Business Advice

A Business Lesson in Trust

By Deborah Collier

Businesses have been inspired by annual rises in internet sales over the last few years. But more recently, increases in online purchases, and the current economic climate have propelled more organisations to sell their products and services online. One of the biggest challenges they face with selling over the internet, is building consumer trust. Lets examine how organisations can meet this challenge.

Building Consumer Trust online involves assuring customers of your identity and credibility, as well as protecting the security of their information. When it comes to smaller businesses, and lesser-known brands, consumers are concerned that they are dealing...

...with a bonafide business, which will not only deliver on its promises, but also protect their personal details.

Have a look at our Consumer Trust Model
http://www.learnebusiness.com/echo_consumer_trust_model.html

This will show you what kind of details should be included on your web site, as well as advice on how to demonstrate credibility, but for now, I am going to focus on two key aspects of building trust over the internet.

Utilising User-Generated Content

Brand reality is entirely based on your customer's perception and if planned, built and managed well, a good online strategy can make a small business look like a mini-John Lewis. I always say that an online presence is like having your shop window in every living room in the country, so it is crucial to make sure it delivers what the business needs and equally what the customer has grown to expect from you in the offline world.

User-generated content is becoming commonplace in business because in modern society, people like their voice to be heard. We are no longer in a world where being broadcast to brands is deemed sufficient and people feel that their opinions, ideas and thoughts are valuable and they are equally stimulated by the contribution of... continued on page two >

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