Building Online Trust And How To Convert It Into A Money Making Machine

What comes to mind when brands such as Safaricom, Telkom, Airtel are mentioned? It could be perhaps the industry in which they fall or the intense competition that these telecommunications companies engage in. The three are indeed a force to reckon with. They have established a name in their own fields. They have the attributes they uphold and that distinguishes the three.

These attributes be it in their names or their values, their colors, their selling statements and even their employees define them. All the attributes are in total sum the brand. In other words a brand is that unique name or that image that a product or service creates in a consumers mind that differentiates it from the other ‘competitor’.

Creating a brand is a process that requires resilience and dedication. This is because a brand will only be created if the branding process remains consistent. Consistent in terms of the colours used, the font type, the selling statement and the general presentation of the product or service to the audience.

It is interesting how sometimes, people might not even know what the brand name is but always remember one of the attributes of the brand, say the Colour.

I once met a granny who from how she behaved was still trying to get familiar with using a phone. In our local dialect she told me she needed to withdraw some money but had been looking for a place to withdraw with no success. So she asked me if I had seen a shop with a colour on her ‘kiondo’ and even without more questions, I knew she was looking for an M-Pesa shop. That reminded me of the impact of branding.

As you form your company, it is important to give branding the position it deserves. It is one of the most vital ways that any company can grow or collapse. If the right and cautious measures are taken, establishing a brand may just mean its success.

In today’s world, online platforms have become immensely powerful when it comes to establishing and maintaining a brand. However the online platforms are extremely crowded. It becomes really difficult for a brand to stand out in the midst of the many brands competing for recognition.

It is important that brands master the online audience so that they maximize it in establishing and growing their brands. So now what does a company need to do to stand out and win the hearts of the online audience?

• Establish a significant and differentiated presence

Who are you? What is your brand about? How do you want to be perceived by the public?

These are very important questions that you should answer even as you plan to place your brand online.  Most importantly what products do you offer? How different are your products from those already in the market?

You have to find means to establish your brand as unique. It should stand out amongst its competitors. If you establish that very unique aspect about your business, work towards ensuring that it is something that your target audience can resonate with. This means that very crucial is the target audience. This brings us to our point number two.

• Understand Your Audience and Target Market

I watched a comedy show once where a comedian joked that he had only rehearsed to only appear in a kids’ audience. This means that whatever he had prepared was suitable for a specific audience. It is important to remember the specifics of dealing with a certain kind of audience.

You will have to understand what they need and how they would want it packaged.

Understanding these vital aspects will make you package your products and services that in a way that appeals to your audience. This way, your audience will connect with your product or service. This is a plus for you. You can then easily and tactfully convert this connection into sales.

Say for example, you are starting an online clothing business. You would need to understand what kind of clothes you want to stock. Are they for the gents or the ladies? Are they casual or corporate? Depending on which category, you will also be able to determine what kind of language will be used in the social media sites. This will also help you know which platforms to advertise your products.

• Placement and Logistics

So you have established your target market. You have researched on where they hangout on social media. You now understand what language to use on them. This means you have their attention. You can successfully translate this attention to sales. Say you have a Website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or sometimes a LinkedIn Account. How friendly is your interface for a potential buyer to navigate?

You understand that your audience will come across your online business as they go about their business on social media. So if they click on that official dress they have fallen in love with, can they have all their questions about it answered?

I have had an experience where a friend of mine liked a dress on a certain Facebook Page. She was wowed by the unique colour. The price and location of the store had been placed online.

After work, we hurried to that store in town praying that we find my friend’s dress. We got in to the store. We requested for the dress we had seen on Facebook. We had hoped to see a maroon dress; we were given a red dress. My friend was so disappointed. At first my friend felt let down and complained to the store owner that their camera was ‘cheating’ on the colour of the dresses.

As simple as it seems, ladies are very sensitive on colors. If what they want is not provided, they easily switch off. They seek alternative stores that can guarantee them of the colors that they want.

As you determine all these aspects, remember that your online audience who are your potential customers are very critical. In all ways strive to satisfy their wants. If you do not remain consistent in what you provide, you risk damaging your brand. This way, those who would have been your loyal clients, run away and go away with others. They spread the word to their friends.

However, if you retain a good brand, that you can provide exactly what your treasured clients order conveniently, you will be guaranteed of a massive following. The kind that leaves you their phone numbers; they remind you to call them when you have restocked just so they come and make a purchase.

See how money would be looking for you. How you would have created loyal customers? We all want these increased sales. This just means that we need to retain a consistent image of our brands. That’s the only way you will win the hearts of all those clients looking for your products.