(ThySistas.com) The success of your business rests on many things. The strength of your ideas, the quality of the execution of those ideas, your staff, the market; they’re all important. However, there’s another aspect, one that’s arguably just as big as any other aspect, yet which isn’t always given the respect it deserves: the trust of your customers. Even if you have the most honest of intentions, you could find that your company is held back purely because people have doubts about your trustworthiness. Don’t let any doubts creep in! Below, we take a look at a few ways you can gain — and prevent losing — the trust of your customers.
Tell the Truth
You want to get as many customers as you can, but there’s a right and wrong way to go about getting them on board. The right way is to create an excellent service, market yourself well, and make sure that every customer is happy with your service. The wrong way is to oversell yourself, to make promises that you can’t deliver. Sometimes companies do this even with the best of intentions; they think they might be able to do it. You can prevent this by having an honest view of your capabilities.
People are rightfully a little skeptical when it comes to their online dealings with companies. There have been some pretty big data breaches in recent years, and there are plenty of companies who don’t treat their customers as well as they should. To gain their trust, make sure you’re taking steps to make your online presence watertight. Work with a company like eSudo to minimize network downtime, ensure you have all the necessary website security certificates, and list as much contact information as possible. People will always look for signs that a company isn’t to be trusted — make sure they don’t find any on your website.
Testimonials and Reviews
It’s all good and well telling potential customers yourself just how good you are. But that’s only going to go so far. Research has shown that people put great faith in the views of other people. As such, one of the best ways to win the trust of your customers is to show that you’ve provided great service to others. Solicit feedback from past customers, and then publish the testimonials on your website. On review platforms, you’ll want to reply to all reviews — both positive and negative.
A Human Presence
The large tech companies may have pushed automation and the like on the world, but the truth is that, while they have some uses, there’s little chance that they’ll replace the human touch. People like knowing that there’s someone there to talk to should they need it. One of the best ways to build trust with your customers is to emphasize your human side. You can list photos of your staff on your site, use your name in emails, and all-around show that there are real people running things behind the scenes.
Staff Writer; Lisa Brown