No matter how great your products or services look, if customers don’t convert to make a purchase then the job is not done and your business won’t succeed. In order to persuade customers to take that final step and buy, contact or take the desired action, they must trust in your business and be assured that working with you is that right choice.
Building trust and proving authenticity and legitimacy can be done in many ways — and it only ever has a positive impact on conversions. Whether it’s utilising more customer reviews, getting professional accreditation or seeking out good PR, there’s lots that can be done. Read on for more on the how and why of consumer trust.
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Why Does Consumer Trust Matter?
Customers are most likely to buy from, work with and continue to patronise businesses that they find trustworthy and from whom they are assured of the quality and experience. As markets crowd with more businesses, products and services than ever, consumers are increasingly using their perceived trustworthiness in brands as a deciding factor when making purchases. A survey by Oberlo in 2020 found that 86% of consumers say a brand’s authenticity is important when choosing a business to support or buy from, and 81% say they’d have to really trust a brand to buy from them.
How to Build Consumer Trust: Genuine Online Reviews
Consumers tend to trust genuine people over brand messaging, as it’s considered more likely to be honest than something put out by the business itself. The rise of sites such as TripAdvisor show that consumers like to search online for information on a destination, product, service, event or experience before they make a purchase decision.
We are now at a point with the internet where if a brand doesn’t facilitate legitimate reviews in a designated specific place, they’ll find that reviews happen informally elsewhere anyway — so it’s pretty important that they’re managed properly. Reviews give fantastic online User Generated Content (UGC) and allow for the easy identification of areas for business improvement. Positive reviews can be repurposed and reused online to help reassure other potential customers.
How to Build Consumer Trust: Seek Professional Accreditation
Lots of industries have specific accreditors and best practice standards, such as ISO standards, B Corp certifications and Investors In People. In some sectors, particularly where specialist or technical work is going to be carried out, taking the time to seek out such accreditation can be hugely reassuring for those wanting to work with you.
Such certifications demonstrate high standards, good quality and a commitment to excellent service. People are more likely to recommend companies that adhere to a standard, as there’s the perception of a ‘fallback’ guarantee should something go wrong.
How to Build Consumer Trust: Become Industry Experts
Asserting your business positioning as a thought leader or expert in your industry is easier than most may think. The publication of blogs, articles, tutorial videos and thought pieces on the business’s own website, as well as appropriate social media channels and in relevant industry press, can demonstrate knowledge within the business to those both inside and outside of it.
This builds an veneer of knowhow and expertise through content that adds value to the business perception, and can result in increased word-of-mouth recommendations and even invitations to produce further content for the likes of related press and at industry events.
How to Build Consumer Trust: Build Good PR
Maintaining a good relationship with the public and the press should be something all companies strive to do, but it doesn’t need to involve the boozy boys club lunches and creative bribes of yesteryear. Instead, doing good in the community and involving the business in causes for good has the benefit of both benefitting the company and the community it serves and works within.
Good relationships flourish best when they’re genuine, so pushing an insincere agenda won’t work. Instead, choose a cause that the business can help with and that staff will really care about so that the intention is authentic and the brand image boosted through genuine means. This will be recognised by the public and the press and improve brand perception throughout.
Trust is a two-way street, and businesses must hold trust in their customer base and staff if they expect that trust to be returned. Staying open, honest and genuine in all they do, and supporting a true customer centric culture through all of their operations is the best possible way for businesses to build trust. When that trust has been properly created, customers will feel comfortable enough to take the final step and convert — and from there, they can be retained and their potential optimised and maximised.
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