The rules of trust are changing. Where customers used to trust large financial and commercial institutions without question, now that trust needs to be earned. This is benefiting start-ups and small businesses that offer accountability and a personal, authentic experience.

Technology, whether in the form of social media or seamless programming, is greatly contributing to this change. The concept of trust is steadily moving away from favoring large corporations and looking more towards individuals.

Technology has changed a lot in the past few years. It has allowed your mother to Facetime you multiple times a day, inspired your latest hobbying craze via Pinterest (successful or not is debatable) and repeatedly autocorrected the wrong words. We’ve all been there.

Technology has also made businesses more accountable to the public in a number of ways. Online reviews, responses through social media and ease of contact all add to this new concept of trust, emphasizing accessibility rather than a hierarchical culture.

Here a few pointers to help you increase trust when starting a digital business:

1. Visual Contact with Clients is Key- there is nothing more personal than face-to-face interaction of both parties. Skype or Facetime greatly increases rapport-increasing turnaround time. A friendly reminder is that video conferencing is pretty accurate these days, so it is quite akin to meeting face to face, take it seriously.
2. Personalize Your Website- Clients want to know who you are. You, yes YOU. Consumers react better to a photo of you than to a stock photo that conveys no sense of you or your business. Remember, clients are trusting in the individual, in the approachability of the company. Team and individual photos greatly add to a client’s trust, especially if you are the same face they will speak to on video conference.
3. Quick Communication-Clients are likely to shop around before choosing your business, so it is important to be easily accessible when inquiries come in. Give detailed answers and always offer a phone call or video conference if the client wishes for a more thorough response.

We are embarking on a new era of B2B & B2C interaction. Understanding this new kind of trust will allow businesses to flourish from behind a computer screen. Because, in reality, trust is and will continue to evolve when consumers have a comprehensive experience with a company, and there is really no place to hide.

Start-ups and small businesses have to be vigilant that their website, blogs, tweets and other forms of social media all convey the same message. This heightened level of transparency is integral.

We believe that this evolution of truth will propel new forms of business, enrich creative exploration and add to the consumer experience.

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Source: Xero