As a business, your credibility is perhaps the most important aspect that can help you foster long-lasting relationships with your customers. But how do you build credibility?
Along the way, several people would have given you tips to be successful in your business. However, very few would have told you to avoid certain practices that will ruin all credibility with your customer base.
Breaking The Law
Customers do not want to associate themselves with businesses that are on the wrong side of the law in any way. Business owners try to evade taxes, sell unethical products or procure items illegally.
Ethics is an issue that is dear to clients at this age. The knowledge that a retailer breaks laws for profits can lead them to break their bond forever. You may get tempted to follow them to make more money. However, customers never want to associate with such businesses.
Incorrect Advertising
False advertising can get you sales in the short term. However, it is always a poor decision in the long run. Moreover, The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulates advertisements. As per the law, you are liable to convey only accurate messages. If not, you may end up with legal troubles.
Apart from avoiding deliberate false advertisements, verifying the claims you make is equally essential. For instance, if you are in the business of snacks and cereals, saying that your sugary cereal is nutritious can get you a legal case before you know it!
Wrong Hiring
Your team represents your business. A salesperson has to endorse your products to sell them to the customers. It is the reason you should hire only after meticulous deliberation.
Apart from this, you should always hire according to a plan. Understaffing and spreading your staff too thin can lead to not only unhappy employees, but also unhappy customers.
Focusing Only On The Business
Whether new or old, small or big, every business has an ethical and societal responsibility. A simple step like emailing the invoices instead of printing them on paper can convey that you are mindful of the environment. Another example is if you manufacture frames and yard signs, offer them sustainable natural products instead of plastic ones.
Understandably, you can adopt every right practice while running your business. Thus, pick your goals to narrow down what you care about and would like to promote through the way you run your business. Most retailers are big on adopting sustainable choices these days. If your business allows you to do it, you can follow it.
Spamming
You want to maintain a line of continuous communication with your customers. However, spamming them with endless texts, emails, and cold calls can put your customers off. They will instantly block you due to annoyance and borderline harassment.
Do all your social media posts promote your products or services? If yes, you need to change that strategy too. Customers engage better when they see and read informational posts. That doesn’t mean it can’t relate to your business, but something besides simple spamming of your products will be beneficial in the long-term.
Poor Customer Service
Whether you have a brick-and-mortar store or sell only online, you need to allow customers to reach you. It could be through an email or a phone number.
How you treat your customers post-purchase is extremely important in motivating them to repeat buying. When you receive a customer complaint or a query, make sure to get back to them. They will appreciate you and be more comfortable doing future business with you.
Interrupt Customers
You believe you are the best in the business. But that does not give you the right to demean your customers or ignore their ideas. A successful business owner should always be all ears to new ideas and feedback.
It may be difficult at first by listening to negative remarks and feedback, but that criticism will make your business better. Never be rude to your customers, even when you do not like their ideas. Instead, always thank them for sharing their feedback.
Focus Only On Profits
Sure, your business is your income. However, you have to spend time to make your business successful. Advertising is a classic example of understanding this. Without marketing, you may not be able to spread awareness to new customers or announce upcoming offers and discounts to old ones.
For instance, attending conferences and events is an excellent way to meet new clients. Investing in quality banners and flags will help you make an impression at such events and get the maximum ROI.
Not Admitting Mistakes
Everyone makes mistakes, and no business is ever error-free. If you have made a mistake, it is always a good idea to own up to it. Never blame the other party, or it can lead to dire consequences for your business.
In this age of social media, information spreads like wildfire. One post can destroy years of your hard work. So when posting online, make sure you are careful what you say and how you go about saying it.
Black-Hat Links
In this digital age, SEO rankings are essential to increase the visibility of your business online. However, it is unethical to build these links wrongfully. Some businesses try to comment unnecessarily in forums and spam in the comment sections.
A better way is to write and post informative blogs to help your target audience. Not only do you post informative articles, you gain a greater level of trust from your customer base. By having that trust in your business, they are more likely to buy from you again and again.
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