How to Gain Consumer Trust Online

Writing by Brick Marketing in Internet Marketing

The power is in the hands of the consumer. They know that they have options and they are going to take their time to ensure that they make the right choice before spending their money. Besides getting recommendations from trusted friends, family, or colleagues consumers are spending time researching companies online and often what the choice comes down to is, “can I trust that this business/product will be a good fit?” So how can you convey that your business can be trusted? Here are a few ways:


Be Seen
The most important thing is that your company/brand can be found online. A search engine presence is important, but it goes beyond that. Where else are potential clients or customers looking for information? Create profiles on industry websites and directories.

Be Accessible
A consumer wants to know that they will be able to reach a human representative if they ever have a question or concern. Include contact information on all pages of your website for easy access. In addition, have an active presence in social media. If a consumer sees that you are active in social media, they can be confident that if they reach out to you via social media, that you will see their comment and respond.

Be Transparent
The successful companies today are the ones that are willing to share information. Not all of the company secrets need to be revealed, but you can no longer hide behind smoke and mirrors either. Create content like articles, blog posts, guest blog posts, e-Books, and guides that provide prospects with a glimpse into your business operations.

Have a Quality Website
Online, your business website is the face of your brand. It may be the first touchpoint that a prospect reaches (especially if you are doing SEO well!) so it’s important to give a good first impression. A business website should have a nice layout and design and be user friendly. For an e-commerce site there needs to be clearly defined and accessible return/exchange information and a secure check out. Include testimonials and case studies on the website. Any business can claim to be great, but showcasing actual results will be much more meaningful.