By Shahnaz Rauf
Expert Author
Trust is that one single factor that in itself can propel your business empire beyond limits.
Just like you trust your lawyer, your accountant, your doctor or even your hair dresser, you also unequivocally trust all the other shops from which you do your regular business: your grocer, your butcher, your clothes shop etc.
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Similarly online, Trust has always been a major player in unlocking the gates to your business kingdom. With the emerging trends towards believability and honesty, it is even more critical.
So What is trust? It is basically a projection of yourself or your image. The way your clients view you. They respect your opinions, your expertise, your integrity, your reliability and view you as an authority. They totally believe that you will work in their best interest. So how do you project that image? Yes "How To Build Trust Online" can be a major concern. Here are 14 do-able ways to build trust and keep it:
1. Provide complete contact information - name, email, snail mail, and phone number.
2. Answer all communications promptly.
3. Create an `about-us` page. . . where besides professional background you also put in some personal information.
4. Write a personal letter addressed to your client emphasizing your credibility, your achievements, the issue at hand etc. and place it on your website.
5. Put some of your personal photos - so your client gets to know how you look and can trust you better.
6. provide honest testimonials from real people, put these with complete name, place and at least website link. With the prevailing concept of power-linking, you can easily get as many testimonials as you want.
7. If your ad has appeared on TV or your press release has appeared in the news, provide an "As Seen on" link to the story or press release.
8. Announce a professional article with your by-line/powerful resource box at least once every 2 weeks.
9. If your articles appear in prestigious publications, create an ‘My articles as seen on’ directory on your website, giving dates and names of publications and online links where your article appears online.
10. Publish a periodic newsletter to maintain regular contact with your clients. And try to help them out as much as you can.
11. Prominently display your privacy policy, terms of operation and procedure of work/code of conduct/ ethics on your website.
12. Tell your clients how many hours you will be spending on their order, how much expertise and technique you will be putting in, how difficult it is, your exact method of operation. Display some finished samples of your work.
13. Tell them how good you are, how well appreciated, how many awards you have received.
14. Join organizations like icop or BBB and prominently display their logos on your website.
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Shahnaz Rauf is a freelancer actively seeking writing projects. She is also The Editor of The Monster Twister - a Newsletter helping ordinary web owners achieve extraordinary heights without losing their shirts. To Subscribe mailto: themonstertwister-subscribe@snzeport.com Or visit http://www.snzeport.
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