Are you looking to build a new startup, gain more customers, and wondering how to do it? The answer is simpler said than done: Trust. This isn't about your trust in the customer's wallet, but the customer's trust in your services or products. As you read on, you'll see that trust isn't about a deep relationship. It's about the willingness to entrust your company with a project.

Trust Must Be Earned

Imagine you run a business for doors, gates, and windows. Your target audience is small to medium-sized industrial companies.

The owner of an office complex needs new windows for the building because the old ones are partially damaged. He doesn't know your company exists. He starts looking for a competent company to make and install the windows to his specifications.

How will he start his search? In 2022, it's likely he'll use the internet and a search engine of his choice. Alternatively, every smartphone has a navigation app that can find nearby companies. This allows the searcher to conveniently and anonymously look for companies suitable for his project.

With this in mind, let's look at ways to establish and maintain contact and basic trust with this potential new customer:

• Own Website
• References / Reviews
• Good Customer Service
• Social Media

A Clean Online Presence

The most important showcase for your company is your own website. You don't need to hire an expensive web agency. Especially at the start of self-employment, this is usually unaffordable. However, there are software options that let you build your website like a kit.

To create your own website that convinces others of your work and professionalism, keep the following in mind:

• Ensure a clear, straightforward structure. Visitors should quickly find all information.
• Avoid spelling or translation errors. These raise doubts about your credibility.
• Include an "About Us" page introducing your company, employees, and yourself, preferably with qualifications. This gives visitors faces and an idea of who would handle their project.
• Keep your website updated regularly. A site not updated for over 3 years is off-putting, as information like phone numbers may be outdated.
• Clearly state your company's skills and services.
• Critically review the site a few days after creating it to ensure it looks professional.
• Read up on "Search Engine Optimization" (SEO) and follow guidelines to make your website searchable.

By following these points, you can create a suitable website for a young company and significantly reduce monthly costs through your own efforts.

For comparison: A website created with a homepage builder costs (besides your labor) between €9.00 and €39.00 monthly. Hiring a professional web agency costs several hundred to several thousand euros, depending on the features. It might be worthwhile to design the first website yourself initially.

At the same time, you've created THE showcase to practice initial customer contact and form subconscious trust connections.

Reviews Are Gold

Once the first projects are completed, strive to get objective feedback from your customers. If you feel it's suitable for public display, include it on your website. Other interested parties often use past customer experiences to decide whether to hire you or your competition. If you have references praising your service and friendliness, new customers will give you a sympathy bonus.

Additionally, ask customers if you can take photos of each project to use as references. Display these images on a medium of your choice (flyers, TV, etc.) in your sales area or office and upload them to your website. This showcases the great projects your company has successfully completed.

The Customer Is King!

This exaggerated phrase from 1909 means that customers will return if treated well, their wishes are met, and problems are solved—ideally before they even know they have them. You don't need to scatter flower petals on their path.

In customer service, aim to appear open-hearted and honest. Authentic, in other words. Approach your customer kindly and do everything possible to meet their needs. They'll thank you by returning for more business. Over time, you'll move beyond initial trust to a kind of familiarity. This is also how you find long-term partners.

Maintain Your Social Media

To succeed in modern times, you can't avoid having your own social media channels. Accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and others provide a direct line to end customers, while platforms like Xing or LinkedIn offer new business contacts and information exchange with other entrepreneurs.

With a post, you can announce spontaneous promotions or events. When writing, choose your words carefully. It should sound human but not offensive. Avoid jargon for readability and to suggest you're on equal footing with the customer.

Social media channels need regular maintenance, even more so than your website. As your voice to the masses of customers and partners, it requires some PR marketing skill. If you accidentally spark one controversy after another, your trust base quickly turns into a mistrust base, the opposite of your goal.

Conclusion

At first glance, gaining customer trust seems demanding. Especially at the start of a business, there's a lot of work to present your image externally.

Take it one step at a time. Start with a website. Spend enough time on the design process to ensure it has an impact. After a few months, gradually set up social media channels and practice PR marketing.

Offer good service and ask customers for feedback on your work. This is your key to a large customer base.

There are more ways to build trust with customers. Company events, creative customer gifts, content marketing, etc. These methods offer interaction opportunities with customers, generating sympathy and trust.

PS: Are you starting a business or looking to expand your portfolio with a new product or service? Check out the Business Generator.