Unfortunately, there are a lot of business scams out there. You’re going to find fake businesses that try to target small business owners, and you’re going to find a lot of fake businesses that try to target consumers. Some of these scammers have gotten so good that they’ll set up a website, a fake email address for contact, and a couple of social media channels too just to look authentic, but in the end, if you order from them, you’ll never get what you order (or anything for that matter). It’s highly unfortunate but sadly seems like this is the reality nowadays.
But if you’re a business owner, or you’re working towards becoming one, then you don’t have to immediately fret. It’s really about making your business look as legitimate as possible. Since a lot of scammers are making fake websites with simple templates, you might need to go above and beyond. So, here’s how you can appear to consumers (or other business owners) that you’re the real deal!
Get Registered
Some customers will try to look up your business to see where it’s registered and if it’s an actual business. So make sure to look into Company Registrations prior before you actually start up your business; for legality purposes, you need to do this.
Put a Strong Focus on Your Website
Scammers know to make a website for their business, but what you should try to do is make your website as detailed as possible. You’re going to want to prove that you’re an authentic business, so if you put a lot of work into it, people will notice. For instance, have an about section, a section on core values, why the business was created, and of course, showing your face. You want to come off as authentic, and a lot of consumers will look into this before making a purchase. The more information you add, the more authentic you’re going to come off as.
You’ll Need Exposure
While a good website is going to bring a lot of credibility, it’s not going to end there. It’s vital to get some exposure. If you want to go adventurous, then you can even try out some traditional marketing, especially if you’re solely focusing on locals. But if you can, try to get exposure in different ways. You should also claim and update your Google listing (the business profile that shows up in search results) and register with review sites that are relevant to your industry. Most businesses will also find it’s worthwhile working with a digital marketing agency, rather than trying to do everything themselves. Also, contributing to HARO (Help a Reporter Out) is another great way to get your name out there and gain exposure.
Get Social
Social media, that is. While yes, scammers will sometimes have social media pages such as Twitter and Instagram; this doesn’t mean that you should skip this extra step. Customers will check to see if a business has socials. Better yet, they’re also going to check to see the followers. Scammers buy followers, and scammers tend to have next to no engagement. You’ll be doing yourself a major favor if you go ahead and make social media accounts for your business and stay completely authentic. If you use stock images or sound generic, it’s going to turn people off, and they’re going to get the idea your business is fake.
