Building Brand Trust

8 Ways Your Startup Can Build Brand Trust & Look Professional

Starting a new business is challenging, especially when building trust. As a new player, your brand is a blank slate, facing skepticism in a market of established competitors.

With so many fleeting ventures out there, gaining a foothold and attracting traffic to your website is no small feat. So, how do you establish credibility and trust for your startup in such a competitive environment? Is it possible to stand out and be seen as reliable and established from the get-go?

Yes, it is. This article will explore eight practical strategies to build brand trust and make your startup appear credible and established as a long-standing name in your industry.

Let’s dive in

The most reputable brands have logos that stand out. These logos were in the design room for a long time. Plus, the companies behind them invested a lot of money to ensure their logos represented them well.

We aren’t saying that you have to spend thousands to find your company’s “perfect” logo, but you probably shouldn’t go to Fiverr and walk away with a $5 logo, either. Instead, find a reputable logo design company and talk with them about your brand, focus, and vision.

Afterward, let them come up with several ideas. Collaborate with them, and don’t pick the first one. Always tweak it in some way.

But if you’re feeling crafty, here’s a list of DIY logo makers.

2. Clean, Easy To Use Website

The next step in looking established is to have a clean, easy-to-use website. Nothing screams new brand. Stay away from a website that is cluttered or unfinished. Even worse, the “Hello World” blog post is still available in the archives.

One of the easiest platforms to work from for eCommerce is WordPress. Indeed, WordPress websites are very popular because they are easy to build and work with any number of eCommerce backends.

If you want to look established, spend the money on an eCommerce frontend that looks great but is easy to navigate. It should also be mobile-optimized, or your customers will leave – trust us.

Want more options? Here’s a list of the best e-commerce website builders.

3. Lots of Reviews

Next, you must ensure you have plenty of reviews and/or testimonials on your website from real people.

Want to look even bigger than that? Have them leave reviews on Google and Yelp. The more reviews you have, the more established you will appear to be, even if all the reviews are from the past month. Social proof builds brand trust.

Most people don’t look at the dates on reviews but rather the content of the reviews, the average stars, and how many reviews you’ve amassed.

Want to make collecting reviews easier? Here are the best review management tools of 2024.

4. A Story Line With An Extended Timeframe

The key to building brand trust is being authentic. Tell the world your company’s story, but go beyond your start date. Talk about what led you to come up with your company, how the founders first met years prior, what other companies blazed the trail you’re currently on, and how you started working on your business concept 10+ years ago.

One way to stand out with your story is to use an infographic or an interactive timeline.

People like these design elements because they are easy to read and follow, and if created well, they’ll look professional, adding weight to your reputation.

Need help? Read Founder Brand.

5. Established And Active Social Media Accounts

People don’t like finding empty social media accounts. If your Facebook and Twitter accounts are empty, you’re fresh meat — end of story.

If you want to look established, use your accounts a lot.

The only way to hide that you’re new is to have tons of comments, posts, and conversations. The more vibrant your accounts look, the easier it will be to overlook their newness.

6. Use Video Content To Look Authoritative

Another great way to look established is to post a lot of video content. Short form is the best kind. Think TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube Shorts.

You don’t have to be established to sound authoritative by talking about how your industry has evolved over the decades, the extensive body of research that has informed your product line, and whatever other long-term experiences might be relevant to your audience.

If you know what you are talking about and can provide value to the viewers, this is a great way to ease their minds about your brand. Don’t mention that you are new – act like you belong on the same level as the big boys, and your confidence will make an impression.

7. Win An Award For Something

Win an award for something. It doesn’t matter what it is. It would look good if you won an award for the best customer service (as rated by XYZ company). Maybe you can win an award in your local area for the best service provider in 20xx. And then let everyone know.

Finding awards to get nominated for isn’t hard – find something related to your company and try to win it. All you need is a badge or two, and people will be far more likely to trust you.

Add a BBB award or a Secured by Norton sticker, and people accept that you’ve been around for some time. This is also a form of social proof that builds brand trust.

Not having any social proof is a big marketing mistake.

8. Of Course, Never Lie

Do not lie! If you make false claims regarding your company history or accolades and get caught (and eventually, you will), you will lose all trust and credibility.

We cannot stress this enough. Too many businesses “skirt” the truth, only to be caught later.

Once caught, they lose a ton of business – sometimes all of their business. Don’t risk it over trying to look bigger than you are.

Conclusion

That’s all there is to it! It doesn’t seem much when you put it on paper, but it works.

Remember, establishing your brand can be broken down just like this:

  • A professionally designed logo.
  • A clean, easy-to-use website.
  • Plenty of reviews.
  • A storyline to give you some age.
  • Active social media accounts.
  • Video content to make you look authoritative.
  • Some type of award.

If you have these handled, people will inherently trust you.


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Editor’s Note: This article is part of the blog series Start Your Business by the marketing team at Unitel, the virtual phone system priced and designed for startups and small business owners.