Businesses have a hard time building trust with their consumers, and it can be even more difficult when it comes to sustainable businesses. It’s easy to call yourself sustainable if you keep your customers in the dark about all of your practices, so you need to work a little harder to earn trust. So, let’s get into what your business needs to do to improve your reputation.
Building Trust: Online Security
Can you expect your customers to trust you with their personal information if your business isn’t considered secure? If you’re constantly having security breaches, then it can be difficult to persuade customers to trust you with their personal data. A lot of e-commerce businesses store highly detailed credentials, and it can be a serious issue if any of that were to be leaked. You should consider investing in cyber security courses for you and your employees, and also making sure to invest in high-quality security software.
Being Transparent
The first rule of being a trustworthy business is being able to communicate with your customers. Transparency means a lot to people who are interested in your practices. Not only does it help them to find out what goes into your service and products, but it also means that you’re ready to provide answers to their questions.
Be ready to be open about where your money is going after they invest it, and how your business operates. Of course, there’s only so much information you can share, but being as open as you can show your customers that you care about their concerns. It can help significantly when it comes to gaining their trust.
Having a social media account as a business gives you a platform to communicate openly with your customers, and you can use it as a great way to demonstrate the benefits of investing in your business. Not only is it a great communication tool, but it’s great for marketing.
Your Marketing
How you market your products say a lot about you as a business, and you want to make sure you’re able to do it ethically and with minimal waste possible. If your business depends on pamphlets or even packaging – it’s not going to be a good look if you’re using plastics or non-renewable materials. The whole point of your marketing is for promoting your business as sustainable and giving your customers a reason to invest in you.
Having more trust as a business gives you the competitive edge you need to succeed, and it prevents your business from struggling so much on certain downfalls. If your customer trusts you, they might think things like poor quality products are a one-off and are willing to give you another chance. Losing a customer to a small fault doesn’t sound like a big deal, but over the course of a year, how many customers does that add up to?
Photography by Sarah Chai
