It can be tempting to launch your first online business. Ultimately, as consumers now spend a huge part of their lives online, it’s easy to put your brand in front of new people. Whether you work alone with paid ads, or partner with an influencer, there are so many opportunities for solo entrepreneurs to build a brand.
But when it comes to building your brand, you want to ensure that you can create a venture that will inspire trust from the start. Did you know that almost 7 in 10 shoppers are ready to pay more to buy from brands they trust? Your brand could be one of those. But there’s more than the revenue benefits when you build a brand that people trust.
Trust Builds Customer Loyalty
People are far more likely to return to businesses that give them a consistent and reliable customer experience. Indeed, trust is heavily connected to customer experience. So, when people who buy from you have confidence that the products will arrive as expected and that any problems will be handled fairly, they associate the positive experience with your brand.
When you are trying to establish repeat customers, you need to ensure the experience people have during their first order is positive. It’s not a matter of making things perfect or luxurious, but it’s all about reliability and stability.
Winning the Skeptical Online Consumers Over
Online consumers are cautious. They know that the internet makes it easy to reach audiences, and that, therefore, a lot of businesses are likely to push misleading claims in an effort to attract more transactions.
So many shoppers are unlikely to be convinced by unfamiliar brands making wild claims about their products online. Instead, they seek trustworthy evidence that a business is real and delivers on what it promises.
As a newcomer, it can be a good idea to look for partnerships that give the trust signals needed, such as getting certified by a platform that specializes in transparent business reviews. This can send a positive and reassuring message to potential customers. There are also plenty of other certifications that are relevant for businesses, depending on your niche.
Trust at the Heart of Business Reputation
It’s not easy to build a strong reputation as a brand, but it’s surprisingly quick to damage one. So, as a small business, you need to prioritize activities that boost your reputation. It’s part of influencing long-term success and winning the public perception.
What are the trust factors that customers will consider when choosing to buy from a brand?
- Whether the business has a proper phone number and email address (you can work with an assistant to answer calls on your behalf)
- A legit business address, which can be easily arranged without revealing your home address
- Whether the business is part of relevant bodies and associations
- Whether reviews are legit
- What your social media interactions look like (and yes, that includes also handling negative comments online)
What’s important to understand is that trust doesn’t come from your marketing campaign or your content. Trust is created by the way your business presents itself from the start.
Trust Boosts Customer Advocacy
How do you get people to recommend your business?
Of course, there’s always the possibility of building a partnership with online influencers who will promote your business to their followers. But if you are being honest with yourself, how much faith do you have in influencer marketing? Would you blindly purchase a product just because it’s been promoted by an influencer?
Most people know that influencer partnerships work on a paid basis, which means that recommendations may not always be sincere.
So, instead, you want to focus on your customers, ensuring they are cared for and served with care. A satisfied customer will share their positive experience with friends. Customer advocacy is a lot more effective than influencer marketing because it is 100% credible.
Trust Helps You Stand Out
As a new business, how can you ensure that people remember your brand? Contrary to what many entrepreneurs assume, the choice of logo and branding visuals can only help so much. In reality, when a brand has positive reviews and a great customer experience, it gives credibility to the business.
It’s easier for the audience to remember a business that is already trusted by others. Brand awareness also comes from being a trustworthy business. As a new business, this is the most important strategy to focus on. Building a company that people can trust will ensure that your brand stands out in a crowded market.
If you are still in the process of creating a marketing strategy for your solo business, this is your sign to make trust your number one goal.
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