Developing your online brand is important to the success of your business. Your brand is how customers perceive you. It is the total sum of their experiences with your business. Whether it was in person or online, it all makes up your branding image. However, you have the ability to shape your branding image, and it’s important that you do. Your brand is critical to your business success whether you realise it or not. It can improve or diminish your business. While several factors go into creating a positive branding image, here are four reasons trust matters to your online brand.
Creates an emotional connection to your brand
People are emotional beings. So, it should not be surprising that people desire emotional connections. Businesses can take advantage of this human element in business. A study conducted by Harvard Business Review discovered that consumers connect on an emotional level with brands but there are conditions. However, it is not as complicated as it may seem. In order for people to connect with a brand, the business just needs to tap into the right motivators. People have hundreds of emotional motivators. By tapping into any of these, brands can then connect with businesses and gain loyal followers. In the course of their study, they identified a top ten list of motivators. Two of these speak about trust. One motivator for customers was a desire to “feel secure” and the other was for customers to “enjoy a sense of well-being.” As businesses make trust a top branding priority, they will tap into two emotional motivators of customers.
People want trustworthy companies
According to a recent Forbes article, Americans have a general distrust of businesses. People feel sometimes that companies just want their money or are trying to charge them more and so on. In fact, Netflix ran into a problem when it changed its payment structure with customers without notification. Customers lost trust in them and it affected their business. When a business is able to prove that it is trustworthy, then they are giving customers what they want, and, in turn, they gain a boost in business.
Enhances confidence in your product or service
Trust and confidence go hand in hand. As you promote your online brand as one that is trustworthy, consumers will gain more confidence in your product or services. People tend to think more highly of those things that are produced by a company in which they can safely trust. As people begin to realise that your brand is trustworthy, they will start to gain more confidence in your product or service. Develop an online presence that evokes feelings of trust and makes your actions coincide with that of a business people can trust.
Encourages word-of-mouth advertising
What do customers do when they feel confident in a product? Or what do customers do when they trust a brand? If they are like most people, they probably spread the word around. They may tell their family and friends, but if they really love a business they will like them on Facebook or other social media sites. In today’s world, spreading the word means a lot more than it meant years ago. Word-of-mouth advertising is an effective means of gaining connections with new prospects. According to the research, 64 % of marketing executives “indicated that they believe word of mouth is the most effective form of marketing.” As customers gain trust in your brand, they will likely tell their friends, family, and maybe even post a link on their social media site(s).
Build trust with your customers through your online brand. Connect with us today for more tips.
