10 Ways to Earn Customer Trust When You Have Zero Sales
There are no shortcuts to building a loyal customer base. Trust is the foundation of any personal or professional long-term relationship. But as a new business, you may have wondered: how to build trust with customers if you have no sales to back you up? Is that possible?
Yes, it is! You can still make a name for your business in numerous ways.
- Highlight the humanistic side of your company
With the pandemic hitting us, more people are shopping online. Since a buyer and a seller cannot interact physically, it’s important to build your brand in a way where you’re highlighting its humanistic side as well.
Include an ‘About Us’ page on your website or online shop to let customers know about the main minds behind your business. Another tip is to include personalized messages in your communications — emails, SMS, etc. You could also consider a personalized ‘thank you’ note with every product shipped out.
2. Detailed product information
From a user’s point of view, they can be extremely skeptical about buying products that have no sales, reviews, or testimonials. Most often, they skip such products and move on to the next reliable seller. Users can easily browse online and make an informed decision by seeing your competition’s products.
Tackle this challenge by providing detailed information about your products on your website. Explain everything elaborately: from the weight, height, ingredients, etc., to the warranty of the product.
3. Clear refund, return, and exchange policies
Well-planned, clear refund and return policies build confidence in a consumer even without a single sale. Include after how many days your customers can expect a refund, how the product would be picked up, etc., in your policy. Devise an easy exchange policy as well.
Advertising these policies attractively on your banners, product images, or website is also recommended.
4. Link to website
Always link your social media and online shop to your website. While it doesn’t need to be elaborate, the website should highlight:
- Your company’s mission and vision
- Who you are (About Us page)
- What you do
- Products catalog
- Refund, return, and exchange policy page
This builds your company’s credibility. Any customer would perceive your company as trustworthy and having enough industry expertise to have a live website. This is one of the best ways to earn customer trust even when you have zero sales.
5. Strong customer service
How to build trust with customers? This is the oldest rule in the book. Any company with strong customer service is trusted well, as it gives the impression that they immensely value the customer’s point-of-view and experience. You should also provide prompt responses on your social media accounts for any product queries.
You can have a 24x7 pop-up or a chatbox integrated on your website where customers can ask any questions related to your products or services. You should respond to them within 24 hours through automated responses or representatives.
This will help you build a customer database as well by asking for the user’s details and keeping them up-to-date with your new offerings. However, ensure that only targeted and relevant customers are receiving these messages.
6. Offer Cash on Delivery and diverse payment options
Customers can be wary when ordering from a new seller who has no references or reviews. So, if you can include Cash on Delivery or Pay on Delivery in your business model, then nothing like it!
Customers also trust companies that accept different payment modes. Some prefer net banking, Paypal, VISA, or Mastercard. Others may prefer UPI or even bitcoin! It is common for users to abandon the cart when their preferred mode of payment is not available. Hence, include as many options as possible.
7. Quality content
Quality content marketing is extremely important when you are a budding business.
Have clear and appealing product images. If it is a service, ensure that your creatives have a clear message regarding it. Overall, your social media pages, website, and e-commerce shop should be connected and coordinated. They shouldn’t look too different from each other. The consumer should be able to connect them all.
Also, invest in top-quality content. Have blogs, videos, etc., that will increase your site traffic and increase engagement to gain customer trust and boost sales online. Your website’s quality also reflects how committed you are to your business.
8. Spread the word
Create hype about the launch of your products or services! The ideal way to go about this is to send free samples to influencers and opinion leaders relevant to your target audience. They would spread the word if they like your product and promote it, and even become potential customers! This is the best way to earn trust even with zero sales.
9. FAQ page
Add a frequently-asked-questions (FAQs) section on your online store and website. New customers would have several looming questions regarding your products. Pick the most common questions and those that have high search volumes, give precise answers, and you’ll start getting website traffic!
These questions should cover common queries and also the features of your products or services.
10. Add your credentials
Always add credentials. If a trusted authority has verified your product or service, ensure you leverage this information. If you’re a registered member of a regulatory body or esteemed organization, mention that too.
Besides these, these are a few courteous things you can do to gain customer trust and boost sales online:
- Post-sales follow-up
Contact the customer courteously after you’ve made the sale and they have had time to use your product or service. Enquire about their experience. This builds loyalty and your business’s reputation as a considerate brand.
- Request for feedback
Call, or rather, email a customer to know their feedback. You could even ask them to post a review on your e-commerce shop or website.
- After-sales services
Many new companies offer after-sales services as it leads to higher customer satisfaction, word-of-mouth marketing, and most importantly, brand loyalty. It could be a warranty or repair service, user training, coupons, service connections, etc.
Build Your Company on Trust
While sales are extremely crucial for your business, trust is even more so. Just like any other relationship, customer relationships are built purely on trust. Once you build a long-term customer relationship, you’re on your journey to create a loyal customer base and reap the rewards over time.
Wondering how to build your trust with your customers with zero sales? The motto is: always make your clients your top priority. This is the best way to gain customer trust and boost sales online.
We hope that these 10 Ways to Earn Customer Trust When You Have Zero Sales helped you out.
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