Trust is the glue that holds your business together. You need trust with your employees, of course, but people who do not trust your business will be reluctant to associate with your brand. How do you build trust with potential customers, as well as loyal customers you already have? Check out some of these tips.
Offer Consistency
Communication is the hallmark of building trust. This is evident within interpersonal relationships, and is maintained through business practices. Your communication on your products should be consistent and transparent — anything less will drive people away. For instance, if a customer has a question, the answer must be uniform for every other customer after.
You also need to ensure there are no misinterpretations of the price of your product or service. If something happens that could negatively impact your business, do not be afraid to be transparent about current problems. Consistently open communication like this is essential for a modern business in the digital age.
Answer Their Questions
It is smart to have a place where customers can ask questions regarding your business. This can be a “Frequently Asked Questions” section on your website, or you can answer customer questions through the myriad of social media platforms out there. This can be a great strategy if you are expecting recurring questions.
If you have a lot of questions, consider sending people to your business’s email address instead. Directing all your communications to a central inbox will cut down on the time it takes to respond to messages. It also could keep things more confidential if the customer had a serious issue.
Listen to Feedback
When customers give you or the Internet their opinions of your business, it is important that you listen to them. When people see a company listening to them, they feel heard and gravitate to the business more. Directly accepting customer feedback is also effective, because sometimes they can have great tips on how you could improve their experience.
User experience is extremely important if you are working through a website. You should ensure that customers have an intuitive way of finding the products or services on your website. They should also know how to communicate with the business owners if they have a question.
All in all, communication is key. When you focus your attention online, develop strategies in-person for helping customers, or heed advice given you in person, it all is assisting in developing trust with the customer.
Read more great tips in this article: How Conversational AI is Changing User Interactions Online
