You might know that your business is the real deal, but if your potential customers don’t know that, then you’ll find it difficult to find success. Credibility is one of those things that’s hard to define, but you tend to know it when you see it — or rather, you know when you don’t see it. In an age when there’s more competition than ever before, ensuring that your target audience views you as trustworthy is essential. Consumers rightly have a sixth sense when something might not quite be right, and in any case, they want to know that they’re giving their money to the right business.
In this post, we’ll look at some tried and tested methods for nudging your trustworthiness in the right direction. Indeed, take all of these points on board, and consumers will have no doubt that you’re a company worth working with.
Invest in Your Digital Presence
In the vast majority of cases, your online presence will be the first time a potential customer interacts with your brand. So here’s the question: what do they see? If you have a well-put-together website with all the staples people expect from a web experience, a solid social media presence, and a Google My Business page (ideally with positive reviews), then you’ll be off to a great start.
Become an Authority
People don’t want to give their money to any old brand. They want to give it to a company that knows what they’re talking about. In all likelihood, you have in-depth knowledge about your products and services. The trick is to share that knowledge with your customer base and become an authority. There are multiple ways to do this. Depending on the type of business you run, it could come in the form of blog posts, podcasts, hosting online events, instructional videos, insightful comments about your industry, or white papers.
Go above and Beyond
Anything that helps to set your business apart from the crowd can be beneficial. One way to do this is to get certified by independent parties. In some cases, that certification will be necessary for working within your industry. But even beyond that, there’ll likely be some certifications you can get that aren’t strictly necessary, but can be worthwhile getting because of how it’ll enhance public perception of your business; getting GIPS standards verification, for instance, can offer an additional badge of credibility to customers. As with customer reviews, consumers look for these third-party signals as a way to gauge credibility, and that can make all the difference when it comes to selecting who they work with.
Be Open to Feedback
Finally, remember that credibility doesn’t mean just having confidence in what you do. There’s an element of humility involved, too. For example, there can be a lot of value in asking customers for feedback — and then, crucially, acting on that feedback. This simple act can show your customers that you care about their experience, and that can make all the difference in how they perceive you.