Trust isn’t a luxury in the online business world: it’s a necessity.
Any company with real ambition must make a major effort to earn it and keep it — but it isn’t easy.
Shoppers have become cynical, so it takes time to win them over, and just one slip-up can drive them away forever.
Given that, what’s the best way to proceed?
How can you make your brand trustworthy?
In this post, we’re going to run through some key tips for convincing people to place their faith in your company, so enough of the preamble.
Let’s get started:
Secure your website (and let people know)
Paying for something online may be extremely popular, but the average shopper never quite forgets that it’s fundamentally riskier than buying something from a physical store.
In the latter case, they can examine the product in person, plus you can be confident that the store will be there in the event that they have a problem with the purchase.
They can also be assured that their financial details are secure since they can pay by cash or through the in-store card reader.
To mitigate that risk, you must ensure that your website is secure, and let people know (they can’t feel more secure if they don’t know about the measures you’ve taken).
Show trust badges that confirm the level of transaction protection you use.
Offer a robust return policy so shoppers know you won’t try to trick them.
Polish your formal customer communications
One of the first milestones to achieve is getting someone to sign up for your email newsletter, giving you the opportunity to market to them directly.
But that opportunity can go very wrong if you don’t use it correctly.
If your first email has weak copy and lazy formatting, it’ll send the message that your operation is distinctly unprofessional — and who’d trust such a company?
Due to this, you need to polish your formal communications to the extent that they consistently come across as professional.
You should think about your marketing emails, your order confirmations, your support responses, your invoices (they can be tricky, but here’s a list of invoice templates that can help), and your ongoing feedback requests.
Feedback, in particular, is vital: by asking how customers like your business, you show that you’re determined to improve it, making your company sound like a stronger long-term investment.
Be transparent and personable on social media
As slick and professional as your documentation needs to be, you need to adopt a different tactic in your general use of social media, because people expect brands to be personable.
Retail isn’t just about finding the lowest prices and the most expansive ranges: shoppers want to buy from brands that share their values and are worthy of their support.
And while your values might shine through in your everyday business activities, you shouldn’t trust that — instead, you should use social media to push things along by showing people that the humans behind your brand are kind, fun, creative individuals they can root for.
Talk about how your business was formed.
Tell your story (tell it in a video if you’re comfortable with that).
Discuss the mistakes you’ve made and goals that push you ahead.
Showing vulnerability is a good thing: convince your target audience that you’re extremely honest, and every one of your sales claims will become more credible.
Building trust with your prospective customers is immensely valuable, so don’t simply assume that people will be willing to buy from you if your value proposition is adequately compelling. Take these steps to show you’re worth believing in, and the ROI will justify it.
