Are you using a cartoon logo for your website?
Can you image going to a financial site and seeing this faceless man greet you? Would you trust this site with your hard-earned money? Going further, would you “connect” with this site if this was the only thing you saw and it was also used on Facebook and Twitter?
Cartoon logos have been in use for more than a hundred years. They are still used extensively to represent sports teams as well as many restaurants, e.g., Wendy’s, Bob’s Big Boy, etc. In these cases, you are relating to either a group or concept rather than a single individual. Could you imagine seeing the face of the general manager or coach of your favorite sports team rather than their cartoon logo? My favorite professional football team is the Green Bay Packers. I have “liked” them on Facebook and Twitter. Their big green and gold “G” stands out among all the faces on my feeds. If they had used Packers President/CEO Mark Murphy’s or Packers Coach McCarthy’s faces, some might interact with the posts but probably far fewer than a generic iconic symbol for the team. (On the other hand, if they used quarterback Aaron Rodgers…)
Your business image should project professionalism and your personality. Your clients and potential clients need to be able to see your eyes — the mirror of your soul. They need to know you care about them personally. That they aren’t lost in a crowd of hundreds or thousands of others competing for your time and interest.
Take the time–and money, when you can afford it–to get a professional photograph of you. You could even use the one at Sears or Walmart if you are strapped for extra cash. If you have a friend who is an amateur photographer, have them take a bunch of photos and then find the one that best expresses who you are. Use that one photo on your website, your Facebook profile for you business fan page and your Twitter account. See if it makes a difference and then let me know if you’ve seen an improvement in how your clients interact with you.
Image courtesy of Master isolated images / FreeDigitalPhotos.net