In today’s economy, most people are thoughtful about where to spend their cash. It can be a careful dance of Can I afford this? Do I want it? Is it is worth the money? Most consumers have learned to do this calculation without batting an eye. A lot of times, the deciding factor is if they trust the business and its products/services.
But building trust can take time. And with 20% of new businesses failing in the first year, not everyone has time to wait. Here are five ways you can start earning trust with consumers as soon as you open your business.
1. Be authentic.
Authenticity is the difference between a nameless big box conglomerate and a mom-and-pop shop. Connecting to your consumers on a real, human level sets you apart from businesses that offer things you can’t, like cheaper prices and faster shipping.
One way you can do this is to share your story. For example, whether you post an About Me page on your website or do videos on social media, telling your audience why your business exists gives consumers a chance to connect. Maybe your restaurant has recipes your grandma showed you or you run a gardening business because it reminds you of spending time with your dad in the backyard. No matter why you got started, demonstrate your business is real and authentic by showing a bit of yourself.
On the other hand, authenticity doesn’t have to mean spilling your guts. When you’re being you, people can tell. For businesses looking to keep distance between their personal life and their business, consider alternative ways to showcase your authenticity. For example, you know we love our privacy—but we’re also just regular people, offering quality services to everyday businesses. You can see that in our messaging, like how We’re Just Not Annoying®.
2. Be consistent.
Consistency is more than just producing a quality product time and time again. It can also look like using the same branding on your social media and your website. After all, if your sandwich shop’s logo is a man in a submarine but your website exclusively has photos of dogs, people are going to pause and feel uncertain.
This also means being consistent in how you treat customers. Make sure your voice, attitude, and quality of service is echoed all the way through the business, from your social media accounts to your cashiers.
Being consistent might also look like getting a domain name that compliments or matches your business name. This tells people that your website actually belongs to your business, which in turn makes your marketing more trustworthy.
Tip: Register your domain name at the same time as registering your business name so you know it’s available.
3. Create a digital footprint.
Many people find new businesses by looking items up online. Something as simple as setting up a Google business profile can make sure you show up on search engines. Not creating a digital footprint can take all of those potential customers and send them straight to your competitors.
Plus, a digital footprint happens whether you’re in control or not. People could write about your products in blogs, post photos of your store on social media, and give you Yelp reviews, all without you ever realizing your business is on the internet. Wouldn’t you rather be driving that narrative?
Not sure where to start? Building a business website gives you a foothold on your internet presence.
4. Secure your website.
A sad reality is that without taking the proper protocols, your website isn’t safe from third party data breaches. That means your information, and importantly, your customers’ information, is at risk.
Here are two ways to secure your website:
- Safe web hosting server. A web host publishes your website to the internet by storing and transferring the site’s data. You want your web host to have good security so that your private information is safe.
- SSL Certificates. An SSL Certificate protects data from being stolen off your website. For example, if someone enters ZcVtgcdo3Ztheir credit card information, an SSL Certificate encrypts that data.
Tip: Visitors to your site can tell if your website has an SSL Certificate by seeing the secure lock beside the site URL, and websites with protection have better search engine results.
5. Build your image.
Your business image starts day one. From the email address you use to the font on your website, you’re crafting an image. The more professional and established you seem, the easier you are to trust.
This is a hurdle for a lot of new businesses. There can be a thousand little things that go into building your image, and you might not know where to start. But don’t panic.
As stalwart supporters of small businesses, we know it can feel rigged against the little guy. Looking trustworthy and professional shouldn’t require a M.B.A or cost a million bucks.
So we put together an all-in-one service to easily launch your business identity. This includes business emails with a custom domain, a local phone service, a secure website, an SSL certificate, and more. The best part? There’s a risk-free trial and a 20% discount if you end up loving everything.
You can’t buy trust with your customers. But you can grease the wheels and look trustworthy a lot faster with a lot less effort when you share the workload.
Ready to get started? Our expert Corporate Guides are here to help.