Perhaps you are working up a business plan for your new company, or perhaps you’ve already established yourself as a startup. No matter what stage of your company’s development you find yourself in, you’re reading this article because you’re trying to figure out just how important an address really is to a company.
As you likely already suspected, your business address has a big impact on the way customers see your business. Consider your own perception of other businesses. What are some things that stand out the most?
You might notice a logo first, and then you might notice the company’s tone. You might identify more of their core through the content they publish, and upon further investigation, you might find that they are consistent. You might also find that they are based in an appealing location, with their address proudly displayed on their marketing content, website, and social media. Does that make you feel connected to this company? Does this company seem a little more authentic because it boasts a location?
The way you look at companies is the same way customers see you. At this point, you understand the importance of a strong and consistent marketing campaign, but without a great business address, you might find that customers are still turning away. The key, as with marketing, is to gain the trust of your customers, and one way to do that is to have a solid business address in a well-known area – especially a capital city or a city that’s associated with business. For example, many companies set up shop in Silicon Valley for the allure.
You don’t have to set up a brick and mortar location to have a great address, though. Even eCommerce companies can have great addresses by getting a virtual address. These virtual addresses can be set up through virtual offices and other means, but the bottom line is the same. They give you a professional business address in a well-known district.
Here are some of the biggest benefits of having a great business address:
Branding
Yes, having a dedicated, professional business address in a great area can lend to branding. Having such an address to display on your website, social media, business cards, and other promotional materials – both online and offline – helps solidify your branding campaign and make you a more easily recognized brand to your audience.
Allure
The fact of the matter is that businesses located in meccas are more noticeable than those that aren’t. Now, there are exceptions to every rule, but you’ll generally gain more traction if you’re based in New York City or Los Angeles over a rural area. Of course, keeping your audience in mind is always important. If you want to target millennials, then you need to find a city that’s full of millennials. If your business is based around tech, find a tech mecca.
Marketing
Branding is a component of marketing; branding is consistency in marketing. When we zoom in on the topic, we find that having a business address in a great area can help gain local traction. If you are interested in gaining traction in a specific metro area, then creating a virtual address in that area will be beneficial for you. In addition, when you have a physical address in place, you open up the door for inclusion in local directories.
If you want in on Google, Yelp, Yellowpages, Houzz, Angie’s List, Switchboard, Whitepages, or another directory site, then you need a strong local presence – and that starts with a local address.
Credibility
Having a dedicated business address shows your customers that you are the real deal. Customers want to be confident in their purchasing decisions, and having a dedicated address gives them the confidence they need. It lets them know that you are authentic, genuine, and trustworthy. If you want to show your customers that you’re a serious merchant, having a physical business address is critical.
Potential Meeting Space
If you choose a virtual address for your company, you could possibly benefit from another unexpected advantage: meeting space. Many virtual offices and coworking spaces offer virtual addresses, which give you the physical address you need, in addition to a number of other amenities. Some of these amenities include conference rooms and other meeting areas. If you need to have face to face meetings with clients or partners, this solution might work best for you.
For many ecommerce companies and home based companies, finding the right address can be tough. Using a home address might not be ideal for a number of reasons. Perhaps you aren’t in the area where you hope to market. On the other hand, using a home address could be a security or privacy concern. Using a post office box is definitely an option, but it can actually hurt your image. With a PO box, you don’t get the same level of branding and credibility as a physical address, and you certainly won’t get the local traction you need. In many cases, directories won’t allow you to use a PO address. For example, Google won’t index your company in its local directory unless you’ve got a physical location listed.
Fortunately, the digital age makes it easier than ever to run a business from virtually anywhere while having a virtual address. You can run your ecommerce company from the palm of your hands, in many cases, but have a dedicated address. Remember, having a physical address has a major impact on the way your customers see you, and while having a virtual address will incur a small cost, it’s nothing major in comparison with renting or buying a professional office space!
