4 Ways to Improve Customer Trust for Your Small Business

One of the best ways for businesses to succeed online is by earning the trust of their customers on the get-go.  

Because despite the increased use of technology and face–less business processes, customer trust is still essential in business success. In fact,  81% of customers said they need to trust a brand before purchasing.    

However, this can be hard for startups still trying to establish their name online. 

Quick gimmicks and catchy product descriptions don’t automatically turn into customer trust overnight. It takes time — and should come naturally using different strategies that involve improving customer needs and experiences.  

These are some of those strategies: 

4 Surefire Ways to Win Your Customers’ Trust Online 

Be active and responsive 

The first step to earning your customers’ trust is by being active and responsive to their questions and clarifications.  

Respond to their inquiries on time, whether on your comments section, email, or website.  

Doing so makes them feel valued and can generate favorable online reviews for your business.  

You can also provide ready-made content materials to assist them, such as FAQs, step-by-step articles, and even walkthrough videos. 

Be responsive and have a process to promptly address customer issues to establish a good online reputation. 

Focus on building a great product 

No amount of brand–building helps if your product or service does not provide value to your customers.  Since your product or service is what your brand stands for, focus on creating ones that address your customer needs and challenges.   

You can achieve this by creating different versions of your product and letting a focus group evaluate their usefulness and impact. Testing also provides you with the opportunity to modify your product to resolve customer pain points further. 

Under-sell and over-perform 

Expectation setting is a key factor in building customer trust. However, some startups tend to over-promise and under-deliver their services. Deceiving your customers for purchase only leads to bad reviews.  

The ideal approach should be the opposite; under-sell and out-perform.   

For example, if it takes you one week to ship a product, promise a 2-week delivery to factor in any issues or unforeseen situations. This way, even if there is a delay, it does not lead to customers feeling disappointed— saving your reputation.   

Be consistent with your branding 

Finally, be consistent with your brand experience. Consistency helps establish your identity and uniqueness within your niche. It also sets your customers’ expectations from your brand.  

And there are two aspects in your brand you need to be consistent with: your messaging and design. 

Messaging  

How do you want your customers to see you? Aggressive, helpful, reliable, quirky, or formal? When it comes to developing your brand message or persona, you need to choose the right approach and tone in delivering your content.  

77%  of customers buy from brands that share the same values as they do. Inconsistent messaging only creates confusion and purchase hesitation with your customers.  

Stay focused on your persona and keep your messaging consistent.  

Design 

Choose a colour combination, logo, or illustration to justify your persona. Make sure your designs are consistent and relatable for your customers, especially when using multiple online channels. 

If your brand is something your audience cannot identify, recall, or connect with, you’re likely to lose out on business.   

READ: 5 Reasons Attractive Web Design Matters for Your Small Business

Bonus: Take it online 

With the unprecedented times, small businesses thrive not just by earning their customers’ trust but by also pivoting online.  

Online users trust a brand with an online presence. It doesn’t only widen your following — it also boosts your profit. You can never go wrong with that.   

So if you’re aiming to mark your spot online, start building their trust by creating a secure and high-performing website for your small business. And thanks to modern technology, almost anyone can build a website in minutes. If you want to learn how, contact us here.