Why customer trust solves your problems

There are hundreds of questions and problems circling our heads every day:

• How do I increase customer brand loyalty?
• What can I do to market the business to new customers?
• How can our site appear higher in search engine ranking?
• How do I convert leads for sales?

Pff, exhausting... Start taking the weight of your shoulders by gaining trust.

Get online reviews and you'll really know your customers, you'll keep existing customers hooked on your excellent reputation, and you can even appear higher in search results.

Ultimately, you'll be able to sell more for less - all backed up by an awesome brand.

There are three key rules to assure trust success:

1. Connect with your customers
2. Have a validated reputation
3. Manage your fanbase

1. Connect with your customers

People buy from people. Connect with your customers and you'll conquer that emotional trigger that makes people ask 'why should I trust you?'

Customer distance creates miscommunication, mistrust, and mistakes. That means less sales.

Customers want your business to be open to them as much as possible, and so customers turn to online reviews for a snapshot of your reputation; 77% use online reviews to make a purchase according to Business.com. So reach out to your customers to start a conversation.

2. Have a validated reputation

Common online shopping differentiations include:

• Needs
• Urgency
• Convenience
• Price

Everyone wants something that satisfies their demands immediately, and for a good price.

Tipping the scale is reputation.

Online reputation is a pillar of online success, 92% of consumers read reviews today, and 88% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.

Consumers want to read a selection of what people think about you, whether it's positive or negative. It's the only way to show a real validation reputation. Nothing is perfect after all.

3. Manage your fanbase

People don't naturally warm to you; you have to earn loyalty and popularity. In business, loyalty must be built for success.

Embrace transparency, gather feedback, and let your reviews do the talking. And with such a range of ways to utilise reviews in your marketing, keep spreading the word to get even more feedback and connection to your brand.

Make trust your magnetising force

Four trillion dollars of online shopping value is abandoned every year. How much did you lose out on?

Whatever you're losing, it could be because trust is not evident. Trustpilot statistics show that reviews can provide a 40% revenue boost year-on-year.

The message: reviews drive traffic, attract customers, help you sell more and create those brand advocates you really need. So start saying goodbye to the sound of empty baskets hitting the floor.

1. Boost your star rating

Who would've thought a decade ago that Google's stars rich snippets would determine so much online?!

These stars - which show the overall review rating of a product - are formed from review data sent by third-party review sites, such as Trustpilot. Google's algorithms then aggregate the review feedback they get and give an overall star rating to a company or product.

Also, because reviews are a constant stream of fresh content (which search engines love), lots of reviews could mean that your Trustpilot Profile Page climbs the search engine rankings.

So get reviews and you'll be well on your way to appearing in Google's ranking alongside a star rating.

2. Guide customers on their purchasing journey

The customer journey can be convoluted and confusing. Don't let customers veer away from your site due to complexity.

Displaying reviews on your site shows you're trusted, giving fewer reasons to customers to back out of a purchase, Place reviews in strategic places (product pages, checkout pages and so on) and your customers will have every reason to follow your lead.

3. Keeping it smooth is the easy part...

So you're being seen and found and selling more. But the next step is crucial: customer service.

How trust translate to super service

So you're building trust in your products or service. But it means nothing unless you treat your customers right.

Here's where trust can keep customers onboard and engaged with you.

1. Increase customer retention rates with customer feedback.

Showing customer reviews is one of the most efficient ways to increase retention rates.

The probability of selling to an existing customer is around 70%. A prospect? Just 20% - max. And with new customer acquisition costs around six to seven times more than simply selling to current customers, opening up to online review helps:

• Reduce customer acquisition cost
• Increase sales (if done right)
• Build brand loyalty
• Build trust & transparency with your customers

2. Act on and engage with customer feedback

When you do get customer engagement, act on it. You're probably already doing this through social media channels like Facebook and Twitter.

But responding to customer feedback through review responses, whether the reviews are good or bad, shows you're relatable,open and trustworthy.

Increasing customer retention by 5% can lead to a 25%-95% increase in company profits. Keep the costs to a minimum, and be smart with the trust that's filtering through your customer reviews, and your numbers will never have looked better.

3. Keep customer spirits high

Customers are fourt imes more likely to shop with a competitor if they encounter poor customer service, rather than poor product quality.

But don't just be reactive and put on a good face when customer service issues arise - talk to your customers, send out customer satisfaction surveys, ask for reviews, and get that trust built.

4. Know your weaknesses, build your strengths

Understanding where you're lacking helps you regain the trust of existing customers. After all, around 80% of your revenue will come from 20% of your existing customers, so keep them happy and show that you're the trusted business you say you are.

5. Have fun!

Don't be afraid to refer to the fundamental principles of building trust: the use of humour, sympathy, emotion and genuine care. Go for it!