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Ways to Build Trust with Your Customers Online

two people shaking hands and trusting each otherThere are a million quotes about the value of trust in human relationships, but Ronald Reagan’s few words might be the most in line with what your potential customers want “trust, but verify.”

It’s your job to build the trust and provide the verification. No matter what kind of business you market—B2B, B2C—never lose sight of the fact that you need to build trust with humans (even if their paths to you is different, more here). Here are ten ways to verify your customer’s trust so you can earn their business time and time again.

Answer their questions

When your customers have a question, they let their fingers on the keyboard do the talking. Even if you don’t have 24/7 staffing, there are several ways to answer their questions. One way is to have the answer ready before your customers ask the question; add a Frequently Answered Questions page to your website with short answers to the questions and add in-depth answers to your blog (via text and video-if you don’t have time or expertise, contact a firm that can product quality blog posts).

Share the blog posts on your social media, along with other articles and videos that can answer their questions. Give your online audience a chance to get their questions answered and trust you as the expert who gave them the answer.

Be available

A business is missing a key opportunity when they don’t answer an email or social media inquiry from a potential customer. Don’t just respond to inquiries that come in; respond promptly within a few hours of the inquiry (if not faster)—even if the inquiry is negative.

If the customer is angry, don’t ignore the message. Instead, take a deep breath and provide a professional response. Give them an answer to their problem (more tips for handling an angry online customer here).

Be human

Though you can’t see your online audience, be human in all your online marketing efforts. Respond promptly with a human voice; giving an automated robotic response is going to alienate and, in some cases, anger your online audience (more tips for delivering excellent customer service here). Use that same human tone in your email marketing pieces, on your website, and throughout your social media presence.

Have others tell them about you

We already talked about how customers and potential customers are increasingly turning to the web to research companies. One of the biggest factors in their decision is testimonials and reviews. Showcase these reviews in your marketing efforts (with a mixture of other marketing content)—along with the excellent customer service you provide to people who have a problem. Monitor the website for negative reviews (or contact a company who can) and use these tips to protect your online presence. Respond to any comments from your customers, and show you listen; these two components prove to those interested in your company that you are worthy of their trust.

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