This article contains information on how to prove that your online business is legitimate.
There is a rising rate of fake businesses and deceptive websites online. However, the problem lots of legitimate online business owners are facing is how to distinguish their legitimate online investments from deceptive ones.
There have been lots of cases where potential customers and clients make payments to buy goods or services online but finally discover that they have been scammed.
They never got what they paid for, and also didn’t get their payment refunded back to them.
So many people now see online businesses as scams. But this doesn’t mean that there are no real online businesses out there.
If you are running a legitimate online business then you should run it in the right way for the web users to gain full trust in it.
In my previous article, I talked about the 11 best Blogging Platforms For Starters. This is because I have discovered that many people get enlightened about the importance of not just owning a blog, but also doing business out of it.
So, if you make money out of your blogging experience or do business online, you should put yourself in the shoes of your online customers.
When you do so, you will realize there is a huge amount of trust demanded by such customers.
In an online business, your website is the main connection your potential customers have with you. They don’t know if you can be trusted or even if you know what you are talking about.
So, how do you prove that your online business is legitimate to enjoy high patronage?
Table of Contents
Ways to Know Legitimate Online Business
1. Free Yet High-Quality Information
Whenever a visitor comes to your website and sees that you supply quality written content that is helpful to them, they will be more likely to stay on your site for a longer time.
They may also be encouraged to sign up for your email list to receive more information from you.
Always remember that everyone who comes to a particular site comes for a reason, and in most cases, that reason is to get information about something.
When your website provides such information, your site visitors will trust your site and will come back again.
For a website or an online business to look legitimate, do not make the navigation complicated, visitors leave quickly. On the other hand, if it is well structured and focused on the visitor’s experience, then there is a high prospect that they stay longer on the website.
Take simplicity into consideration. You have everything in front of you just as you visit the site, and there are no hidden buttons.
3. Offer Guarantee
People will be cautious about buying a product or service from an online business that they know absolutely nothing about.
But if you offer a full money-back guarantee, you get rid of any doubt customers may have about purchasing from you.
I know you think that my Nigerian brothers will tend to abuse the money-back guarantee. However, that’s still part of the business.
4. Customer Feedback
Customer feedback goes a long way towards persuading prospects that you are a genuine web-based business.
Make sure you have a page on your site that is devoted to customer testimonials and feedback.
Whenever a potential customer reads other customers’ feedback when it is positive, it will make them see the prudency of your online business.
5. Honesty
As you build your online business, present your successes and your problems. When you are transparent and up-front about your business, you generate trustworthiness.
If your online business has to do with selling products or services, without being honest, no one will buy from you. This may spell doom to your business.
6. FAQ Page
A frequently asked questions (FAQ) page makes it straightforward for visitors to find the answers to their questions.
It gives peace of mind to your customers that you understand their problems and how you can help them.
Most online users, immediately check for the FAQ page once they face any issue on a website.
7. Contact Page
Let your website visitors know how they can get in touch with you. Don’t hide it behind your site. Also, ensure that your website has a contact page section or a contact form
On the contact page, you will have information on where your site visitor can contact you.
Most importantly, always reply to any message or question asked via the contact page. Reply to them in less than 24 hours and if possible let them add their phone number while messaging you. If the message is urgent you call place a phone call to make it response swift.
8. About Page
An About page may be the most-read page on your website for new visitors. On this page, you will tell people who you are, what you do, why you have created your online business, and how it can be of help to them.
On the About page, you should add contact information, and your business registration number if it’s a registered business.
It’s not advisable to run a real-time online business without having it registered as a legal entity.
For business in Nigeria, you will have to register your business with the Corporate Affairs Commission. I have already written a post on How to Register Your Business Name in Nigeria.
9. Quick Loading Website
On average, a website user will give your page a few seconds to load. If your site is slow, most of them will immediately go to your competitor’s site.
A slow-loading website does not only chase your visitors away, it also reduces your site ranking on several search engines, and as well creates a negative impact on the bounce rate of your website.
Make sure your website is hosted on a server that guarantees fast load times. Also, install a cache plugin to ensure fast loading.
10. Blog Section
When you start a blog, it boosts your online business site authority. A blog keeps you connected with your online customers and helps to keep your website recognized by the search engines as they have a preference for sites that are regularly updated.
On your site blog, you have to write quality articles that can solve questions people are likely to ask about your business.
RELATED ARTICLES
