The key to demonstrating the value of your business is all about the steps you take to develop lasting relationships with customers who trust, recognise and remain loyal to your brand whilst actively using these relationships to appeal to potential new customers and build your brand’s identity.
The online space is very competitive and unless you’re an entirely unique business, operating in a very niche market or already dominating your field, you’re likely to have to compete with similar businesses and work to keep both existing and potential customers from clicking towards a competitor.
By successfully establishing the value that your brand offers, as well as the value that customers perceive, to potential consumers that interact with any of your online touchpoints, you can start growing your customer base, increasing profits and retention, and generating a positive, lasting representation of your brand.
Communicating your value, however, isn’t as easy as telling visitors what your business does or how you can benefit them. You are always going to say positive things about your own business – so why should the user believe you?
When it comes to value - it’s all about showing, not telling
Below are 8 ways you can demonstrate and substantiate the value of your business in ways that will resonate with potential and existing customers:
Use customer reviews and feedback
According to research from Dimensional Research, a huge 90% of customers say their buying decisions are influenced by online reviews. People are more likely to view your products and services as valuable if they see real recommendations from real customers.
Get customers involved in creating content
Another way customers can help authenticate the value that you bring to their lives is by creating content about your brand. Encouraging customers to take photos or videos of them using or enjoying your products or services will generate real-life examples of your brand in action that you can share across your digital platforms.
Boost your search engine ranking
It’s not just other customers that consumers will trust. Online users trust search engines to supply them with relevant, recognised businesses that offer quality and some form of authority. The higher your business ranks in search engine results pages, the more likely a potential customer is to believe that your business is credible and therefore any suggestion of value, whether internally or from customers, can be trusted.
Care about your customers’ security
Think outside the box about the different values that you offer your customers. It’s not just about having great products or a fantastic user experience. It’s also about how you care for your customers and their personal information. Demonstrate your commitment to keeping their data safe. By showing that you value your customers, consumers will start to value your business.
Make the most of any awards or qualifications
Show your customers that your value to the industry or specific activities has been recognised by your peers or authorities in your sector. This will help to build your credibility and authority.
Build up your social media followings
Although it’s important that you don’t just buy a large social following and think that’s enough, your online social following will give potentially interested users a good indication of how customers value your brand’s online identity and choose to engage with it. Connect with and grow a genuine audience who will interact with and advocate your brand. This is much more important that thousands of fake, inactive or uninterested followers.
Feature recommendations, reviews and user-generated content in your marketing
Having this content is one thing – but you really need to make the most of it to demonstrate your value effectively. Use your positive reviews or customer photos in your email and social marketing and within your website. Choose key locations where customers will be making decisions to highlight the value of completing an action.
Respond to criticism – within reason!
Customers and potential customers alike are much more likely to value and respect a brand that handles potentially negative situations proactively. Managing negative comments can do a lot for your reputation as it highlights that you care about your customers and if handled well, you could turn something bad into something good. Show your customers that you respect their views and potential customers will feel reassured that they will be listened to if a problem ever arose.