Trust is the foundation of trustworthiness. When trust exists, people are able to work together and function well in a community. In business, trust is vital for many reasons: it helps customers feel safe, which increases loyalty and sales; it decreases fraud rates; and it can help provide stability during difficult times.
Building trust with customers you'll never meet may seem like an impossible task at first glance. But there are several things that you can do to increase trust among your potential customer base.
Be transparent
This is the best way to build trust with your customers and potential customers. However it's also one of the most difficult things for a business owner to do well in all circumstances. Openly share information about yourself and your company so others can trust you too - especially by being transparent when there are problems or controversies related to your products or services.
It's frustrating when you invest in a product only to find out it requires hidden fees or surcharges. These can even be every time there’s a software upgrade with new features available. When customers make purchases on your website, be upfront about any extra fees right away. Clearly communicate what you do; how pricing structure works; cancellation/return policies that clients should aware of.
Fix problems
Nobody is perfect, and from time to time you’ll have customers complain about your products or services—even if you know that it was not in any way your fault. If something goes wrong, don't try to figure out who did it first. Just get on with the process of fixing the problem! Customers are much more likely to head over the social media page of a business that they can't get into contact with when making inquiries through their website's customer service form so be prompt at responding. You must earn their trust.
The same goes for prospects who reach out via email: Always respond promptly! If anything else happens before then like an inquiry coming by phone call do try either method first but always reply as soon as possible. The more quickly you respond, the better your chances are at turning an angry customer into an advocate for your brand instead of someone speaking poorly about them online.
Provide proof
Do you ever look through a website and wonder why a business doesn’t have any testimonials or case studies to back up their work? Make sure your website and marketing copy adequately explain how well your product works and what business cases it solves. Don't be afraid to brag about yourself a little bit!
When possible, back up your claims with numbers that prove just how much you help your current clients. If you have a client who is willing to vouch for you, add their testimonial to your website or create a case study to show how you helped transform their business.
Personalize marketing efforts
It is important to make sure your marketing campaign hits the mark. Then it will be more effective and likely yield a positive outcome for you, such as happy customers or an increase in sales. This can be difficult when juggling many responsibilities by yourself. This is why most companies invest in a CRM tool that manages customer data efficiently. If you want to help your customers stay happy, consider investing in a quality CRM platform. These programs can send out personalized communications based on contact behavior and track the success of campaigns so that when they don't work as planned, company representatives know what tweaks may be necessary.