When it comes to business, trust might well be the single most important element of growth. Without trust, sales will be slow – even non-existent. Without trust, people just won’t want to commit to buying anything from you, and that is a big problem when you are trying to make money.
A business relationship needs to work both ways, and that means that as a business owner you need to create trust in your branding and your business if you want to be more successful. Here is how to do it.
Respond To Criticism.
No one is perfect, and no matter whether you run a huge international business or a small one that only focuses on your hometown, mistakes can and probably will be made. Not only that, but it is important to please everyone, and there will be people who simply don’t like what you do and how you do it. Rather than ignore these people when they criticize you and ignore the fact that you have potentially made a mistake, it is far better to respond and take responsibility.
Saying that you’re sorry, that you understand a customer’s frustrations, and that you’re working on making things better for the future will show that you are taking things seriously and that you are honest. This will certainly help you to be trusted, even if you have made mistakes.
Security.
Sometimes trust can be as simple as letting people know who you are. This might be a case of having an ID card, name badge, or custom lanyards worn by staff so that customers immediately know who they can speak to and ask questions of. This is useful in an in-store situation, but it is also helpful if employees need to make house calls. Showing some ID will promote trust and ensure that your company is thought of as professional and customer friendly.
Testimonials.
A business can succeed or fail on its testimonials and reviews, so using good reviews in your advertising, or even just linking to them on your website or social media pages can be enough to persuade potential customers that you are trustworthy and can do a good job. Make sure that your testimonials are legitimate though; if they don’t look as though they are real, this can do more harm than good, and people won’t trust you much at all.
A good way to do this is to use third-party review apps such as TripAdvisor where you can respond (positively – negative responses will put people off your business) and show that the reviews are real.
Have An About Us Page.
Some website pages are more important than others. Your home page is essential, of course, and it’s good to have easily accessible contact details too. However, your ‘About Us’ page might be one element of your website that you have neglected in the past. If so, it is time to make it stand out because this page is something that can help people understand more about you, your business, and your motives behind it.
