important! There are tools and resources that can help you not only create secure passwords, but also remember them for all the different logins you need.
A lot can go into naming a business from the founder’s name, favorite animal, services, and even the use of business name generators. User our free naming a business guide to help you come up with a name for your business.
You have the first major step finished when it comes to branding, “Naming Your Business”, but how do you go from a name to a brand?
It may sound like some “new-age”, “self-help”, type of thing to think about, but color psychology is very important when you are building out your brand. The wrong colors can convey the wrong messages.
When it comes to your brand, your name is important, but your logo is the “face” of your business. Don’t let an amateur design make you look like you’re just getting started. If you want to be a Pro, you have to look like a Pro!
The “Website Icon” (or for the older crowd, the “Favicon”) is the small image that is normally on the left of the website title within the internet browser. This, in my opinion, is one of the first parts of branding your website & brand properly.
A mission statement is a declaration of your company’s purpose. A well-crafted statement can help you grow your business. Learn more about mission statements and write your mission statement now
A vision statement is a powerful tool. It can help to focus your business and keep you on track. A well-written vision statement can inspire you and your team, and provide guidance when things get tough.
What are your core values? This is a question that every business should be able to answer. Why? Because your core values guide your decisions and actions. They are the foundation of your business.
A tagline is a very important part of your branding for your business. It is one of the first things people see and it needs to be catchy and memorable. A slogan is similar to a tagline, but it is often used in marketing materials and advertising.
While this could technically be under branding, it is the first, and most important step to starting your digital footprint. You don’t want to have to explain your domain, social media, and email multiple times. A proper Branded Username is key to branding your business online like a Pro!
Now that you have a Branded Username, it’s time to “Claim” it. The process of “Claiming Your Name” online can take some time, but if you don’t do it when you start, you risk the potential of someone else registering your domain or getting the handle you want on social media. So take the time in the beginning and do it right the first time.
Follow the steps below…
I know it’s not professional to hand out Gmail addresses when you’re asked for your email. Don’t think of Gmail as just email. You will need a Gmail account in order to use Google Voice, YouTube, Google Business Profiles, and you’ll need an email address to sign up so that you can get a custom email address with your domain.
When it comes to putting your phone number online, sometimes you don’t want to put your personal number. Having a secondary number from Google Voice allows you to not only forward your calls but you can text, set “Do Not Disturb” mode, and more … FOR FREE!
Whether it’s for a website, or to redirect to your digital business card or link stack, you will need a domain. For the most part, this is the address of your website on the internet, and it’s what people will use to find you.
Professionalism is key when building a successful brand. Nothing screams amateur more than a default Gmail, Yahoo, or Hotmail address. Especially if you are using your old email address from your younger years. FunnyGuy82@Hotmail.com IS NOT a good email address for your business.
As we go through the different platforms, you’ll see that the sign-up process may be a little different on each platform. In this section, our focus is going to be getting the platforms where we can register your branded username as a “handle/username”.
There are platforms that require growth before you can get a unique URL or “handle”. For example, YouTube requires you to have 1,000 subscribers before you can get your own unique URL (youtube.com/yourbrandsname)
So remember when you do get your own unique URLs to update them on your website & other places where they are listed.
NOTE: There are literally hundreds of social media apps/websites, so we’re only going to cover the main platforms.
WE ARE ONLY GOING TO BE CREATING THE ACCOUNTS AND CLAIMING OUR USERNAMES. We will go through the ins and outs for each platform when we get to them.
Now that you have your domain, email, Branded Worksheet, and Branded Username, the next step is to build your website and cover some things you should know first.
The first question most business owners & entrepreneurs ask is “How much does it cost to make a professional website?”. Honestly, it’s like asking how much a car or a house costs. The hosting you choose, the functionality you add, and more, can change the overall cost of building a website.
This is normally the second question asked. “How long does it take to build a professional website?”. This will depend on who’s making the site as well as how much customization you want on your website. Basic 7-10 page websites can take a few hours depending on if you have content ready and know what you want.
This is normally the second question asked. “How long does it take to build a professional website?”. This will depend on who’s making the site as well as how much customization you want on your website. Basic 7-10 page websites can take a few hours depending on if you have content ready and know what you want.
This is normally the second question asked. “How long does it take to build a professional website?”. This will depend on who’s making the site as well as how much customization you want on your website. Basic 7-10 page websites can take a few hours depending on if you have content ready and know what you want.
This is normally the second question asked. “How long does it take to build a professional website?”. This will depend on who’s making the site as well as how much customization you want on your website. Basic 7-10 page websites can take a few hours depending on if you have content ready and know what you want.
When it comes to building a website, there are a ton of different paths that you can take. Of course, you can always custom-code a website. (I WOULDN’T RECOMMEND THAT!) You can use funnel-builders and many other pre-coded options. But if you want a proven platform that is used by some of the biggest brands in the world like Disney, Sony, Hypebeast, The White House, and more, then you need to use WordPress. It has a successful track record, and I personally have been using WordPress for almost 15 years.
Getting started, your website hosting is the second most important part of your website, ONLY behind your domain. If your hosting is slow, your website will be too.
I understand that budgets can restrict businesses at times so I’ve listed two different options for hosting your WordPress website.
APPROX. $10/mo. Sometimes when you’re getting started, you may be on a very tight budget. That is why I have the HostYak Managed WordPress Hosting listed here. It is a more affordable option for hosting your WordPress website. For basic (Low graphic/video) websites with under 10,000 visitors per month. (There are ways to use higher resolution images and videos but it does include extra steps.)
APPROX. $24/mo. After 20 years of making websites, and working with close to 100 different hosting companies, I finally landed on MY FAVORITE HOSTING COMPANY! I landed on Cloudways in early 2021 after a launch that crashed the server my website was on. It runs on some very fast servers and for those of you who are working on multiple products, you don’t get charged by the website.
Permalinks and create pages, reading etc
The exact pages each business should have will likely change based on the industry of the business, but there are staple pages that you need to have. Some are for you to tell your potential clients/customers what you do, some are for legal reasons, some are for marketing, but all of these pages should be included in your website.
The exact pages each business should have will likely change based on the industry of the business, but there are staple pages that you need to have. Some are for you to tell your potential clients/customers what you do, some are for legal reasons, some are for marketing, but all of these pages should be included in your website.
The exact pages each business should have will likely change based on the industry of the business, but there are staple pages that you need to have. Some are for you to tell your potential clients/customers what you do, some are for legal reasons, some are for marketing, but all of these pages should be included in your website.
The exact pages each business should have will likely change based on the industry of the business, but there are staple pages that you need to have. Some are for you to tell your potential clients/customers what you do, some are for legal reasons, some are for marketing, but all of these pages should be included in your website.
The exact pages each business should have will likely change based on the industry of the business, but there are staple pages that you need to have. Some are for you to tell your potential clients/customers what you do, some are for legal reasons, some are for marketing, but all of these pages should be included in your website.
The exact pages each business should have will likely change based on the industry of the business, but there are staple pages that you need to have. Some are for you to tell your potential clients/customers what you do, some are for legal reasons, some are for marketing, but all of these pages should be included in your website.
The exact pages each business should have will likely change based on the industry of the business, but there are staple pages that you need to have. Some are for you to tell your potential clients/customers what you do, some are for legal reasons, some are for marketing, but all of these pages should be included in your website.
The exact pages each business should have will likely change based on the industry of the business, but there are staple pages that you need to have. Some are for you to tell your potential clients/customers what you do, some are for legal reasons, some are for marketing, but all of these pages should be included in your website.
The exact pages each business should have will likely change based on the industry of the business, but there are staple pages that you need to have. Some are for you to tell your potential clients/customers what you do, some are for legal reasons, some are for marketing, but all of these pages should be included in your website.
The exact pages each business should have will likely change based on the industry of the business, but there are staple pages that you need to have. Some are for you to tell your potential clients/customers what you do, some are for legal reasons, some are for marketing, but all of these pages should be included in your website.
The exact pages each business should have will likely change based on the industry of the business, but there are staple pages that you need to have. Some are for you to tell your potential clients/customers what you do, some are for legal reasons, some are for marketing, but all of these pages should be included in your website.
The exact pages each business should have will likely change based on the industry of the business, but there are staple pages that you need to have. Some are for you to tell your potential clients/customers what you do, some are for legal reasons, some are for marketing, but all of these pages should be included in your website.
The exact pages each business should have will likely change based on the industry of the business, but there are staple pages that you need to have. Some are for you to tell your potential clients/customers what you do, some are for legal reasons, some are for marketing, but all of these pages should be included in your website.
The exact pages each business should have will likely change based on the industry of the business, but there are staple pages that you need to have. Some are for you to tell your potential clients/customers what you do, some are for legal reasons, some are for marketing, but all of these pages should be included in your website.
The exact pages each business should have will likely change based on the industry of the business, but there are staple pages that you need to have. Some are for you to tell your potential clients/customers what you do, some are for legal reasons, some are for marketing, but all of these pages should be included in your website.
The exact pages each business should have will likely change based on the industry of the business, but there are staple pages that you need to have. Some are for you to tell your potential clients/customers what you do, some are for legal reasons, some are for marketing, but all of these pages should be included in your website.
The exact pages each business should have will likely change based on the industry of the business, but there are staple pages that you need to have. Some are for you to tell your potential clients/customers what you do, some are for legal reasons, some are for marketing, but all of these pages should be included in your website.
The exact pages each business should have will likely change based on the industry of the business, but there are staple pages that you need to have. Some are for you to tell your potential clients/customers what you do, some are for legal reasons, some are for marketing, but all of these pages should be included in your website.
The exact pages each business should have will likely change based on the industry of the business, but there are staple pages that you need to have. Some are for you to tell your potential clients/customers what you do, some are for legal reasons, some are for marketing, but all of these pages should be included in your website.
The exact pages each business should have will likely change based on the industry of the business, but there are staple pages that you need to have. Some are for you to tell your potential clients/customers what you do, some are for legal reasons, some are for marketing, but all of these pages should be included in your website.
The exact pages each business should have will likely change based on the industry of the business, but there are staple pages that you need to have. Some are for you to tell your potential clients/customers what you do, some are for legal reasons, some are for marketing, but all of these pages should be included in your website.
The exact pages each business should have will likely change based on the industry of the business, but there are staple pages that you need to have. Some are for you to tell your potential clients/customers what you do, some are for legal reasons, some are for marketing, but all of these pages should be included in your website.
The exact pages each business should have will likely change based on the industry of the business, but there are staple pages that you need to have. Some are for you to tell your potential clients/customers what you do, some are for legal reasons, some are for marketing, but all of these pages should be included in your website.
The exact pages each business should have will likely change based on the industry of the business, but there are staple pages that you need to have. Some are for you to tell your potential clients/customers what you do, some are for legal reasons, some are for marketing, but all of these pages should be included in your website.
The exact pages each business should have will likely change based on the industry of the business, but there are staple pages that you need to have. Some are for you to tell your potential clients/customers what you do, some are for legal reasons, some are for marketing, but all of these pages should be included in your website.
The exact pages each business should have will likely change based on the industry of the business, but there are staple pages that you need to have. Some are for you to tell your potential clients/customers what you do, some are for legal reasons, some are for marketing, but all of these pages should be included in your website.
The exact pages each business should have will likely change based on the industry of the business, but there are staple pages that you need to have. Some are for you to tell your potential clients/customers what you do, some are for legal reasons, some are for marketing, but all of these pages should be included in your website.
Now that you have your domain, email, Branded Worksheet, and Branded Username, the next step is to build your website and cover some things you should know first.
The first question most business owners & entrepreneurs ask is “How much does it cost to make a professional website?”. Honestly, it’s like asking how much a car or a house costs. The hosting you choose, the functionality you add, and more, can change the overall cost of building a website.
Your clients/customers PAY YOUR BILLS! Don’t you think you should try to understand them more so you can help them more?
That is what the Client Compass is. It will walk you through understanding who your target market is. Then it will cover them asking the question(s) that start their journey, to doing business with you and beyond.
This is a touchy subject because we all want to believe we are immortal. But, unfortunately, we are not. So this step is to help find what your exit is going to be. Is the business something you’re going to pass down to your kids, sell to another company, or do you plan on just closing the doors when you retire?
This is a touchy subject because we all want to believe we are immortal. But, unfortunately, we are not. So this step is to help find what your exit is going to be. Is the business something you’re going to pass down to your kids, sell to another company, or do you plan on just closing the doors when you retire?
This is a touchy subject because we all want to believe we are immortal. But, unfortunately, we are not. So this step is to help find what your exit is going to be. Is the business something you’re going to pass down to your kids, sell to another company, or do you plan on just closing the doors when you retire?
Now that you have your domain, email, Branded Worksheet, and Branded Username, the next step is to build your website and cover some things you should know first.
The first question most business owners & entrepreneurs ask is “How much does it cost to make a professional website?”. Honestly, it’s like asking how much a car or a house costs. The hosting you choose, the functionality you add, and more, can change the overall cost of building a website.
Your clients/customers PAY YOUR BILLS! Don’t you think you should try to understand them more so you can help them more?
That is what the Client Compass is. It will walk you through understanding who your target market is. Then it will cover them asking the question(s) that start their journey, to doing business with you and beyond.
Your clients/customers PAY YOUR BILLS! Don’t you think you should try to understand them more so you can help them more?
That is what the Client Compass is. It will walk you through understanding who your target market is. Then it will cover them asking the question(s) that start their journey, to doing business with you and beyond.
Your clients/customers PAY YOUR BILLS! Don’t you think you should try to understand them more so you can help them more?
That is what the Client Compass is. It will walk you through understanding who your target market is. Then it will cover them asking the question(s) that start their journey, to doing business with you and beyond.
Your clients/customers PAY YOUR BILLS! Don’t you think you should try to understand them more so you can help them more?
That is what the Client Compass is. It will walk you through understanding who your target market is. Then it will cover them asking the question(s) that start their journey, to doing business with you and beyond.
Your clients/customers PAY YOUR BILLS! Don’t you think you should try to understand them more so you can help them more?
That is what the Client Compass is. It will walk you through understanding who your target market is. Then it will cover them asking the question(s) that start their journey, to doing business with you and beyond.
Your clients/customers PAY YOUR BILLS! Don’t you think you should try to understand them more so you can help them more?
That is what the Client Compass is. It will walk you through understanding who your target market is. Then it will cover them asking the question(s) that start their journey, to doing business with you and beyond.
This is a touchy subject because we all want to believe we are immortal. But, unfortunately, we are not. So this step is to help find what your exit is going to be. Is the business something you’re going to pass down to your kids, sell to another company, or do you plan on just closing the doors when you retire?
Now that you have your domain, email, Branded Worksheet, and Branded Username, the next step is to build your website and cover some things you should know first.
The first question most business owners & entrepreneurs ask is “How much does it cost to make a professional website?”. Honestly, it’s like asking how much a car or a house costs. The hosting you choose, the functionality you add, and more, can change the overall cost of building a website.
Your clients/customers PAY YOUR BILLS! Don’t you think you should try to understand them more so you can help them more?
That is what the Client Compass is. It will walk you through understanding who your target market is. Then it will cover them asking the question(s) that start their journey, to doing business with you and beyond.
Your clients/customers PAY YOUR BILLS! Don’t you think you should try to understand them more so you can help them more?
That is what the Client Compass is. It will walk you through understanding who your target market is. Then it will cover them asking the question(s) that start their journey, to doing business with you and beyond.
Your clients/customers PAY YOUR BILLS! Don’t you think you should try to understand them more so you can help them more?
That is what the Client Compass is. It will walk you through understanding who your target market is. Then it will cover them asking the question(s) that start their journey, to doing business with you and beyond.
This is a touchy subject because we all want to believe we are immortal. But, unfortunately, we are not. So this step is to help find what your exit is going to be. Is the business something you’re going to pass down to your kids, sell to another company, or do you plan on just closing the doors when you retire?
Now that you have your domain, email, Branded Worksheet, and Branded Username, the next step is to build your website and cover some things you should know first.
The first question most business owners & entrepreneurs ask is “How much does it cost to make a professional website?”. Honestly, it’s like asking how much a car or a house costs. The hosting you choose, the functionality you add, and more, can change the overall cost of building a website.
Your clients/customers PAY YOUR BILLS! Don’t you think you should try to understand them more so you can help them more?
That is what the Client Compass is. It will walk you through understanding who your target market is. Then it will cover them asking the question(s) that start their journey, to doing business with you and beyond.
This is a touchy subject because we all want to believe we are immortal. But, unfortunately, we are not. So this step is to help find what your exit is going to be. Is the business something you’re going to pass down to your kids, sell to another company, or do you plan on just closing the doors when you retire?
Built By Pro™ offers professional resources and tools for entrepreneurs.