14 Mar If You Build Trust, They Will Come

What’s the key to a healthy relationship? Trust.
Trust is incredibly important. In fact, in its absence a relationship will fail to take place. Without it, an established relationship will abruptly end. And this holds true for any relationship, including the one between a business owner and his or her clientele.
Unfortunately, building trust with your clients isn’t always easy. It takes time. It takes effort. This is especially true if you own a new business or are running one online. People are naturally skeptical, so you are going to have to prove yourself. But don’t worry…building trust is possible, and you can build it with these easy to implement suggestions.
Build a Professional Website
Have you ever gone to make a purchase online and then looked at the website and thought, “Wow…this looks sketchy.” Let me ask you, did you make that purchase? People tend not to give their credit card information to poorly built, visually unappealing sites. So make sure your website looks…well…like one you would purchase from.
If you are unfamiliar with html, css, and JavaScript, look into Word Press or Wix. If your budget allows, hire a developer. The right developer will be well worth the initial investments.
Show Proof that You are Trustworthy
Now that you have a website, make sure people can clearly see that you are trustworthy. Put a Privacy Policy page on your website. Use a reputable payment processor like PayPal, Google Checkout, or Intuit Payment Solutions. Get an SSL certificate and become a paid member of the Better Business Bureau so that you can place their logo on your site. Encrypt your website so that people know it is safe. Offer a guarantee and a refund policy. Help the customer understand that you believe in your product and that you want them to be happy. It will help build their confidence in you.
Start a Blog and Post Valuable Content
Building trust takes time. It also takes getting to know one another. Blogging is a great way to introduce yourself to potential customers. It can help them see that you are a real person with real emotions. It forces them to not see you as just a website. You are a real person who really cares. Build a blog and fill it with engaging content to help foster trust among your readers.
Get Your Name Out There with Some PR
It would be great if you could hire a Public Relations manager, but let’s face it, that’s not always in the budget. The good news is that you can do some great public relations work yourself. Write press releases about your business. As previously stated…blog. Utilize the amazing power of social media. Get your name out there with Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr, and YouTube. Set up an affiliate program for well known brands to drive buyers to your site. These partnerships can be extremely lucrative for both parties involved. A great thing to do is donate portions of your proceeds to a local charity and let the media know about it. You build trust with your audience and you help those in need. It’s truly win-win.
Building trust takes patience and hard work, but the fruits of your labor will be immense. Don’t give up, because if you build trust, the customers will come.