Markets are more competitive and oversaturated than ever before. No matter what service or product you offer, there are always alternatives. Therefore, for a company to thrive and stand out from competitors, it must convey reliability, trustworthiness and credibility. Here are four ways to build and improve your business credibility!
Reviews and Testimonials
Client reviews are a powerful tool for building credibility. Authentic reviews share unbiassed experiences with a business’s products and services. If you have a lot of great feedback, you appear more trustworthy to prospective clients.
Register on platforms like Trustpilot and encourage your customers to share their experiences! Send a follow-up email after a customer has placed an order asking for feedback. If you’re low on reviews, you could even offer a discount code for your products in exchange for feedback!
Don’t stop at Trustpilot, post the reviews on your home site as well! Quadrant2Design, a UK-based exhibition stand design and build contractor, shares all feedback on its home page. They take this a step further with a Video Reviews site, dedicated to video testimonials from their clients. It’s worth noting that the review is more credible when posted on a platform like Trustpilot, as the reviewer is verified. When posting on your home site, include details like the reviewer’s name and company to boost credibility.
Website Design
Building business credibility requires a multi-faceted approach. Though reviews are important for building trust, they cannot compensate for a poor website design.
A professional, well-designed and user-friendly website is crucial for building brand credibility. It should be easy for prospective customers to find and understand your products. A “sort by” or “filter by” button can help navigation if you have many products to showcase.
Also, slow and laggy websites can be off-putting for customers. Compress images before uploading to your website to protect your load speeds and keep things running smoothly.
Additionally, include a focused “About Us” page and describe clearly and concisely what the business offers and why. This makes prospective clients feel like they know you more personally, which helps to improve trust.
Online Presence
Your social media presence is also paramount! Boring, dormant and outdated social media accounts and websites can be off-putting to users.
Make sure your social media accounts are updated with fresh content. Consistently engage with your followers, respond to comments and share relevant content to bring value to your audience. This extends to your blog posts as well. Make sure you post high-quality and useful content at least once a week to show prospective customers that your website is active, and your business is experienced.
Tala, a popular gym wear brand in the UK, has an effective social media strategy. The brand has 475k followers on Instagram and 80.7k TikTok followers. They post multiple times a week promoting their new products and unique selling points. Most commonly involving founder, Grace Beverley, Tala’s approach to each video is conversational, engaging and compelling. They also romanticise the “tala” lifestyle to encourage sales!
Work With Influencers
An effective way to boost your credibility is to work with credible people. Social media influencers tend to have a decent following. Gain some of their trust by working with them on products, sponsoring them, or inviting them to be a brand ambassador.
Gymshark used this method to grow brand awareness and in turn, revenue! Ben Francis, the co-founder and CEO of the company, contacted hundreds of well-known influencers, including KKFit, Madalin Giorgetta and Karina Elle to post in the famous gym wear in return for free clothing. The collaborations contributed massively to the company’s boom in growth and brand awareness. Gymshark was so successful, it was named UK’s fastest-growing company in 2016!
A more recent example is LeMieux, a horse-riding apparel and equipment company. LeMieux sponsored well-loved horse-riding influencers like Becky Moody, Anna Buffini and Charlotte Fry and has been the world’s fastest-growing equestrian business! Like Gymshark, the influencer marketing approach has been a great success. Though LeMieux was founded in 2003, the company took off after the involvement of influencers in around 2022!
Though influencers can positively impact brand growth, it is important to be selective. Influencers should be reliable and predictable. The wrong person can be damaging to a brand’s reputation.
Transparency
Lastly, prospective customers appreciate transparency as it shows you are honest and accountable. Communicate your business practices, policies, and values with your customers so they know who you are and what you stand for.
Additionally, buyers are becoming more selective about the type of businesses they choose to work with. For example, many buyers only purchase from businesses with appropriate sustainability measures. If you don’t have these values displayed on your site, you might lose customers to a competitor.
To Sum Up
Building business credibility requires a broad strategy. It’s important to have a clear and user-friendly website to show professionalism. Share your values, especially sustainability, on your home page to show accountability. Use your online platforms effectively. Post high-quality content often and work with influencers that fit your niche and are reliable and trustworthy. Lastly, use your reviews to your advantage, and encourage your customers to review wherever possible. Tools like Trustpilot are your friend, not your enemy!
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