COVID-19 has fundamentally changed the way people conduct business. More than ever, B2B relationships are starting digitally and require a solid online presence to build trust. This is why being easy to find and delivering a great user experience is essential to success. To successfully drive your business forward through the pandemic, you must manage your online reputation extremely carefully.
Trust is essential in the COVID and post-COVID B2B marketing and sales environment. Your business needs to deploy strategies that generate leads and sales from a distance.
Over and over again, we talk with clients about building a prospect’s trust across several online channels. There are many companies who do not use social media, or have allowed for years to go by without updating their website’s content or layout. These are the companies who need to act immediately or risk becoming a victim of the COVID-19 business climate. It’s no longer possible to ignore your online reputation; it must be managed very closely.
The Three C’s of Trust: Digital Marketing Must-Haves
People only buy from people they like and trust. As such, your business’ digital presence needs to convey the right qualities to align with your target audience. While trust is established over time, the process can be accelerated by focusing on the Three C’s of Trust:
- Competency: Your experience and expertise, supported by others.
- Consistency: You deliver regular, valuable communications that are not self-serving.
- Character: You honestly and professionally conduct business
These three elements should be prominently demonstrated throughout your marketing and sales activities. Your representation via website, social media, email, video and phone must all establish a sense of trust to generate results and lead to more revenue.
Video: 3 C’s of Trust with Founder and President of MoreSALES
Three Ways to Build Trust with Digital Marketing and Sales
With online experiences becoming even more important in the B2B landscape, your business needs to build trust and maintain it without physical relationships. To do this, your website and marketing/sales processes must work together very closely. Companies will only succeed if they:
- Are Easy to Find: This includes having an up-to-date website that is easy to use and delivers value through the form of on-brand content or related resources. It’s also key to have a website that’s responsive on mobile devices since search engines like Google will generally not rank your site if it does not deliver a positive mobile user experience.
- Shift Physical to Digital: If your business relies on the sale of goods, it’s absolutely a must to build an online e-commerce store. Providing 24/7 access to inventory, ordering, and shipment tracking provides the customer with a lasting sense of trust that builds loyalty.
- Keep in Touch: Technology makes it relatively easy to stay in touch with customers or prospects in a personal, yet scalable way. Whether you deploy systems to help sales follow-up individually, or use email and marketing automation to reach hundreds or thousands of people at once, keeping in touch will help maintain the trust your company has built.
“If you don’t manage your online reputation, others will manage it for you.”
– Mike Jennings, Founder and President of MoreSALES
Grow Your Business with Digital Marketing and Sales Strategies
We at MoreSALES look at the new post-COVID business environment and see significant potential for growth in companies that recognize and accept their new digital reality. Now’s the time to invest in your digital presence to build trust and better sales.
Want a complimentary assessment of your business’ online presence? Contact MoreSALES to discover how your business can enhance its digital competitiveness.
