Authority is a term that gets thrown around a lot in the business realm. Clearly, most of us understand the concept of authority in a general sense. We’re supposed to respect people with authority, but how does this relate to businesses?
Your company must have authority, but why? What does it mean, and how come it’s so important?
In a business sense, companies with authority are seen to be on a pedestal above the rest. These businesses know a lot about their field - they’re experts. If consumers are looking for advice, or they want to know which business to trust with their money, then they’ll look for authoritative sources.
So, in many ways, your authority is your reputation. It relates to the amount of respect that everyone has for your company, and how people view your skills. If you’re not seen to have much authority, then you’re viewed as a business that’s low down in the pecking order.
We’ve already established one key reason - to gain respect and raise your reputation. As a consequence, this can have an effect on your sales figures. Imagine a consumer is faced with a decision. They want to buy something, and they’re looking at two businesses. One has been around for ages and has established itself as an authoritative source in the industry. The other is relatively new on the block, and nobody knows much about them.
Obviously, they pick the business with a sense of authority, because there’s more trust between the two parties. Think about it another way, you go to a doctor when you get sick because you know they’re qualified to help you over, say, your friend from down the street.
So, gaining a positive reputation is one reason, but there’s also another - SEO. Search engine optimisation relies on authority. Google wants to display the best and most authoritative websites to its users. If you demonstrate this, then you get ranked higher. Therefore, you can see more traffic, leading to more leads, and more sales. The secret is learning how to build your authority in the first place. With things like Digital Score SEO, you can slowly build your reputation, alerting Google to your prowess. Then, funnily enough, as one of the higher ranking websites, you gain even more authority. People see you as a source of knowledge because you’re one of the top results. From here, the benefits grow!
Lastly, authority helps you develop better business relationships. Other companies are more likely to enter partnerships with an authoritative enterprise. They see it as a benefit to work with a company that’s already well-respected. As a result, you can start growing your business and entering new markets thanks to your new business relationships.
So, business authority means that you are highly respected, and people see you as an expert in your field. Your company should work on building authority as it can lead to the following benefits:
If you feel like something’s been holding your company back, then it might be down to a lack of authority. Fix it, then reap the rewards.