Have you ever watched NASCAR? Notice all of the ads on the cars, in the cars, and on the drivers’ suits. Does it look good, or does it look desperate?

When a client visits your website, and they find more ads than original content, they will view your company as desperately in need of money.

A little bit of ad space can go a long way aesthetically. Just like a long row of billboards can look cheap, so can a batch of ugly web ads crowding the site you’ve worked so hard to build.

Don’t let your website look like Jeff Gordon’s car. Stand out, and let the ad space live in moderation.

Let’s say your company just created its website, a new logo and marketing strategy, and is now looking for new clients. You’ve followed our rules on what to do (and what not to do) when building your website, but your site still isn’t being taken seriously as an online hub for your business.

The problem may lie in your branding. If you’ve created a logo and a tagline, you must be consistent with how they are displayed. Let’s say you’ve started a Facebook page that will link to your website. What image are you using for your avatar? If the image is stretched and ugly, it will affect the way people view your business.  Are you consistent with your company’s tagline? Is your logo always clean and presentable?

The best way to make sure your company is represented correctly is to write up a style guide for every employee to follow. Once you have laid out all of your specifications, you’ll find that your branding becomes much more uniform.

It’s amazing what consistent branding does for the reputation of a company.