In today’s electronic age, owning a business is no longer limited by physical location. Online businesses are being created on a daily basis and many of them are realizing great success. The key to this is being able to establish trust amongst your prospects – something that can be challenging when they can’t physically see your business. It’s tricky, but it can be done. Here are a few tips to help warm your prospects to your online business.

Become Accredited with the BBB – Seeing the Better Business Bureau logo on your website will show customers and potential customers that you are a trustworthy business. Just be sure that you work hard to keep up those standards, or it may backfire.

Join Ranks with Already Established Brands – Your prospects may not have heard of your brand yet, but if you partner with brands that they do recognize it can go a long way to setting their minds at ease and gaining their confidence. This can be done through an affiliate program, through paid sponsorships or by requesting to directly work with another established business.

Display Your Privacy Policy – People like to see that their personal information will be kept secure if they do business with you, so make your privacy policy clearly visible and easy to find on your website. If you don’t yet have a privacy policy, get one stat!

Use a Reputable Payment Processor – If you do any type of product sales online, be sure you are offering your customers a secure way to make payment. Alleviate their fears by using a processor that is reputable such as PayPal or Google Checkout. These platforms offer several layers of protection for consumers, which is a good thing - for them and for you.

Build Your Online Presence – The more recognizable your brand, the more trustworthy it will become, so do your part to establish yourself in other areas online. Become active on social media platforms, ask for reviews from satisfied customers and boost your PR by participating in guest blog posts and other media resources.

Establishing a cyber identity can be challenging, especially if your business is relatively new. These tips will help you generate more trust amongst your customers and prospects and further solidify your brand as one they can rely on.