We live in the Internet era, where everything is on public display. Suddenly, we have insight into people’s lives, families, jobs, etc. But one thing that remains hidden is how businesses operate.

Don’t get us wrong because this is perfectly natural in most cases. You wouldn’t want anyone stealing your business model, especially if it works. Still, some things should be made public. Why? Just so people know who to trust.

But since brands can’t publicize many things, they let people know about their values in hopes they’ll resonate with them. For example, businesses claim to be eco-friendly, cruelty-free, sustainable, recyclable, etc. All those terms are good enough to catch someone’s eye, but we can’t really know if they’re true.

Of course, all businesses have to adhere to laws. That means they can’t just lie to their customers and get away with it. But what if a brand says they’re local? How would you know if they’re lying? There’s almost no way to tell, and that makes everything suspicious.

So, let’s talk about what makes a brand trustworthy, how to recognize them, and introduce you to our helpful system.

What Makes a Brand Trustworthy?

Depending on who you ask, this question can have many answers. But seriously, what makes a brand trustworthy to you? Is it having the same values as you and adhering to them? Or maybe it’s because they own up to their mistakes publicly and promise to make a change? While those things are important, a determined set of values makes a brand truly trustworthy. You may not think of them immediately, so we’ll refresh your memory.

People find a brand trustworthy if it has:

Transparency – Being open and honest with their customer base is always the way to go. That is especially the case when mistakes are made because that’s when being honest matters most. We’re all human, and it’s natural to make mistakes. However, customers want to know that those errors will be fixed ASAP and in the best way possible.

Clarity – Another thing that breeds trust is when a brand is clear about its offers. Unfortunately, slapping just about anything on a tag isn’t unheard of, but those kinds of practices drive customers away. Why? Because people will usually only make mistakes once, and if they get tricked into thinking they’re getting something they’re not, they’ll simply walk away.

Adaptiveness – This means that your favorite brand won’t cease to exist just because the market has changed. Instead, they’ll overcome the challenges because they want to continue offering the best to their customers. And you know you can trust a brand when they go above and beyond to stay relevant to their loyal supporters.

Finally, another thing that helps brands build trust is word of mouth. This is something businesses can’t do much about because it comes naturally. If a customer is satisfied with a product or service, they’ll tell their loved ones all about it. That encourages other people to at least check that business out or even purchase something themselves. What does all of this mean? It means that if a brand is open, honest, and doing its job well, the customer base will grow naturally.

Trust The USA-Verification System

Since trust is important to us, we’ve developed a system that ensures customers know which brands to support. Our USA-Verification helps businesses offer their consumers full transparency. What does this mean? For example, it means that people will have insight into their manufacturing process and even their supplies. This matters because you want to know what’s happening behind the scenes.

Our system currently helps customers tell which brands are truly USA-made. How come? Businesses give us all the necessary information to pass the verification process, and we lift it onto our Strong blockchain. That’s what keeps this information bulletproof.

So, when you’re browsing our website, all you have to do is search for brands with a USA-Verified badge to know who to trust. Not only that, but businesses can request community verification, taking transparency and trustworthiness to a whole new level.

But why does our system only focus on local brands?

We firmly believe that shopping locally can make a difference. Not only does it help our domestic and global economy, but it encourages local communities’ prosperity.

What do we mean by that? Well, when you prioritize buying from local businesses, you’re directly and indirectly supporting your community, creating new job opportunities for your loved ones, and even helping the environment. Also, did you know that brands love to give back to communities that made them successful? They do so by volunteering their time and resources.

Think that’s where benefits end? Think again because local businesses usually seek local services whenever they need them. And that means your support is affecting more than just one brand.

So, what’s in it for you? Aside from better community and environmental benefits, you get the freshest produce and high-quality items directly to your doorstep. And the best thing of all is that you know it all came from local sources.

Trust Can Be Difficult to Build

We know what you’re thinking — you can’t just trust any brand out there. We don’t want to name any names, but we’re sure you’ve heard of the ‘local but not so local’ fiasco one company went through. What happened is that they claimed to be fully and truly USA-made, but it was later discovered that they’d been importing their goods the entire time. That’s how they lost their customers’ trust, and you don’t want to go through the same thing.

Shopping isn’t always a mindless activity. When we make a conscious effort and give it some thought, we can make a lot of change in our communities by just being careful who we’re supporting. That’s why we encourage you to always research a brand before you give it your hard-earned money. Or, you know, see if they have a USA-Verified badge.