You know what they say: you only have one chance to make a first impression. Whether it’s a website or the logo in an email signature, potential customers will judge a business in just a few seconds based on visual appeal alone. High-quality graphic design gives businesses credibility—and that’s priceless.

No matter how great a product or service, with poor design, it’s unlikely anyone will stick around the company’s website or keep its email long enough to find out.

Similarly, it’s important that people get a feel for what a business does even if they’ve never heard of it before. Thoughtful design evokes the right image in customers’ minds. The concept for a daycare center would be entirely different than that of a law firm. That’s a dramatic contrast, but it holds true in more nuanced ways as well. Consider, for example, Beecher’s Handmade Cheese, a small company with a short history rooted in Seattle.

Beecher’s finely detailed logo and packaging labels echo the artisanal nature of the company, the historic imagery alludes to tradition, and its black and white color scheme suggests a classic quality.

Solid graphic design provides branding consistency across every visual, customer-facing aspect of a business. A professional graphic artist will use precise colors, typeface, imagery, and mood for everything he or she touches.

This way, customers have the same experience visiting a company’s website as they do reading its brochure. Think of it as a kind of alliteration—it helps the business become recognizable and memorable. Plus, consistency symbolizes professionalism, and professionalism symbolizes trustworthiness. It’s win, win…win.

If there’s one thing all small businesses have in common, it’s that they all face competition. And to set themselves apart, they generally have a handful of differentiators, whether those include pricing, quality, customer service, or something else entirely.

But consider that creativity can help a small business stand out, too. A company’s visual communication plan serves many purposes, and making the business unique should be one of them.

A slick website is nice to have. A slick website that converts is even nicer. Design isn’t just about making things look pretty; effective design should entice and persuade. A smartly designed website can direct visitors to take action, like clicking a “buy” button for instance.

A well-crafted pamphlet compels readers to keep turning pages. Professional graphic design has the potential to deliver measurable results for a small business.

When businesses don’t take graphic design seriously in the beginning, they will more than likely go through a design overhaul eventually—in some cases, more than once. However, quality design has longevity. Paying for great graphic design one time is no more expensive than paying for subpar design multiple times. Not to mention, redesigning a business’ image over and over wastes time and can be detrimental to its brand.

Many small business owners understand the value of great design. Many others do not. Whether you’re just starting your career as a graphic designer or you’ve been on the receiving end of that phone call one-too-many times, this list might come in handy.

If you’re up for the challenge, you can educate small business owners about the value professional graphic designers provide. And if that doesn’t work, you can always remind them of David Ogilvy’s famous words: “Pay people peanuts and you get monkeys.”