12 Points To Consider Before You Join The Better Business Bureau To Establish Online Trust
By Nashat Mostafa
One of the main problems of most small and medium sized companies is to establish a good level of trust with their potential customers. For a new internet business, it can be a very difficult challenge. There are a lot of fly-by-night companies and many consumers do not feel comfortable dealing with a new internet business.
What can a small or medium sized business do to assure potential customers that they are a legitimate business?
Becoming an accredited business by the Better Business Bureau is one way to prove to your potential customers that they can trust your company. Many consumers are familiar with the BBB and they know they can trust a company that displays the BBB seal on their website.
According to the BBB, “If a business has been accredited by the BBB, it means the BBB has determined that the business meets BBB accreditation standards, which include a commitment to make a good faith effort to resolve any consumer complaints.”
The BBB is an unbiased non-profit organization that sets and upholds high standards for fair and honest business behavior.
The BBB seal stands for much greater values. It is a pledge and a commitment to execute business with the highest ethical standards.
The new tagline of the BBB, “Start With Trust”, highlights the vision and spirit of the BBB and its affiliated businesses to establish an atmosphere of trust and to work with businesses and consumers to create a strong marketplace where customers and sellers can trust each other.
The BBB has been founded in 1912. For nearly 100 years, consumers have turn to the BBB for help with identifying trustworthy businesses. There are currently 62,552 websites accredited as meeting BBBOnLine standards in the US and Canada.
Every business must consider many points before joining the BBB. The BBB Code of Business Practices advocates honest advertising, selling and customer service practices that boost customer trust and confidence in business. This Code consists of eight principles that summarize important elements of creating and maintaining trust in business.
A business will be accredited by the BBB if it meets and agrees to continue to adhere to the following standards:
1. Building Trust: Every business must establish and maintain a positive track record in the marketplace and by being free of any consumer or government complaints.
2. Advertise Honestly: Businesses must adhere to established standards of advertising and selling. An accredited business must avoid misleading customers by creating any false impression of their product quality, pictures, testimonials, or other means.
3. Tell the Truth: Businesses must honestly present their products and services with a clear and adequate description of every aspect.
4. Be Transparent: Accredited businesses must clearly disclose the nature, location and ownership of the business, and clearly explain all policies, guarantees and procedures that bear on a customer’’s decision to buy.
5. Honor Promises: Accredited organizations must fulfill all contracts and honor all written agreements and verbal promises.
6. Be Responsive: An accredited business or organization must promptly respond to all complaints and agrees to address any disputes quickly, professionally, and in good faith.
7. Safeguard Privacy: BBB accredited businesses should protect any collected customer personal information, ensure that these data are only transmitted via secure means and will make the best efforts to comply with industry standards for the protection and proper disposal of all sensitive data, both online and offline.
8. Maintain Integrity: A BBB accredited organization will approach all business dealings, transactions and commitments with integrity and will avoid any activities that reflect unfavorably on the public image of the BBB or its accredited businesses.
The BBB offers many services that consumers can rely upon to help them in every stage of the buying process and every accredited organization must participate and help the BBB to provide these services:
1. Pre-purchase advice for consumers on a wide range of businesses.
2. Alerts on the latest consumer scams and frauds and tips on how to avoid them.
3. Reports on businesses and charities to help consumers find trustworthy businesses and charities based on informed decisions.
4. Complaint and dispute resolution services where consumers can contact their nearest BBB to help them resolve different types of disputes with any type of business.
About The Author
Nashat Mostafa is the founder and CEO of SEO 7 Services. During his long career as a Montreal search engine optimization consultant Mostafa has worked with many medium sized companies to execute different internet marketing campaigns. SEO 7 Services is a Montreal SEO consulting company specialized in organic SEO consulting and training.
