Social Media as a Marketing Tool

There are a lot of benefits to running an online-only business; you can market to people from all over the world, and you don't have to worry about all of the overhead of operating a brick and mortar business. Unfortunately, there is one distinct disadvantage: because a lot of people have been scammed online or have heard about scams that others have been put through, they could be weary about how legitimate your company is. Luckily, there are a few ways that you can make your online business appear more reputable to the general public. Follow these tips, and you can help ensure that your online business has a reputation that people will trust.

Establish a Phone Number

Some people prefer to contact companies by telephone, and some get nervous about businesses that only offer email addresses as their contact information. Invest in a telephone number for your place of business; if you are concerned about the cost of a commercial service package from your local telephone service provider, consider a voice over IP service, which will allow you to enjoy discounted rates by using your Internet connection for telephone purposes. You can even use an affordable online call forwarding service to set up a toll-free number for your business without having to spend a lot of money on it. These things can lend credibility to your company and can make customers more comfortable when contacting you.

Set Up an Address

Using your personal address for online business-related purposes isn't always a smart idea, plus it can come off as unprofessional. Set up a post office box at your local post office, or use an online service that will allow you to forward your business mail to your personal address. This will make it easier to receive business-related correspondence and can make your company look more professional.

Consider Setting Up a Small Office

Setting up a small office won't just make your company appear more reputable, but it can also provide you with a separate place to get your work done and can even carry tax-related benefits due to the tax deductions that you'll be able to claim. If you think setting up an office will cost too much, consider contacting a virtual office company such as Source Office Suites to find out about affordable options.

As you can see, there are a few things that you can do to establish credibility for the company that you operate online. Give these tips and tricks a try, and you're sure to appear more reputable to the general public.