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How to Make Your Business Look Credible and Trustworthy Online

#SmallBizChat – July 27, 2011

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Featured on tonight’s

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http://influencers.smallbiztrends.com/story.php?id=1870


The SmallBiz Challenge

• All small businesses face a challenge: demonstrating trustworthiness and credibility to their future customers

• Oftentimes when potential clients visit a small business site, they do not have any indication whether they can trust that business or not

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Major Inhibitor of EcommerceA small online merchant thinks

her web storefront conveys…However, visitors to her storefront are unable to verify trustworthiness and

think...

of internet users

unwilling to shop onlinedue to SECURITY and TRUST concerns.

> 50%

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Facts• 92% of consumers are concerned about their

security when shopping on new or unknown websites1

• More than 63% of shoppers do not complete an online purchase because of security and trust concerns2

• 88% of online shoppers said that the protection of their personal data was their top concern3

• 7 out of every 10 shopping carts are abandoned

1. http://www.ecommerce-guide.com/resources/article.php/38273812. http://staysafeonline.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=543. http://us.mcafee.com/en-us/local/docs/LR-51384.pdf4. http://www.fortune3.com/blog/2011/06/shopping-cart-abandonment-2011/

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Online Trust• If you are not showing that you are a trustworthy

and reliable business, you are going to lose sales

• Trust is a dynamic and ever changing factor in mind of customers

• Must ensure that consumers do not have any reason to get concerned at any time, especially at the point of purchase

• Websites featuring fresh and recent content such as blog posts, tweets, and customer feedback helps build credibility with shoppers

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How to Make Your Business Look Credible and Trustworthy OnlineMake sure your website follows these tips and includes this information:

• Management/Owner Information• Actively Engage Customers• Use Online Video to Virtually Introduce

Yourself and Promote Your Business• The KikScore Solution – Trust Marks/Seals

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Management/Owner Information

• Background information on each manager/owner provides shoppers with the comfort that there is a real person behind your business

• Make your business accessible by prominently displaying contact information for customer service and management information

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“About Us” Page

• Tell your story as a small business• Consumers like stories and

supporting underdogs• Make it personal

• Let your visitors know you are authentic

• Location • Don’t be scared of giving

location; give at least the city of where you are located

• Include picture of you and your team• Put a face behind the business

• Gives your customers transparency into your business

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Testimonials• Testimonials, case studies,

summaries of results, and white papers are helpful to build credibility

• Shoppers and website visitors want to make sure other people have used your business before and had a pleasurable experience

• Every testimonial should include name, URL, and positive customer feedback that recommends your product

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Actively Engage Customers

• Use social media sites like Twitter and Facebook to create a tangible brand and personality to engage customers

• Humanize your Twitter photos and Facebook Profile pictures

• Blogs allow conversations to occur between you and customers, giving shoppers a more complete, intimate look into your business

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Actively Engage Customers• However, dormant social

media profiles can raise questions about whether or not you are still in business; either shut them down or reinvigorate them

• Depending on your intended market, only focus on social media outlets where potential clients can be found and do not waste time on the others

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Introductory Online Video

• The fresh, new trend online is using videos to introduce the management of your small business to potential customers

• Personalizes visits and allows shoppers to virtually “meet” the management

• Allows potential clients to see who they are about to do business with and gives you a boost of credibility

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Promotional Online Videos• Online videos can be used for a variety of reasons to

demonstrate credibility, not solely introductions• Some examples include:• Product Video – it is more appealing to hear

someone describe a product and highlight the key benefits

• Customer Testimonial – short video from a customer promoting your business definitely builds trust

• Educational Video – contain educational tips and research for customers, both building your brand and teaching your audience

• Thought Leadership Video – upload conference speeches or panel sessions to demonstrate yourself and business as a thought leader in the industry

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Trust Marks/Seals• 86% of online shoppers feel more confident about

shopping on websites using security indicators, such as trust marks1

• Validate online small businesses, solidifying the credibility and trustworthiness of a business

• Many trust seals promote their own brand name, ensuring trust by association; by putting their brand name on your site, people will think your business is trustworthy

• Yet more credible is the trust seal that emphasizes transparency to the customer, taking all of your important small business information into consideration

1. http://www.verisign.com/static/013506.pdf

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KikScore Confidence Badge • Permits small businesses to

uses information about themselves, their business, and their track record of reliability and display it in a report card to shoppers

• Includes a dynamic online trust score based on the information about your business

Trust through Transparency!

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Which Businesses Need to Show They are Trustworthy?All small businesses, not just online stores

• Bloggers• Realtors• Non-profits• Charities

• Whether you’re selling online or just marketing your service, you should consider using trust seals

• A trust seal that allows you to convey to shoppers that you are willing to be transparent about your business is vital for success

• Lawyers• Accountants• Plumbers• Contractors

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Roadblocks to Demonstrating Trust• Lacks of transparency and information about a

business present an immediate roadblock

• Typos look terrible and reduce credibility

• Websites that do not include the following look distrustful:• No contact information• No privacy policy• No return policy• No trust seals

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Three Steps to Take RIGHT NOW1. Create an introduction video and make it visible it on

your website to introduce yourself and your product or service to shoppers and website visitors

2. Put up a recent testimonial. Find one of your customers who loves your business. Approach them about either writing a testimonial or taking a short video, and put that on your website.

3. Construct a unique pledge to your customers and post it on your homepage. What do you pledge to do for your customers or the community? Whatever it is, put it on your homepage. A pledge can help show you are authentic, credible, and a business that not only can be trusted, but cares about their customers

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Questions and Comments• If you have any questions about the

#SmallBizChat, this presentation, or KikScore, feel free to contact us at:• [email protected]• 1-877-KikScore• Twitter: @KikScore• Facebook: www.facebook.com/kikscore

• Or if you just want to keep the conversation going, please visit our blog at blog.kikscore.com

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Download - How to Make Your Business Look Credible and Trustworthy Online

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