The internet is full of unreliable businesses, looking to make quick money with poor quality services or selling products with untruthful pictures. It’s, therefore, no surprise that customers are becoming increasingly picky about where they shop. However, no matter how trustworthy your company is, small details can impact whether or not it looks like it. So, in this article, we will look at the key practices to showcase your credibility.
A professional website
Your website is like the digital shop front of your business. It needs to look clean and professional to attract new customers. For instance, the overall design should be tidy and easy to navigate, including a menu bar that is intuitive.
Additionally, the content within the website should be professional too, such as informative copy as well as high-quality images and videos. Try to avoid clutter – only have essential information, presented in a well-structured way. Don’t forget to also check for any mistakes, as those make a business look incredibly unprofessional.
Keep your site up-to-date too, changing outdated information (copyright year at the bottom is a commonly forgotten spot) and deleting any broken url links.
Official communication channels
When a customer sends you an inquiry, make sure that you reply from an official channel. Your business should not communicate through personal social media pages or email addresses.
Instead, have one or a few company social media platforms, like Instagram or LinkedIn, that are verified and can be easily found. You should also create a business email with an official domain (i.e. contact@yourbusinessname.com), showcasing that your brand is serious and established.
Furthermore, avoid taking orders over email or social media – have a dedicated ecommerce platform with direct debit and digital payment options, with which will provide the customer with an invoice and shipping data.
Social proof and transparency
Customer testimonials are by far the most effective way to earn trust. Every time you have a satisfied customer, encourage them to leave you a review (ideally somewhere that’s easily verifiable, like your Google business listing). For more in-depth projects, create case studies with your client’s consent, showcasing the challenges they had and how your solutions helped them.
Equally, it’s important to be transparent at all times – human mistakes are natural and it’s all about the way you address them. For example, don’t delete bad comments under your social media posts. Instead, reply to them in a professional manner, apologising for the issues they’ve encountered and suggesting a fix they will be happy with.
Transparency is also key in your data management practices. Your website should have a T&C and a Cookie Policy, which clearly outline how you collect and manage your customers’ data. If you ask visitors to sign up to your newsletter, you should also state whether or not they will receive promotional content and be able to unsubscribe at any point.
Earning the customer’s trust
A customer’s trust is not something that is given to you – it needs to be earnt. Whether through a professional site or reliable communication channels, every touch point with a customer builds the foundation towards a more reliable appearance. And, with each 5-star review gained, it only gets easier!
