Are you a start-up business trying to make your way into the industry? Or perhaps you are thinking about upgrading your company brand? When you receive a letter from a business, one of the first things that you see is their letterhead. A good-looking letterhead gives an impression of professionalism and, to some extent, success.
So, what is a letterhead?
A letterhead, by definition, is a heading on the topmost sheet of your business paper. It carries your company name, address, contact details, and logo. It is meant to be used for all the documents and letters you create and send in your business.
Letterheads are important because of their wide range of uses. As they have been around for a long time now, they are used as a means to communicate in the business world. The following are some of the documents that use letterheads:
- Notices to the public or to certain individuals and groups
- Invoices and letters to your customers
- Job letters to aspiring employees
Letterheads are also used in documents inside your businesses. They are used for the following:
- Cover letters for your company’s proposals and presentations
- Minutes of meetings
- Internal communication between departments
More importantly, letters are used to communicate to authorities and other institutions of note, such as banks and local, state, and federal government agencies. These institutions rely on your document’s credibility, which is communicated best through your letterheads.
Lastly, letterheads can also be used for your business’s website. Especially nowadays, the best and fastest way to communicate anything is through online communication. A business website with a good letterhead instantly attracts your customers online.
Now that we have discussed where letterheads are used, let us now discuss how it can be used. As mentioned earlier, letterheads bear your company’s name, logo, and other pertinent information for all the documents above. You could use pre-printed stationery or other specialty papers, but these often turn out to be more expensive, and require more effort.
As such, it’s much easier to have your own letterhead template in your word processing software for all your documents. This way, you can easily make your documents formal and authentic.
What makes using letterhead templates better than using pre-printed ones is that you can send them electronically to your recipients right away! Going paperless will not only help save the environment but also makes communication faster.
The importance of a letterhead
With the constantly increasing number of businesses in the country, you have to make your company memorable for the market. Australia now has over 2 million active businesses, and your company is just one of them. Clients and customers will opt for the memorable business, and a letterhead is one of the important graphic representations of your company.
Thus, letterheads should be given as much detail and attention as your company logo and signage. It is quite important to any kind of business, whether you are in the service or product industry, as all businesses will produce a formal letter at some point. Do not let these letters alter your credibility and your chance to stand out in the industry.
Why should your business have a letterhead?
We listed some of the reasons why you should make sure your letterheads are of good quality.
To make a good first impression
Letterhead is on the topmost part of your business letters. This means that it is the first thing that readers see. Aside from its placement in your document, the design and colours of your letterhead brings much more attention than the plain text. That is why it must be treated like a means of dressing up your company.
No matter how well written your business letters are, readers and recipients will be turned off by a mediocre letterhead. A well-designed letterhead can make a good first impression for your company. If a lot of thought and effort is put into it, it gives your clients an idea of how much attention your business pays to quality.
To look professional
All of your business transactions and correspondence, whether in hard copy or soft copy, should be on quality paper with a well-designed letterhead. As such, letterheads must not look as if it was done in a hurry. It is used to project formality and consistency. Thus, if you want to be professional in your communication, you ought to use a letterhead on your documents.
Beyond formalities and good communication, letterheads are used to show that your documents and the information contained within them is credible and genuine.
To reinforce your company image
Letterheads are used to strengthen your company’s image through effective communication. Whether the purpose of the document is to communicate your business’s product or service, an internal or external matter, or simply for publicity, a quality letterhead enhances your business’s image.
It not only communicates formality and credibility but also to tell the audience what your business is about. The letterhead design can represent your company values through simple details like the choice of colour or font style. Graphic designers make use of these details to convey a message, such as using strong and bold fonts and colours, or elegant and delicate elements.
To serve as a marketing strategy
A good letterhead design makes it easy for people to remember your company. Readers will find a good design memorable, such that simply seeing the colours, font or logo will make them remember your company name.
Graphic design has been constantly evolving as a marketing strategy. The truth is, you can actually communicate with your audience through your letterhead. Different designs and the use of elements can evoke an emotion and impression from your audience.
Hire professional graphic design services for your letterhead
There are many rules in graphic design, so make sure you hire a skilled and experienced professional to do the job. You would not want to use a letterhead with bizarre colour combinations, too much or too little detail, or mismatching fonts. A good quality letterhead must not only use a proper colour scheme, but also convey the right emotion with its design elements. Make the most of creativity.
Contact Jezweb for your graphic design needs, and we can work together for the perfect business letterhead that works best for your marketing strategy.