With so many companies trying to build their online presence, your business needs to find a way to stand out from the crowd. Not only so you can gain your prospect's attention but you also have to prove that you're a legitimate company.
Most online prospects are skeptical as they've either heard or experienced firsthand how easy it is for a company to look authentic but ended up being disappointed. They also need assurance that whomever they do business with is not only a real company but that they are also going to deliver on their promises.
So how do you build credibility to prospective customers, especially when you're an online business?
You tell them a great, compelling story about your products or services.
By providing your customers with a case study, you tell them a story by showing them how your product or service specifically helped one of your customers solve a problem. It takes your prospects step-by-step through the process of what problem your customer was faced with, why it was crucial for them to find a solution, why they contacted you specifically, what your product or service did for them, and what the overall outcome was.
In addition, quotes from your customer as well as yourself will add verification and personality to the case study and will explain how the whole process worked and where things stand now. This gives your prospects a detailed account in your customer's own voice of how you helped them improve their business by solving a difficult problem.
Once you've prepared the case study, you'll want to provide it to prospects as soon as possible. You can use it as part of a lead generation campaign and offer it as a free download on your website but make sure to collect contact information so you can follow-up with them later. The best way to do this is through an opt-in box on your site.
You may also want to distribute it to existing customers, especially those who haven't bought from you in a while. It will remind them of your company, show them you're a respectable business that cares about helping its customers, and you give them the opportunity to share it with others in their network.
Everyone loves a good story. Tell a compelling and interesting one that prospects will remember and soon you'll be known as a respectable company that cares about the success of its clients.

Monique Poche is a copywriter specializing in the info-marketing industry. You can check out her website at Info-Marketing Copywriter where she provides information and tips on her case study writing services, and much more.