If your customers trust you, then they’re more likely to use your company, it’s that simple. Whether it’s delivering on promises or ensuring their online safety, building trust between your brand and your clients is a vital part of building your company and making sure that it thrives in the competitive business marketplace.

With competition from a global network of customers and the businesses that provide for them, the best way to retain and attract customers is to ensure that they can trust your company to provide the best service in the best way. If you fail to maintain that trust, then the chances are high that you will lose that customer forever. Here are the top three tips to build and maintain trust in your business.

Be there

Being accessible is the foundation to building trust. Being available to your customer so that you can answer questions and offer advice is key to your business management, and in the internet age, this can be a lot easier than you think.

Social media interaction is an incredibly useful way for you to communicate with both present and future customers, and replying to comments on your latest Facebook post or offering suggestions to a targeted tweet is a convenient way to not only build trust but to also cement your business branding.

Of course, having a customer helpline and the processes to ensure that live calls are handed to the person most likely to offer help, is also an excellent tool that will build trust.

Protect your customer from crime

With the increasing role that technology plays in our lives, it’s no surprise that criminals are using technology to commit crime. Protecting the personal information that your customers provide you with, is one of the most essential areas you should be looking into.

Although private individuals have been protected since 1998 by the Data Protection Act, new legislation this year means that businesses have even more responsibility when it comes to customer data.

The General Data Policy Regulation (GDPR) will affect any UK company that wants to trade in Europe, and when it comes into effect in May 2018, the GDPR will make it easier for consumers to manage what information is held about them by businesses. Only by being proactive and utilising the best security protocols available will you be able to build and maintain the trust that customers will have in you.

Related: Why GDPR could be the key to rebuilding customer trust

More, more, more

One key strategy that’s worth applying is the concept of always providing more than expected. Delivering the unexpected bonus is a way of demonstrating that you value your customers and the more personalised, the better.

Whether that means faster service, more convenience or even more sensitivity, is up to you and your management style, but by not only delivering on your promises but going above and beyond can elevate your business to wow factor level, and will make it far more likely that a customer will use your company again.

Building trust is as important as building a client list, and it’s no good making sales if you rarely get repeat custom. Chasing new potential customers is always harder work than satisfying existing customers, so in order to make your business more likely to succeed, you need to build that trust and remain open to new ways of building on its foundation.