How do you convince someone to choose your business if they’ve never heard of you before? You need to win their trust. But like with any human relationship, trust isn’t just freely given. You have to earn it, over time, with quality and consistency.
The benefits of customer trust are everlasting. The more your target market trusts you, the less they hesitate to buy your product or service, the more they make repeat purchases. You can build a long-term, serious relationship with them. Did you know the cost of wining and dining a new customer is five times more than that of retaining an existing one? Huge. Plus, if you have a network of loyal customers who are all telling their friends about how great you are, it’s likely that demand for your product or service will increase.
For businesses, the way you present yourself online is essential in building customer trust. Every aspect of your business from branding and visual identity, the user experience of your website, your social presence, and the way you market yourself should be designed in a way that builds a trustworthy brand. Neglecting any of these fundamentals is a 1-way ticket to getting ghosted.
Think of it as a dating app. You upload your best selfies and mention your best qualities in your bio. You’re a real catch, so you get heaps of matches (i.e. customer interest). But if those initial conversations don’t line up with the image you’ve presented, you won’t get any IRL dates. So, if you can present yourself with all the best lighting and #angles and back it up in the post-match chat, soon you’ll be going steady with your customer.
People tend to buy on emotion, not logic. We’ve all heard the saying ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’. Well, it turns out we can’t help it, it’s the way we are wired. Whenever we see something, our brain has already emotionally responded to it before we even have time to rationalise.
Your branding and visual identity is the first thing the consumer sees when looking at your brand. It communicates your brand’s personality and values. It makes your customers feel a certain way about your brand; your design choices can influence trust and forge long-lasting emotional connections with your target audience, or totally scare them off, never to return.
When developing trust, it’s so important to be consistent. Brand consistency isn’t just whacking your logo on everything you do. It’s sticking to the colours, fonts, imagery, and messaging that make up who you are as a brand.
If your brand doesn’t look coherent when all your marketing materials are seen side by side, what will your customers think? People have confidence in stability. A well-constructed brand’s visual elements make it instantly recognisable. The result should be that if your logo was covered up on any piece of collateral, your customer would still be able to tell that it’s you. Consistency across your website, social networks, and marketing will encourage loyalty through recognition and commitment to who you say you are.
Your website is often the first user experience your customers will have with your business. A well-performing, professional-looking website is imperative in creating a great first impression. The look and functionality of your website should further prove why you are worthy of trust.
Unattractive, non-user-friendly web design puts off customers and loses you business. Regardless of how a customer comes to your website or what page they land on; a great website should be primed to guide them seamlessly to where they need to go. Not only does good web design keep potential customers on your page for longer, it also encourages them to become repeat customers. If users can see that you have put effort into their initial experience, they can predict that you will keep giving them a great experience in future interactions. This emotional connection translates to customer trust and is what brings them back time and time again.
When building a brand from scratch, you can’t expect customers to trust you right away. A targeted marketing strategy is how you let them get to know you, and in time, trust you.
A well-designed marketing campaign can help you grab the right attention, make you look credible, and instill confidence in potential or new customers. Posting regular, quality content on your socials gives value to your customers while they learn more about you. Consistent, targeted marketing emails can create interest in your products or services. Perfecting the SEO of your website can ensure that you are easily found. Showing real reviews and customer feedback on your website or socials demonstrates that yours is a trustworthy brand that values its customers’ opinions.
All these actions together build to create a feeling of trust in your potential customers, helping them get to the point where they feel comfortable enough to make that all-important purchase.
One of the key benefits of social media for business is the ability to create real human connections. You can build a loyal community by being real with your customers. Offer them a look behind the scenes, introduce them to the people who work at your company and showcase how existing customers are using and benefiting from your products or services. Authenticity builds trust, and trust creates potential customers who are more like to purchase from you.
It’s also a chance to be more available to your customers and directly interact with them. Comments or DMs, customers often have questions, and socials are a great place to chat openly with them and gather feedback.
When your business has an established and active social media presence, it makes your brand appear more professional and knowledgeable. This shows potential customers that others trust your brand, so they will too.
Good old-fashioned customer service never goes out of style. The customer service your company provides should be in alignment with the way you have positioned yourself online. In essence, you’ve got to walk your talk. It ensures the full experience is consistently amazing for the customer; from the way you answer the phone, to how you greet them as they walk through the door. Let them know they are in good hands! You should also be easily accessible. Don’t make them wait for a response. When they have questions or problems your responses should be thoughtful, patient, and professional, even if the customer is none of those things.
Providing excellent, accessible customer service will demonstrate that you value a customer even though they’ve already made their purchase. Making small achievable promises and consistently keeping those promises is the first step to building customer trust. From returning a call, replying to email promptly, sending your quotes in a timely fashion, it all goes a long way to establishing yourself as a trustworthy brand in the mind of the customer.
If you want a real relationship with your customer, one that extends beyond the first date, you’ve got to show them you care through everything you do. The design and consistency of your branding and visual identity, website, social media presence, marketing, and customer service all play a key role in creating the perception of a trustworthy brand. It’s vital in showcasing your brand’s human side and creating an emotional connection with your target audience.
If you really want to capitalise on customer trust, it may be worth talking to a professional design agency like Evolution. We can design all your branding assets, including a logo and style guide; a user-friendly, SEO optimised website; and a targeted social media and email marketing campaign.
Give us a call to talk about taking your business to the next level on 03 5222 3328 or send us an email at hello@evolutiondesign.com.au to organise a meeting to discuss your next move.
