It’s crazy out there. The market is bouncing like a basketball. Consumers are keeping their wallets in their pockets. The tried and true doesn’t seem so true anymore. So it’s more important than ever to keep your customers comfortable. They have to know you aren’t vanishing today, or tomorrow. You have to make your customers feel secure. If you lack credibility, your customers will lack that comfort! Here are a few easy, and few not-so-easy, things you can do to make your customers comfortable.
1. Put a phone number and address on every single page of your website. People are a lot more comfortable if they know it’s easy to get to you. So check your website. Is that number there, prominently on every page?
2. Update! Update your website, your marketing materials, your emails, your message. If you’ve got your Christmas message up in June, that doesn’t look very credible to your customers.
3. TELL people you’ve updated. Not only is this an opportunity to get in front of your customer with a new sales message; it’s an opportunity to let people know you are on top of things and remaining proactive and relevant. A new business card, direct mail piece, email, Twitter feed, or blog entry is a great way to let people know you’re still around… and still working for their business.
4. Surround yourself with credible people. Who do you think is the most credible person around you? Your lawyer? Your banker? Your local bed and breakfast? Look at what they do. What makes them feel credible to you? Surrounding your business with other credible businesses makes customers comfortable. It’s why testimonials and recommendations work so well… which reminds me…
5. Put testimonials on your website, blog, printed materials, and anywhere else you can think of to strut your (very credible) stuff.
