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Trust Trends: Articles for confident shoppers and trusted businesses

Whether you're a consumer looking to make smarter, safer shopping decisions, or a business owner enhancing your organization’s trust and reputation in the marketplace, BBB is here to support you. Here, you’ll find a collection of articles and resources designed to give you the knowledge and confidence you need to thrive.

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Webinar recaps

Your customers want to feel confident before they hire you. If they don’t find that trust, they move on. Our latest Behind the Sign session spoke to exactly that — making sure your business shows up when online customers are searching, scrolling, comparing, and deciding.

Getting your business noticed means knowing how to communicate your unique value to potential customers. In our latest Behind the Sign webinar, Stacey Danheiser shared practical tips for crafting a value proposition that not only grabs attention but also grows your business.

Our latest webinar featured a special panel of industry leaders and marketing experts – David Evans of DaBella, Scott Williams of Lex Brodie’s, and Stacey Danheiser of SHAKE Marketing Group – sharing proven marketing solutions and lead generation strategies specifically designed for small business growth.

In our latest webinar, marketing expert and author DP Knudten talked about ways businesses can employ AI to achieve more and wow their customers. He shared valuable insights into the role of AI in modern business.

Renowned marketing consultant and best-selling author John Jantsch shared insightful strategies for rethinking both the customer and employee journeys. His session centered on helping businesses better engage their customers and employees by optimizing their touchpoints across the board.

In our April webinar, we explored the topic of customer loyalty with small business expert Carol Roth. She shared her framework for moving beyond traditional loyalty programs, emphasizing the importance of connection and care to sustain business growth.

Our latest webinar was packed with insights into the relationship between customer reviews, credibility and conversion. Moira Balangue illustrated how businesses can effectively use reviews to strengthen their online reputation and drive growth.

The marketing coach, consultant, author, and educator left us with a host of takeaways, including some that doubled down on the importance of trust, data, and the need to set yourself apart with your digital content.

Want to unlock the potential of social media for your business? Catch up on the insights shared by Steve Strauss as part of our Behind the Sign Webinar Series.

Are you harnessing the digital tools and strategies that keep your organization competitive? From our Behind the Sign Webinar Series, here are Steve Strauss’s five ideas to get started.

Improve your online reputation

Your commitment within your worksite and the local community creates a ripple effect of trust and credibility across social media channels, websites and online forums. Your quality of service isn't confined to your physical storefront; it’s shaped by online reviews, ratings, and feedback that influences future customers.

Reviews are a valuable part of your online reputation. Here are some tips on what to track, what to look for, and how to act so that everything your customers see reflects well on your business.

How do you use your values to generate more positive reviews? Your BBB Accreditation is a great thing to lean on when asking for reviews as it reminds customers that you’re dedicated to growing an ethical business and being responsive to their needs.

Ready to learn what strong online reputations look like? Try these tips for developing an online reputation that brings customers closer to your business. 

At their core, positive reviews persuade customers, educate the community, criticize (constructively, hopefully) your products or services, but most importantly, they make the case for trusting your business.

Grow your business

Finding new leads is essential for business growth. Getting listed on an online directory with lead-generation tools can make all the difference. Both Angi and BBB can help your business grow, but the choice depends on your priorities.

Speed isn’t just a luxury – it's a necessity. But why the rush? Because faster response times are a game-changer. Companies that respond quickly to customer inquiries are more likely to win their business.

If you’re a small business owner thinking about growing your operation, you’re in the right place. Let’s break down how growing bigger than a small business will involve some serious planning, execution and goal setting.

To break down how to identify customer behaviors, we’ll share how to zero in on demographics, online search patterns, and overall needs. Additionally, we’ll share how customer feedback, online advertising platforms and website analytics can point you in the right direction.

With so much to think about, do you have the time to market your business? (We argue there’s not.) And is there a way to boost your marketing activity without sacrificing your time? (There is.) To explore the issue, let’s start by breaking down how much time you’re currently working with.

For businesses looking to grow, you might have wondered: Is it worth it to hire your own in-house marketing team? To break it down, we’re exploring five questions you should answer first, and then taking a look at how BBB compares to having an in-house marketing team.

Customers want to know what they’re paying for (and you want them to understand what they’re paying for). Seeing as these are warm or even hot leads, simple math says that the more quotes you give, the closer you are to booking your next job.

When you’re investing in your organization’s growth, it’s worth breaking down what kind of growth you’d like to emphasize to steer your company's success. To do that, we’re looking at five different growth categories.

Calculating an annual marketing budget is nuanced. But it starts with knowing what cost-effective options are available to you. Here are 10 marketing campaigns (and cost examples) to consider for your annual marketing plan.

Reduce your risk

Any industry with large amounts of money exchanged for services should have a plan. BBB’s dispute resolution services are that plan. But how do you put that plan into action? By telling customers it’s there. When you show customers they’re covered – no matter what happens in a transaction – you gain their trust.

You might wonder, “What’s the difference?” Is one service better suited for certain disputes? And most importantly, how can either option protect your business. Here’s a breakdown to help you understand how each can work for your business.

Every business owner wants to save on costs. That’s especially true when it comes to disputes. BBB has your back in a lot of ways, but one of the biggest is BBB’s Dispute Resolution services. Let’s break down the benefits of protecting your reputation with BBB.

Do you act right away or hope it fades away into the background? As much as we try to avoid situations like this, they happen – and when they do, you’re on the clock. How you respond in those first few minutes can make all the difference for your reputation and the trust you’ve built.

Disputes with customers are bound to happen, especially in industries like contracting, roofing and painting. The question isn’t if a dispute will come your way, it’s when. And when that happens, costs start piling up fast. BBB can save your business up to thousands of dollars and a whole lot of headaches.

BBB news, announcements and events

When customers choose to stick by you, they return, recommend you, and stay loyal through the ups and downs. But how do you create this trust, and more importantly, how do you use it to cultivate measurable, long-term value? By becoming BBB Accredited.

The OCPA outlines the responsibilities of businesses that collect and process personal information about Oregon consumers and gives those consumers rights and control over how their data is used. Most parts of the OCPA will take effect on July 1, 2024.

If your business has been involved with the ERC, here's Cilley’s breakdown of what you need to know to ensure you’re not caught up in the IRS audit net due to fraudulent ERC claims.