Consider this for a moment. Let's say you start your online career by selling e-books on eBay. You then decide to step things up a little and launch your own website, using a do it yourself site which lets you choose from existing templates and build your own site from scratch with ease.

Sounds good? Well it could certainly net you some sales, but you're leaving your image completely to chance. Essentially you are allowing it to evolve all by itself, and that could be a big mistake.

You see, whether you realise it or not, your image will evolve regardless of how much or little time you devote to it. So which is better - deciding what your image should and will be yourself? Or leaving it to chance?

You can see the problem. Your image is tied up in several things. It's tied up in your logo, it's tied up in the way you do business, and it's also tied up in how everything looks to other people.

That's why a do it yourself site doesn't always give the best impression when you are trying to develop your online business. They can certainly look extremely good, but it should be understood that you need to put in the required amount of work to ensure that your site is well planned and puts across the kind of image you are after.

If you don't already have a logo, it's well worth getting one designed to match in with the colours you want to use on your site. It will form the basis of your whole look and it should convey a professional image that will be instantly recognisable to past and present customers.

Your image is also very much locked in to the service you provide people with. For example, you could become known as a seller who always includes an extra free gift with every order.

You often hear about companies that have a caring image; they always go the extra mile in making sure their company does the best for their customers. Sometimes this image is projected by the customers rather than the business owners - it's a good way to get extra free publicity when you are doing a good job.

So you can see the benefits of paying close attention to what kind of image you have, and what it portrays to others. If you put some effort into it you will be able to exercise some control over how your business is seen and perceived by others right from the word go.

If you don't, you'll find your customers will start to generate an image for you in the reactions they have to what you are doing. If you're doing an excellent job you'll have nothing to worry about.

But if you're slightly less than perfect, those imperfections can show up.

Perhaps now is a good time to ask yourself what your image is like today?