It doesnt matter whether your business is off- line or on-line the basic needs of customers are the same. To part with their hard earned cash your customers must feel they are getting value for money and are not going to be ripped off. In other words they need to trust YOU and YOUR PRODUCT.

With an off line business you can build credibility by having a professional looking business premises, product merchandising and good customer service. Most times customers will make a purchase because things look and feel right even though it may be the first time they have been to that business.

With on-line business however, it is much more difficult to establish credibility. Current techniques employed by many online businesses include, but are not limited to, the following:

Professional web design and hosting
Providing Contact Information
Privacy Policies
Customer Testimonials
Money Back Guarantee
Secure Services

But despite all these measures, even the marketing gurus will tell you, most people dont buy from you the first visit it takes repeated exposure and you must first nurture a relationship with them. In fact it has become standard online business procedure to gather the email address of visitors, often through the inducement of free gifts, and than follow up with a series of auto-responder messages in order to build a trust relationship.

Now this technique of building trust, although effective, takes time and as time is money, months can be a long time to wait, especially if this particular business is your main source of income. So how can you develop this relationship quicker? Answer Add Video to your websites and emails.

Businesses that have introduced video communications to their marketing program have reported a 300%-400% increase in sales conversions. Why? Because people feel comfortable buying a product or service when they know the people and business theyre dealing with.

By introducing yourself, staff and marketing message through video you can break down barriers, create rapport and differentiate your business in the minds of the buyer. They can get to know you as if they have met you in person and because they have a visual and auditory memory of you, you will make a longer lasting impression than if they had just seen your picture or read about you in print.

Using video e-mails and adding streaming video to your Web site is simple and easy. In fact, its as easy as sending text e-mails, and cutting and pasting text. Most small businesses already have all the necessary skills to send video e-mails and post streaming video online, add to this the emergence of web based video portals offering video e-mail, video on demand, video instant messaging, and live Web casts, they now also have a mechanism for sending video communications to buyers quickly and easily without investing a lot in additional software or computer equipment.

As personal rich media goes mainstream consumers will expect businesses to communicate through video. Businesses that dont, risk losing credibility as professional players and losing market share to more dominate competitors with a stronger visual presence. Forrester Research predicts that streaming video will grow from a $2 billion dollars industry to a $12 billion dollar industry in a few short years. If youre a small business owner, you cant ignore this growing trend.

Developing customer relationships through print alone can be a drawn out tasks that may take months. But by adding video, the relationship can start immediately, all you need to do is be yourself, present you business honestly and focus on your customers needs. It really is not as hard as you think, just think of the off-line business strategies that build customer confidence, put it on video and voila youve created a personalized online experience that will have your customers whipping out their credit cards

Copyright 2006 Jenni Baty