When your brand is new to everyone, it’s an unknown value. One minute you weren’t there, and now you are. Getting traffic to your brand new website isn’t easy. No one trusts you.
And with the fly-by-night shops that pop up each day, it’s no wonder it’s hard to gain any traction in your market. Plus, you’re basically going head-to-head with other brands that have been around for quite some time.
So, how do you build brand trust and look like an established business, even if you’re a just starting out? Is it even possible?
It is, and we’re going to give you 8 solid ways you can build brand trust and look like just as credible and professional as the more established businesses in your industry.
Ready?
1. A Professionally Designed Logo
The most reputable brands have logos that stand out. These logos were in the design room for a long time. Plus, the companies behind them put a lot of money into making sure their logos represented them well.
Now, we aren’t saying that you have to go spend thousands to find the “perfect” logo for your company, but you probably shouldn’t go to Fiverr and walk away with a $5 logo either. Instead, find a reputable logo design company and talk with them about your brand, your focus, and your vision.
Afterward, let them come up with several ideas. Collaborate with them and don’t pick the first one. Always tweak it in some way.
2. Clean, Easy To Use Website
The next step in looking established is to have a clean, easy-to-use website. Nothing screams new brand, stay away, like a website that is cluttered or unfinished. Even worse, the “Hello World” blog post is still available in the archives.
One of the easiest platforms to work from for eCommerce is WordPress. Indeed, WordPress eCommerce websites are very popular because they are easy to build and they work with any number of eCommerce backends.
If you want to look established, spend the money on an eCommerce frontend that looks great, but is easy to navigate too. It should also be mobile-optimized or your customers will leave – trust us on this one!
3. Lots of Reviews
Next, you need to make sure you have plenty of reviews and/or testimonials on your website from real people.
Want to look even bigger than that? Have them leave reviews on Google and Yelp. The more reviews you have, the more established you will appear to be, even if all the reviews are from the past month. Social proof builds brand trust.
Most people don’t look at the dates on reviews, but rather the content of the reviews, the average stars and how many reviews you’ve amassed.
4. A Story Line With An Extended Timeframe
The key to building brand trust is being authentic. Tell the world your company’s story, but go beyond your start date. Talk about what led you to come up with your company, how the founders first met years prior, what other companies blazed the trail that you’re currently on, and how you actually started working on your business concept 10+ years ago.
One way to really stand out with your story is to use an infographic or an interactive timeline.
People like these types of design elements because they are easy to read and follow, and if created well, it’ll look professional, adding weight to your reputation.
5. Established And Active Social Media Accounts
People don’t like finding empty social media accounts. If your Facebook and Twitter accounts are empty, you’re fresh meat — end of story.
If you want to look established, use your accounts a lot.
The only way to hide that you’re new on the scene is to have tons of comments, posts, and conversations. The more vibrant your accounts look, the easier it will be to overlook their newness.
6. Use Video Content To Look Authoritative
Another great way to look established is to post a lot of video content. Think YouTube!
You don’t have to be established to sound authoritative by talking about how your industry has evolved over the decades, the extensive body of research that has informed your product line, and whatever other long-term experiences might be relevant to your audience.
If you know what you are talking about, and can provide value to the viewers, this is a great way to ease their minds about your brand. Don’t mention that you are new – just act like you belong on the same level as the big boys, and your confidence will make an impression.
7. Win An Award For Something
Win an award for something. It really doesn’t matter what it is. If you’ve won an award for the best customer service (as rated by XYZ company), it looks good. Maybe you can win an award in your local area for the best service provider in 20xx. And then let everyone know.
Finding awards to get nominated for aren’t hard – just find something that is related to your company in some way and try to win it. All you need is a badge or two, and people will be far more likely to trust you.
Add a BBB award, or a Secured by Norton sticker too, and people just accept that you’ve been around for some time. This is also a form of social proof that builds brand trust.
8. Of Course, Never Lie
Do not lie! If you make false claims regarding your company history or accolades and get caught (and eventually, you will), you will lose all trust and credibility.
We cannot stress this enough. Too many businesses “skirt” the truth, only to be caught later.
Once caught, they lose a ton of business – sometimes all of their business. Don’t risk it over trying to look bigger than you are.
Conclusion
That’s all there is to it! It doesn’t seem like much when you put it on paper, but it works.
Remember, establishing your brand can be broken down just like this:
- A professionally designed logo.
- A clean, easy to use website.
- Plenty of reviews.
- A storyline to give you some age.
- Active social media accounts.
- Video content to make you look authoritative.
- Some type of award.
If you have these handled, people will inherently trust you.
Using a headless eCommerce platform in conjunction with a killer WordPress theme can really help you stand apart from the crowd and can open up your design options. Amazon and other major sites have already started using headless commerce backends to control their website and all of the IoT devices. It’s only a matter of time until everyone catches up.
If you truly want to look professional, use the tips provided above and you’ll have everyone convinced. And after a little bit, you’ll be established and you won’t just look the part – you’ll have the lead role.
Editor’s Note: This article is part of the blog series Start Your Business brought to you by the marketing team at UniTel Voice, the virtual phone system priced and designed for startups and small business owners.
