1. Entrepreneur

Building Customer Trust for MSMEs that are New to Go Digital, how to do it?

How to build customer trust for SMEs that are just going digital? Here are tips from Trian Nugroho, AVP of Regional Growth Expansion Tokopedia.

Term go digital lately you may often hear in the virtual world, especially in the business sector. Usually, go digital Business refers to changes in business activities that were previously carried out in a conventional way to a more modern way with the use of digital technology.

In business, the term go digital more widely used by micro and medium scale businesses (SMEs) where the change of business activity to digital is an important step for their business development. Although plunging into the digital world opens up many opportunities for a business, getting started is not easy.

Entrepreneurs need to do a lot of things to build their businesses digitally. One of the important things to do is to build consumer or customer trust so that SMEs can make sales online online.

But how? The following is information shared by Trian Nugroho, as AVP of Regional Growth Expansion Tokopedia, regarding tips on building customer trust in the early stages of building a digital business.

The Importance of Building Consumer Trust in Business

As mentioned earlier, building consumer trust is one of the most difficult things in the process of building a digital business. Although it is difficult, according to Trian, building consumer confidence in a business is important.

“Building trust from consumers for a business is certainly important. Tokopedia's business itself is a trust business. As a technology company with the leading marketplace platform in Indonesia, Tokopedia today has been trusted as the home of more than 12 million sellers of which almost 100% of them are MSMEs, who market more than 638 million products to hundreds of millions of Indonesians in 99% of sub-districts in Indonesia. throughout Indonesia. This trust is a responsibility that we always hold fast to,” said Trian.

Although it sounds simple, the trust that consumers have can bring many benefits and long-term impact on your business. When consumers trust your business, they will be encouraged to make their first purchase or even consumers will make repeat purchases.

“Consumer trust is certainly the basis in encouraging consumers to make purchasing decisions. Trust in a business is one of the psychological factors that influence consumers to make repeat purchases and become loyal consumers of the business," continued Trian.

Tips for Building Customer Trust for Beginners Go Digital MSMEs

What should MSMEs that have just entered the digital world do to build customer trust? The following are some ways that according to Trian SMEs should try.

Cross-Channel Strategy

The first tip that Trian suggested is to do cross-channel strategy, namely a strategy that utilizes not only one platform only a few platformonline.

"Need cross-channel strategy to promote the store and increase sales. It's time to take advantage online platform to reach a wider market.

Then, platform What can MSMEs use to start building consumer trust? In his interview, Trian mentioned two platform which are effective enough for SMEs to use from the beginning to the future business development process, namely social media and social media marketplace like Tokopedia.

"Many of our successful sellers are currently focusing on selling on Tokopedia, taking advantage of promotional features or advertising in-store platform us, but they also build a strong base on social media. The strategy, they strengthen brand they are on social media and actively advertise their products, but still direct all purchases to the Tokopedia platform.”

SMEs can use social media as platform to promote and build relationships with customers. However, because social media is not designed for transactions online, SMEs can direct customers to make transactions through Tokopedia.

“For example, Batik Kultur from Semarang or the Coffee Clinic from Yogyakarta. They are very active in promoting their products through social media, but they are also actively directing transactions through the Tokopedia platform," said Trian.

In addition to making it easier for sellers in terms of shipping, using marketplace such as Tokopedia can also make customers more comfortable in making transactions, especially in terms of payments and making complaints when needed.

The Spirit of Adaptation, Innovation and Collaboration

Then, apart from cross-channel strategy, Trian also advised to always have the spirit of adaptation, innovation, and collaboration so that businesses can develop and easily build customer trust.

In this case, according to Trian's statement, Tokopedia also helps its users, who are almost 100% SMEs, in various ways, including:

  • Encouraging the productivity of Indonesian MSMEs through various online campaigns such as the Proud Made in Indonesia campaign and Indonesia Shopping Time.
  • Launched the Hyperlocal initiative to support the progress of MSMEs in the region while encouraging local economic recovery. So local MSME products can be more attractive to consumers, especially consumers around the area.
  • Collaborating with various parties to hold events that usually take place offline to become online such as Big Bad Wolf, Market Museum, Jakarta Sneakers Day, Delicious Food Festival, etc.
  • Holding Tokopeda's 'Seller Chat', an event talkshow which discusses tips about business and broadcasts on Tokopedia Play online live.
  • Provide a special Tokopedia Seller Education Center page for educating seller about selling on Tokopedia.

Building Customer Trust in Platform Tokopedia

Not only build trust for customers in platform In other ways, such as social media, MSMEs should also maximize all their business potential in order to gain sales by building customer trust in Tokopedia.

To that end, Trian shared some tips that MSMEs can do to attract customers or retain customers they have at Tokopedia, including:

  • Pay special attention, for example giving thank you cards including the customer's name.
  • Do follow up after order finished, such as asking if you like your product or not.
  • Maintain product quality.
  • Fast response, as much as possible respond to customer messages quickly.
  • Provide attractive offers/promotions, such as making shop vouchers and activating Tokopedia Free Shipping.

In doing business, whether small or large, building customer trust is always the main thing. Ensuring customers feel safe, comfortable, and satisfied in transactions is an important factor that will help build customer trust in a business.

Tokopedia itself has always believed that success can only be obtained if we help others succeed. From there, Tokopedia has become marketplace trusted and impacted 12 million Tokopedia Sellers with almost 100% of them being MSMEs.

Are you sure to continue this transaction?
Yes
No
processing your transactions....
Transaction Failed
try Again

Sign up for our
newsletter

Subscribe Newsletter
Are you sure to continue this transaction?
Yes
No
processing your transactions....
Transaction Failed
try Again