No business can keep clients if they don’t have credibility. Only trust can attract and sustain key relationships that will guarantee your growth. This is why you must pay attention to how you’re coming across to your target market. The problem is that people continually interchange “authority” for “credibility” and make the mistake of focusing on the former.
Your branding and marketing efforts are all focused on establishing yourself as the leading expert in your industry. And while there’s nothing wrong with coming off as an authority, there’s a huge difference between claiming it and people believing it. When your target demographic doubt your assertions, you have little credibility to work with and a poor prospect of success. There are four things, in particular, that your company might be guilty of doing that keep people from trusting you.
No Customer Focus on Online Touchpoints
Perhaps you’ve hired the best web development company, and your website is stunning and functional. Your social media accounts, too, are aesthetically pleasing and attracting a lot of followers. The excitement of converting traffic into sales during those first few weeks have you liking and responding to every comment on your website and Instagram post. Your DM is full, and there never seems to be enough time in the day to respond to everyone. So you don’t. At one point, you keep on posting and liking the comments. You don’t even bother to read all of them anymore, and you think that leaving your DMs unanswered is only normal for all businesses. After all, do customers really think you have time for all of them?
As it turns out, they do.
The simple act of engaging them, whether by initiating the conversation or keeping it going, is a crucial part of customer engagement. Now more than ever, people want brands to hear them out and make them feel that their concerns are heard. The less your response, the less trustworthy you seem to provide the customer service they expect when purchasing from you.
Stretching the Truth
Sketchers USA, Inc. lost millions a couple of years back due to the false claims they made about their Shape-ups. There was no proof that these shoes could truly tone people’s buttocks, strengthen their legs, and help them lose weight. Being a popular brand, this product of theirs would’ve surely helped people achieve those goals, but they made the error of stretching the truth too thin. You may be familiar with other brands, such as Splenda, New Balance, Kellog’s Rice Krispies, and Volkswagen, who have all done the same and faced the legal consequences of their mistake.
It’s tempting to stretch the truth in your advertisements to attract or retain clients, but doing so with the risk of facing a lawsuit is not worth it. Never claim that you can’t prove because there’s no quicker way to lose your credibility than by marketing lies.
Insisting on Purchases
Remember what it feels like when you’re paying for your goods, and the cashier keeps on offering additional items? A lot of companies tend to give shoppers the same feeling, even online. Worse, some have even stopped making suggestions. They add them to the cart, leaving shoppers surprised at the additional item and cost. You were so sure they’d give in because your data shows that it’s the kind of product they like. Sadly, this method rarely works. Online shoppers today are eagle-eyed, and while they may let this incident pass once, they won’t be so kind the next time around.
The proper way to upsell new products is to provide incentives. Give out coupons and discount codes for those who make purchases of more than 300 or 500 dollars. Entice them, but don’t try to catch them off-guard or leave them with no options.
Ignoring Criticism
It’s not a personal dilemma, so thinking that silence is a good answer will not work. Every company, from the big ones to the start-ups, gets a bad review now and then. It’s frustrating to see these comments that feel unjustified, but you have to understand two facts about them: the first is that they exist to warn others, and the second is that everyone is now waiting to see how you’ll respond.
If you’ve always ignored them for the past months or years, now is the time to change your ways. Nobody expects a perfect company or customer service, but everybody appreciates your sincere effort to give them the best experience possible. This includes acknowledging their anger and finding ways to resolve the issue. A well-written response is often enough for others to try out your products or services despite a bad review.
How’s Your Credibility
Every business is guilty of one or two of these mistakes at some point. Regardless of how credibility fares during the pandemic, rest assured that you can still find ways to revive it, starting with these tips.
