If you want to build consumer trust and establish yourself as a leader in your industry, you need to put yourself out there on the consumer side of things. This isn’t always easy, especially when it comes to your new business.
Like relationships with people, a business trust is built with time. When you start a new business, it’s unlikely that prospective new customers or clients will immediately trust you, your products, or your services. However, that doesn’t mean they never will.
By taking some of the following actions, you might be surprised by how easy it is to build up that consumer trust and enjoy a loyal following of clients who believe in you and everything you have to offer.
Be Easy to Contact
People who have never heard of your business before likely have many questions about who you are and what you do. Make sure they can get the answers they need in a timely manner by being easy to contact.
If you’re establishing yourself globally, having a call center and answering service like Absent Answer might ensure you’re available at all times of the day and night. You can also make your contact information easy to find online by creating a website and purchasing space on online directories. At a minimum, ensure people can contact you by phone, email, web form, and social media. Aim to provide answers to questions within 24 hours to gain consumer trust and show that you’re a real person offering real products and services.
Create a Website
Many people research businesses they’ve never heard of online to be sure of their authenticity. Let customers know that you’re authentic by creating a professional website. Use your website to provide helpful information on your products and services, contact information, and details about you, your team, and how your business came to exist. The more information your website has, the fewer questions customers have to ask and the more confidence they might feel when making purchases.
Publish Reviews
At least 36% of online shoppers between the ages of 25 and 34 read reviews before making online purchases. They want to be sure that other shoppers have had a positive experience with a particular brand or product before buying it themselves. Don’t be afraid to publish reviews and testimonials provided by your customers to give new shoppers peace of mind.
You might even like to follow up with purchasers at a later date, prompting them to leave a review on Google or other review platforms detailing their experiences. The more reviews you have, the more trusted your business might be.
Interact on Social Media to Build Consumer Trust
You might think you only need to create a social media account to be ‘active’ on social media, but it’s essential to put in the extra effort. Once you’ve made a page and built a following, don’t forget to be social and engage with your followers. Reply to questions and comments that people leave on your posts, and even respond to complaints and criticism with complete transparency. When customers learn that you respond to your online community, they might be more inclined to engage with you and trust your business.
Ask for Honest Feedback
Some of the most famous and well-established businesses in the world started as small businesses struggling to gain market share and develop consumer trust. By discovering what your customers want from you and implementing changes to help them get it, you might one day become one of the successful and well-established businesses you once looked up to.
When customers make purchases, send follow-up emails with surveys, asking for their honest feedback on the shopping process. Don’t forget to ask if they would like you to follow up with them based on their survey answers. The more you learn about the shopping experience from the eyes of the customers, the more changes you can make that benefit your business and its reputation in the future.
Be Trustworthy
One of the most straightforward ways to gain trust is by being trustworthy. You can put time, effort, money, and energy into building trust through marketing, having a high-quality website, and asking customers to fill out surveys, but if your business isn’t one people should trust, it might never be seen as one they should trust, either.
Fortunately, being a trustworthy business owner is easy. Be willing to admit your mistakes, apologize earnestly for any flaws in the customer experience, and practice what you preach daily. If you have set company missions and goals, make sure every business action you take reflects these.
You won’t build consumer trust overnight, but it’s entirely achievable with time and effort. Take some of these actions above, and you might be surprised at how easy it can be to build a loyal and supportive following of customers who value and trust your business and the products and services it provides.
