Originally posted on https://www.ripemedia.com/connect-with-your-base-8-tried-and-true-tips-for-building-a-brand-clients-trust/

 

Did you know that 61% of all potential clients check out a brand’s reputation before deciding to do business with them?

This is especially true of businesses that have an online presence – which is most businesses these days. Building a brand is mandatory if you want to succeed in business and earn good revenue.

That’s why you can’t afford to cut corners when it comes to improving brand perception. You need to be proactive about building a brand that’s well-liked, and that’s seen to genuinely work to solve customers’ problems.

The following tips will help you build an easily recognizable and well-liked brand.

Have a Distinctive Identity

People’s perception of your brand plays a critical role in helping your business succeed. Having great products and services is not enough.

You need to get your brand into people’s heads. Think about it, where do you go to for retail purchases online? Amazon right? What about coffee? Starbucks?

How about hardware? Home Depot? Clan, organic foods? Whole Foods? And if you want retail stores offline, the first two names that pop in your head are Walmart and Target.

The point is all big brands tend to have a distinctive identity. They’re known for fulfilling specific needs. When building a brand, ask yourself what you want to be known for.

The clearer you are about this, the better for your business. And when you do figure it out, create a brand that’s unforgettable by being consistent with your branding. Become known for something impressive.

Develop Solid Customer Support

Do you know that people are willing to pay 17 percent more for products or services created by reputable firms with good customer support?

More interestingly, 52 percent of consumers say they’ve bought more products from a company because of good customer service.

This is why you need to prioritize excellent customer service delivery. Companies that do this are well known and liked. Even more, great customer service serves as a free, cheap and effective marketing tool.

This is because people tend to recommend you to family, friends, and colleagues. Take care of your customer care, and you’ll see your brand enjoy a lot more growth.

Create Powerful First Impressions

Do you have a forgettable brand? Or one that people remember? You need a brand that makes a good first impression. What’s your website like? How user-friendly is it? What about your logo and brand colors? Do people even vaguely remember you?

If they don’t, then you’re doing a poor job of building a brand that’s worthy of notice. If you cannot make an impression in 7 seconds, it will be hard to get people interested in your company, products or services.

This is the one thing that great brands have mastered. Popular brands have that “notice me” quality. They’re essentially unforgettable.

You may not really pay attention to them at first, but sooner than later, you’ll find yourself paying attention. This is why you must endeavor to use creative branding strategies.

Build a stunning, user-friendly website. Have a solid logo and pick powerful, bright colors that correlate with your brand. People tend to notice them very quickly.

Ensure Your Product Quality is Consistently good

Now that you have a great looking website and made a good first impression, it’s important to keep your prospects interested. How? By consistently delivering excellent service and/or products.

For instance, Toyota has consistently held the number one position for the number of Japanese cars sold in the US. Why? Ask the average Toyota user, and they’ll tell you that it’s the most reliable car they’ve used.

Little wonder they’ve sold almost 10 million units in 5 years, and have such loyal fan base. When you buy a Toyota, you know you’re never going to worry about expensive parts or high maintenance.

The vehicles run and get you from point A to B with good comfort. And with consistent maintenance, your Toyota will serve you for years. The point is people are more than happy to spend money with your company for years if your quality is guaranteed.

So, work hard at establishing solid SOPs that guarantee the quality expected by your buyers.

Adopt Transparency and Honesty

By being transparent, we mean you should be secure enough about your service or product to tell customers what it can and cannot do. Don’t promise a certain result and not deliver. It’s just bad form and does nothing good for your reputation.

Customers appreciate companies that can tell them the truth, and may even do business with them because of that. For instance, if a prospect is looking for a service you can’t deliver, simply refer them to those who can.

If they don’t use your service today, they’ll remember you -see how you’ve made an impression?- and refer others who need exactly what you have to offer.

Encourage Customers to Talk About Your Brand

If you’re just starting out, you need all the help you can get. An effective strategy that works for building a brand is getting your customers and clients to talk about you.

This means referrals and recommendations. If you do a good enough job, they’ll definitely do that. the problem with waiting for them to use their initiative is that it can take a long time.

Instead, encourage them to spread the word. This can be in the form of reviews, which are great at influencing buying decisions. They can also be in the form of verbal recommendations to friends and family.

Also, you can encourage this by offering them an incentive to spread the word about your business. Something as simple as giving them a discount on their next purchase or order will do.

Is That All on Building a Brand?

These fundamental tips work for building a brand that grows and lasts. If this is your goal, then you should really implement the tips we’ve outlined. If you need help with branding, get in touch with Ripe Media here or call us today on (323) 882-6874.