Why Building Trust is a Must for Your Online Business

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With the Internet being what it is today and your ability to get your hands on absolutely anything and everything online nowadays, more and more products and services are being made available to you and convenience is a key factor and a key motivator.

The key to success for your online business

The competition among online businesses today is fierce and if you want to compete effectively and continue to maintain your edge, you must constantly be thinking about ways to keep your clients and your prospective clients interested and loyal to you and to your business. Not only are you competing with other online businesses but you are also competing with brick-and-mortar businesses that are selling what you are selling. You must make sure that your approach is precise and that it contains certain key elements that contribute to your success now and in the future. Some of those qualities are: fast, trustworthy delivery of your product(s) and/or services; consistency of your quality; top-quality products; and fantastic customer service.

  • Trustworthy delivery of your products and/or services: Delivery is absolutely essential when it comes to the relationship that you build with your clients and prospective clients. If you don’t show that quality, there will always be someone who will demonstrate it effectively. They will leave you in the dust! People expect a high-quality product and they expect it to be delivered fast. In most cases, they are willing to pay for it to make sure that they get what they want and need. If you manage to do it effectively, there is no telling how much success you can achieve. If you can offer the same top-quality that a brick-and-mortar business owner can offer, you will be golden because you have the edge over that other business, which is that you offer convenience in addition to the quality of the products and/or services.

  • Offering only top-quality products and/or services: If you have developed your brand properly, you will have no trouble with this one. Many people not only recognize the brand name products from the generic (or no name) products but they are convinced that there is a giant difference in the quality between the two. In many cases, they are correct. You often get what you pay for! The more effectively you build your brand, the more successful you will be at selling your brand to other people.

The qualities of a trustworthy business

There are many different qualities that make a business trustworthy and credible. The business must offer competitive (or lower) prices, top-quality products and/or services, and tremendous convenience and service. If you are just starting out in your business and you need to build your business’ trustworthiness and credibility, you can do it in the following ways:

  • Be consistent: If you don’t deliver whatever the other person is buying on time or early, you will be tarnishing your business’ credibility and your customers will not trust that you mean what you say. Your credibility must span all products and/or services and it must apply to absolutely every aspect of your business.

  • Make yourself accessible: Having an online business has absolutely no bearing on your accessibility to your clients. The idea that they can’t physically see you (or course, you can even remedy that using Skype) doesn’t mean that you don’t have a responsibility to be just as accessible to them as you would if you were in a physical store. The accessibility to your customers applies to everyone in your organization. All of your staff members and anyone who works with you must be equally accessible to your clients.

  • Set up a reward/incentive program: Reward/incentive programs are generally extremely effective. People will respond to you positively. The bottom line is that people respond to you when you touch them on an emotional level. If you can manage to do that, you will succeed at building a relationship with them and they will become loyal customers at some point.

Conclusion

When it comes to business, there are a few principles that apply to everyone. Building trust is one of those principles and it is important for you to remember that trust is not given to you, it is earned by you. Once you have earned that trust, you will see things fall into place much more easily and much more permanently. Remember to always keep your promises and try to go above and beyond every time with your clients and your prospective clients. As part of your credibility and trust campaign, it is also a great idea to use testimonials. They can be an extremely effective and powerful tool in that regard.

We are pleased to provide you with the insightful comments contained herein. For a complimentary assessment of your online presence, let’s have coffee.

Author

  • Michael Cohn

    Michael Cohn is the founder and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of CompuKol Communications. He has decades of experience in IT and web technologies. Michael founded CompuKol Communications to help small businesses and entrepreneurs increase their visibility and reputation. CompuKol consults, creates, and implements communication strategies for small businesses to monopolize their markets with a unique business voice, vision, and visibility. Mr. Cohn earned a Master’s degree in project management from George Washington University in Washington, DC; and a Master’s degree in computer science and a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, NJ.

1 Response

  1. BJ Washington says:

    Via LinkedIn Groups
    Group: CT Small Business Toolkit
    Discussion: How Do You Ensure Trustworthiness of Your Products/Services?

    I think with all the technology we have at our disposal, we can not do away with “word of mouth.” If a customer is happy with your product/services, people will find a way to get the word out about your business. If they feel you do not provide the best possible product as described by your website, word will get out about it. So my advice is to provide what you said you were going to provide. Deliver it by the time promised. Specialize in good customer service and the trustworthiness of your product/service will stand for itself. And people will make it known about your delivered services vs your promised services. That’s trustworthiness earned.
    By BJ Washington