How to Build Your Business Credibility without Breaking the Bank

As with anything of value, it takes time, money, and effort to build the reputation of your business. If you are the new kid in the block, it can be difficult to win the trust of people who are generally wary of trying new things, even if these are better alternatives.

More than just being the next viral thing, you want your brand to be associated with quality, reliability, and customer service. It’s a tall order but something you can accomplish while still on budget. The key is to think, strategize, and spend where it works.

Are you ready to explore strategies to build a name for your business and gain the confidence of customers without exhausting your reserves? Here they are.

Make a Website

More and more individuals use the internet, and they use it for many reasons, including shopping. If you are selling products, an e-commerce site is indispensable. Focus on these:

• Usability: it should take a few clicks to add an item to a shopping cart and check out.
• Content: the descriptions are relevant for buyers to make a considered decision. You can add user reviews to level their expectations about the product. Don’t overpromise.
• Security: users should be protected when they settle their bill at checkout.

Even if your business is not solely reliant on online sales, like a coffee shop, you can still maintain a website to let people know or confirm the establishment’s existence. Use it to inform readers about your company’s vision, history, product, and updates that they can subscribe to through newsletters.

Engage in Social Media

A quick search on Google reveals that an internet user has an average of seven accounts on social media platforms. It may not be accurate for all, but it’s a gauge of social media’s popularity, so you have a two-fold task:

• Create corporate social media accounts to (a) post updates and (b) respond to queries.
• Station a social media strategist to feel the public’s pulse and customer support to resolve customer concerns.

People prefer to communicate via instant messaging and direct messages because these are quick, casual, and convenient. You can leverage these points to reach out to your audience and foster relationships with them.
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Get Yourself out There

It’s another way to engage your audience and gain exposure for your company. This is where your persona and public speaking skills matter. The likes of Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, and Jack Dorsey have as much public following as that of the products and brands they represent.

You don’t have to speak about your business or products all the time; you can impart industry knowledge that is valuable to people. Join business-oriented organizations, be the face of your company’s YouTube channel, and give a TED talk, among other things.

Customize Your PackagingDesigning your company’s logo is one of the toughest aspects of branding because it is your identity, and everything goes from there. Consequently, the boxes that enclosed your products are part of your brand and should also be customized.

• The packaging must be aesthetically pleasing to your customers.
• The packaging must be practical to protect the contents and withstand damage.

Here’s a resource on what constitutes the right packaging for your products. Take time to conceptualize your box prototype, such as the color scheme and material, to save on costly mistakes.
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Invest in Your Employees

Your employees are the backbone of your day-to-day operations, ensuring the work gets done from the actual production to social media posts. While it may cost more up front, it’s more cost-effective to hire people with the right skill set for the job. You pay for their experience and expertise, which take years to build like your business credibility.

If you notice, the strategies shared here don’t require you to expand your marketing or PR budget more than is necessary. Remember, you can’t make a name for your business overnight; think long term, and work toward being a household name.

Tara Bernal

Tara Desquitado specializes in content management for Testclear, a drug testing advisor and online seller of home drug testing kits. She occasionally writes for Testclear about drug testing focusing on workplace, business, recruiting management and other related topics.