Satisfied customers play a crucial role in business. And consumers prefer to do business with companies they trust. So, improving customer trust is the key to building stronger relationships and improving sales. In fact, Gartner reports that over 74% of consumers expect more from businesses, not only in their offerings but also in how they treat their clients. In addition, 83% of customers say they won’t buy products or services from companies they don’t trust. Thus, building trust and stronger customer relationships are vital in improving customer satisfaction and sales. But how can you prove that your company is one of the good ones? How can you show that your customers’ best interests are in mind? What does it take to earn customer confidence and trust? Are you looking to deliver personalized shopping experiences and improve customer trust? Then, schedule a customized strategy call with one of our experienced conversion experts today. We’ll help you personalize your brand messaging to make your target customers feel like you’re speaking directly to them.But first, let’s discuss seven strategies that can help you gain customer trust.
1. Personalization
Personalization is a powerful marketing tool that brands use to build strong relationships and loyalty with their clients. In fact, 92% of marketers say consumers expect a personalized experience. It makes them feel appreciated, improving their trust in your company, and ultimately converting them to repeat customers. The benefits of personalized customer interactions go beyond building trust and improving relationships. Also, it improves conversion rates, builds loyalty, and lowers churn rates while helping you cut down costs per acquisition by 50%. A simple way to incorporate personalization in your marketing strategies is to leverage customer data, including behavioral and transactional information, to deliver unique customer experiences. You should also focus on creating experiences that have higher chances of getting customers excited about buying your products or services again. To learn about the five dimensions of brand personality, click here.
2. Reliability
Brand trust is a consumer’s firm belief that a brand will constantly deliver its stated intentions to its customers, especially during difficult times. You’ll pay dearly if you don’t meet consumer expectations.Brand trust has three key elements: Caring, authenticity, and reliability. While caring is good, authenticity is better; reliability is the best way to build trust and improve customer relationships. Companies that present themselves as reliable rely less on emotions or feelings and more on proving to consumers that they can be trusted to deliver their promises. You can show customers you’re dependable by emphasizing your brand's current value, offering unexpected value, providing practical expertise and information, or even solving consumers’ pain points. Research shows that businesses that emphasize reliability earn three times more customer trust than those that focus mainly on caring.
3. Publish Reviews and Customer Feedback
Did you know that customer testimonials and reviews are often deemed more trustworthy and legitimate than a business’s marketing campaign? Research shows that 90% of consumers trust what other customers say about a company more than what the company says about itself. Improve brand credibility and customer trust by sharing testimonials and reviews. Let your current customers know you want to hear their feedback. Consistently ask for feedback via customers’ preferred platforms: issue a survey, send outreach emails, or text messages. By gathering your customers’ feedback, you’ll get valuable insights to help you improve current products and services--or even launch new ones. Asking for customer opinions and feedback shows you care about what they have to say and not just about generating more sales. When you offer customers the opportunity and outlet to share their feedback, you’ll improve their trust in your brand because they’ll feel like valued partners.Don’t forget that you’ll earn customer trust and build stronger connections by taking customer feedback seriously and acting on it. Thus, if enough customers report the same problem, do something about it.
4. Use a Sincere and Authentic Brand Voice
Today, it’s daunting to earn customer trust and easy to lose it. However, the Edelman Trust Barometer Special Report reveals that 70% of consumers feel that trusting a company is more crucial today than ever. The report also shows that 74% of customers feel that a company’s impact on society is one of the top reasons brand trust has become more crucial. Consumers want to trust brands, but to do that, they must feel that the company’s voice is authentic and sincere throughout its communication platforms. If you say you care about the well-being and health of your customers, then you must prove that you care through your actions. This was quite clear during the Coronavirus pandemic. Consumers have seen many businesses prioritize people over making profits.For instance, brands like AT&T, together with three other wireless providers, stepped up their plate by opening Wi-Fi hotspots for those who couldn’t afford Wi-Fi connections. This showed they care about their clients and the entire community. Brand voice is critical in building trust and lasting connections with customers, but you must be careful about using your brand’s voice to achieve this. For example, you can convey sincerity and authenticity by personalizing your content and partnering only with influencers and brands aligning with your company’s values. Transparency also goes a long way in showing consumers that your business is sincere and authentic. Being customer-centric, owning up to mistakes, and showing that your company cares about its employees are crucial in how consumers perceive your brand voice.
5. Responsive Customer Service
Responsive customer service is one of the most important ways brands can earn customer trust and build better relationships. It’s the most immediate medium for interaction between customers and brands and the most significant show-and-prove moment for brands to show legitimacy and offer value.Responsive customer encompasses your business’s ability to respond to customers’ inquiries and solve them promptly. This involves the time your customer service agents take to initiate interactions and the time they take to complete customer requests. It shows your brand values its customers' time by quickly and exhaustively walking them through any problems they may have with your service or product.It also lets customers know they can expect your agents to sort out their issues as quickly as possible, which is what trust and strong connections are built on.
6. Honest Prices & Promises
No consumer complains that the company they’re doing business with isn’t deceitful and shady enough. Customers trust honest brands. Thus, your marketing campaigns shouldn't be misleading if you want to improve customer trust and build lasting relationships. In addition, avoid making promises you can’t deliver in your marketing copy. You must also be transparent and ethical. Your sales team must be honest about pricing and how your products or services can legitimately help prospective customers. If you make mistakes, take responsibility, and address the matter as quickly as possible. Be honest in your devotion towards working for customers’ best interests. You can demonstrate that by keeping your customers up-to-date with any developments and being as open and honest as possible. This will boost customer satisfaction and loyalty, improving your conversion rates and sales.
7. Company Commitment & Vision
Businesses are more likely to build stronger connections with consumers and improve brand trust when they’re clear about their values and what they stand for. In fact, 62% of consumers worldwide expect brands to take a stand on cultural, social, political, and environmental matters. Further, over 65% of consumers say the words, actions, and values of an organization’s leaders influence their purchasing decisions. Company commitment and vision can also help you improve brand loyalty and build lasting relationships because consumers are likely to engage with businesses with shared values. For businesses, that means visibly showing a commitment to social, political, environmental, and cultural issues. Building trust and improving customer relationships takes time. However, the seven steps discussed above can steer you in the right direction. Always remember that customers only want to feel valued and heard, just like your friends. So the more you show them you appreciate them, the more they’ll trust your brand and remain loyal.Schedule a conversion strategy call with one of our reputable conversion experts today for more tips on building trust and improving customer relationships. We can help you create customized on-site experiences that will help you turn more web visitors into paying customers.