Consumers need to trust your brand before they’re willing to purchase your products. In fact, trust is listed as being just as important as quality or value. While so many brands are focused on providing excellent quality or great value, many are forgetting the importance of building trust with their consumers. This is a huge mistake and can leave businesses rushing to try and build trust when it’s too late. Keep reading for a quick list of some of the most common trust-breaking pitfalls and a few tips on how to nurture a healthy relationship of trust.
Losing your consumers’ trust…
- You aren’t authentic. Everyone hates talking to a robot or being sent a generic message. As convenient as these items may be when you hide behind them, customers are often left frustrated and confused. Take the time to have real, authentic interactions with your consumers and address their needs. Even if it takes a little extra time, the connections you build will pay off in the long run.
- You are too spammy. Don’t smother your consumers with promo after promo and sale after sale. Not only does this make your messaging more likely to be tuned out, but it also takes away from your relationship with your customers. It can make your brand appear more focused on sales than relationship building. While there is a time and place for special offers, the way you present them can make all the difference. Personalization goes a long way to building a great relationship.
- You aren’t transparent. There is a huge call for brands to be transparent, especially in their advertising. Nobody enjoys being misled by an ad! Whatever the terms of your deal are, make them crystal clear. Too often brands are focused on getting people in the door for a one hit wonder, instead of cultivating a lasting relationship with consumers. Focus on deals that yield long term value – loyalty programs or even rewards simply based on past activity are wonderful relationship builders.
- You don’t listen. If there’s no avenue for customers to provide you with feedback (or if there is and you don’t respond) you’re telling customers you don’t care! People love to feel heard, especially when they’re frustrated with your products or company. Even if their criticisms aren’t always accurate, it’s important that your consumers feel heard and are reassured that you will be addressing their concerns. This can be as simple as a customer feedback survey or a platform for reviews. Whatever your choice, make sure any and all feedback is responded to promptly.
Ways you can boost the trust in your brand…
- Have a satisfaction guarantee (and honor it)! Promise customers they will be satisfied, otherwise, they get their money back. It will go a long way in building trust. New customers won’t feel nervous to place an order and your returning customers can be reassured that their next experience will be just as good as their first one.
- Provide stellar customer service. This doesn’t mean you need to be accessible 24/7 (though if you can support that, great)! It does mean providing your consumers with easy avenues of contacting you and letting them know when and how you will be available to address their concerns. Create a sunset policy where all customer issues are addressed and resolved before the sun goes down.
- Share your values. What are your brand’s values? What is your brand’s mission? Make these items easy for your customers to access. By providing concrete examples of your brand’s values and how you live them, you will build an instant mutual respect. Without this context, your consumers won’t know who your brand really is or be given much of a reason to trust you.
- Build a credible presence. This can be done in many ways, whether it’s through print advertising, a website, or signage, give your customers something tangible to interact with and observe. If your presence isn’t credible (or even in existence) it should come as no surprise that people aren’t trusting your brand.
TAG can help your brand keep your customers’ trust. Ask us how.