Starting and running a small business shouldn’t only comprise of marketing efforts. If you want to pull in more customers and become a reputable brand in the industry, you must also boost your trustworthiness. This means implementing uniformed and professional practices that will highlight your credibility and legitimacy, two characteristics that are essential in building trust and connection with your market.
Whether you operate at home, in a brick-and-mortar store, or online, your small business needs to exhibit the same professionalism as industry leaders. That said, here are the ways to boost your business’s trustworthiness, proving your authenticity:
1. Have a Business Phone Number and Email Address
Before your business gets launched, you must have already assigned a separate phone number and email address for it. Giving away your personal contact details to your suppliers and customers, even just temporarily, may affect the perception your business will receive. A customer will certainly doubt that they’re calling the right number if it’s your personal voicemail they’re hearing.
Having a business phone number and email address will automatically make you exercise your customer service behavior once you’re contacted through either of them, preventing embarrassing scenarios of answering a business call like a personal one, due to the absence of a separate phone number.
2. Have a Mailing Address
Direct mail remains relevant to businesses. You can rent a private P.O. box in Murray or in the area where your business is located if you don’t own a mailbox. A private P.O. box is unquestionably better than a public one from the post office or your personal mailbox. It’s more secure, and it allows you to organize your business mails more efficiently.
3. Have a Dedicated Website
You can use an e-commerce platform or social media if your current budget still restricts you from launching your own website, but in time, you should consider having it to enhance your customers’ online shopping experiences. Your website must contain updated information and engaging content as well for it to drive high traffic.
A dedicated website also gives you a strong online presence and indicates that you care for your products and your customers. Regularly update its content and check if the features are user-friendly to secure high conversion rates.
4. Be Knowledgeable and Practice What You Preach
If an interested customer asks you questions about your product or service, giving vague answers will certainly make them doubt your authenticity and credibility. Hence, instead of just focusing on managing your business, diligently study your products or services, too, so you can give your customers helpful insight any time.
Practice what you preach as well by displaying honesty to your employees and customers. Maintain clear, concise, and genuine communication with them to earn their complete trust.
5. Promote Your Achievements
Even if your business is just newly launched, it doesn’t have zero achievements to show. You can show off your own achievements in your career and treat them as the business’s, too; after all, if not for those milestones, you wouldn’t have become an entrepreneur.
If your customers see your outstanding background, you’ll earn their trust, and potentially attract investors as well. Use LinkedIn and your business website to promote your achievements, including the smallest ones.
6. Engage With Your Customers
Being responsive in e-mails and comments will not only build trust but will develop a community with your audience as well. Be active on your social media pages, respond to email inquiries fast, and share testimonials. If you receive negative feedback, use it to improve whatever you lack on.
Being involved with your customers puts your mission to understand their needs in effect, and in turn, your customers may become more confident to share their stories with you. From there, you’ve just successfully established immense trustworthiness in your small business.
