9 Steps That You Can Take To Strengthen Consumer Trust in Your Brand

Earning customer trust doesn’t have to be complicated. If you are running an ethical and trustworthy business that focuses on its customers, you should have no issue establishing trust. If you are looking for tips on accomplishing this, look no further.

Table of Contents

Because customer trust is key in driving loyalty and success, many companies seek ways to better develop that trust. To earn it, you must start by understanding and respecting your customers while providing relevant experiences or services.

First and foremost, delivering consistent quality is crucial. Consumers need to have confidence that your products or services will meet or exceed their expectations every time they engage with your brand. Consistency in quality builds a positive reputation, which, in turn, enhances trust. Regularly assess and improve your offerings to ensure they align with the changing needs and preferences of your target audience. To help kickstart this process, here are nine steps to strengthen consumer trust.

Why Is Customer Trust Important?

Building customer trust is a process that can benefit your company in a variety of ways. Not only is customer trust important for your reputation, but it also helps to attract and retain loyal customers. Customer retention is known to directly impact the success of a business.

Be sure to talk to your customers directly by engaging in one-on-one conversations, whether through surveys, focus groups, or customer support interactions, can provide valuable insights and build trust. It shows that you care about their opinions and are committed to understanding their needs. Actively seeking feedback and actively listening to their concerns can lead to product improvements and demonstrate a customer-centric approach. Through these conversations, you can address their specific questions or issues, resolve problems efficiently, and make your customers feel heard and valued. This personalized communication reinforces the human connection behind your brand and goes a long way in strengthening consumer trust.

Returning customers are some of the most important customers a company will have. These are the people who consistently choose you over your competition and recommend your products to their friends. Treat them well and maintain a trusting relationship by taking the steps discussed here.

Transparency is another key element in building trust. Be open and honest with your customers about your business practices, pricing, and any potential shortcomings. When mistakes or issues arise, address them promptly and openly, as this demonstrates a commitment to accountability and customer satisfaction. Open communication, whether through clear product descriptions, informative customer support, or candid public statements, goes a long way in fostering trust.

Building trust also involves maintaining a strong online presence. Engage with your audience through social media, email marketing, and other online channels. Regular, meaningful interactions with your customers can foster a sense of connection and community around your brand. Engaging content that offers value and supports your customers can go a long way in building trust and loyalty.

“Trusting customers are loyal customers, and loyal customers will tell their friends. They very well could determine your future success,” mentions Patricio Paucar, Co-Founder and Chief Customer Officer of Navi.

1. Start With a Solid Product

If you are getting the same negative feedback over and over again, listen to it. If you can improve something to make customers feel better about spending their money with you, you would be wise to make those adjustments. Keep developing your product until you see positive feedback.

This should go without saying, but you need a fantastic product. If you are trying to sell a product that is not as solid as it could be, you will quickly lose the trust of your consumers. Start with a high-quality product that functions well, and the rest will follow.

“You can’t put a price on customer loyalty. Their satisfaction with your product doesn’t mean anything if they don’t come back for more,” says Brianna Bitton, Co-Founder of O Positiv.

2. Have Strong Company Values

Consumers like to put their money into companies that share the same values as them. Shared values build consumer trust upfront. If your company has strong values, make sure your customers know that.

“If people believe they share values with a company, they will stay loyal to the brand,” says Howard Schultz, former CEO of Starbucks.

If you only source ethical products or pay employees well above the market rate, make that known to your customers. List regular donations you make on your website and display your values and ethics prominently so consumers know what you stand for.

“Building trust with your customers starts with them trusting your product. Then, they start to trust who you are as a company because you’re showing up for them. It always happens in that order,” points out Matt Masiello, Chief Marketing Officer of BabyBuddha.

3. Refine Your Customer Service Strategy

Besides having a great product, your customer service strategy is the most important thing you can do to strengthen customer trust. Exceptional customer service demonstrates a commitment to your customers and a compassion for their unique needs and wants. It’s what shows your customers that you care about them.

If you have yet to spend much time developing your customer service strategy, this is your sign to do so. You need to be able to respond to customer inquiries and concerns in a timely manner and treat each inquiry with respect and kindness. It’s worth setting up a concrete plan on how you will do so.

“What seems like seconds to you will seem like hours to your customers. If you don’t respond to their concerns in a timely fashion, you are breaking their trust,” advises Leroy Hite, Founder and CEO of Cutting Edge Firewood, a company known for their high-quality firewood.

4. Publish Reviews on Your Website

Because customers tend to trust fellow consumers over brands, publishing reviews and testimonials on your website is a great way to instill trust. Customers see the experiences of other customers as more objective and will therefore value seeing those opinions.

“Your customers know you have an agenda when it comes to selling your own products. Other customers typically have none. Let them be your mouthpiece,” recommends Colby Schmidt, Founder of Coursology.

Find reviews that real customers have written on other platforms and display them on your website or offer a review option directly under each product on your website. If customers see positive reviews from their peers, they are far more likely to trust your brand.

5. Be Open and Honest

Transparency is essential to building trust with your customers. You have to be open and honest with your customer base so they can understand why your company makes the decisions it does. Start by publishing detailed product information, including how and where you source your materials and ingredients.

Customer feedback and reviews play a significant role in building trust. Encourage your customers to share their experiences and opinions about your products or services. Actively listen to their feedback and make improvements accordingly. Positive reviews and word-of-mouth recommendations from satisfied customers can be powerful trust-building tools. Conversely, addressing negative feedback or criticism gracefully and professionally can also enhance trust by showing that you take customer concerns seriously.

“No one has ever established trust by being dishonest. Don’t underestimate your customer’s ability to call you out on any untruths you may have told, because they will do so, time after time,” mentions Den Montero, Marketing Director of Moeflavor.

Be more transparent by showing how your company operates behind the scenes. Make a section on your website giving customers a look at your operations and include a Q&A section for any frequently asked questions about said operations. You can even feature stories from current employees.

6. Create a Loyalty Program

Photo Source: Adobe Stock

Loyalty programs are the perfect way to show your appreciation for the people who continuously choose to shop with you. Offer rewards in the form of discounts, gifts with purchases, free samples, or expedited shipping. Setting up a loyalty program will also encourage customers to join your email list.

“It’s simple, really: customers who feel appreciated by the people they give their money to tend to feel better about giving them more of their money in the future. Make sure you are appreciating your loyal customers,” recommends Agatha Relota Luczo, Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Furtuna Skin.

Offering a point system where customers can work up to rewards will encourage them to come back for future purchases. It also gives them a sense of loyalty to you and your business.

7. Form Real Connections

You need to connect with your audience like they are your best friends to form a real sense of trust. The key here is to make sure you come off as authentic. Customers have a very easy time telling when companies are being inauthentic, which can quickly break trust.

“Talk to your customers like you are talking to a group of your friends. That familiarity and comfort resonate and make it easy for them to trust your brand,” says Jonathan Zacharias, Founder of GR0.

Make sure that your brand uses the same voice across all channels. Consistency is key in your voice, so all websites, social media, and marketing materials should sound the same. This will make your interactions seem more authentic.

8. Be Available for Inquiries

It doesn’t hurt to make yourself more accessible and accommodating than your competitors. Engage with your customers as often as possible on whichever channels they frequent. This can be through your website, social media, or email.

“Communities can increase brand loyalty, which can lead to increased customer happiness, retention, and lifetime value,” mentions Nicole Saunders, director of communities at Zendesk.

Again, ensure you are using the same voice when answering these inquiries. Each interaction should sound like it comes from the same person. Even if you have a team of many people interacting with your customers, your audience shouldn’t be able to tell the difference.

9. Invest in Your Employees

The evidence shows that happy employees make good customer service representatives. As your employees interact with your consumers, make sure they are being set up for success. Proper training is necessary to ensure that each individual has what they need and knows how to speak in your brand’s voice.

“Unless you are able to handle all customer interactions on your own, you will have to employ people to help. Treat those people well, and they will treat your customers well in return,” advises Jim Mitchell, Chief Growth Officer of Awesome CX by Transcom.

It’s pretty easy for a customer to tell if the employee they are interacting with is unhappy in their role. Unhappy employees can cause customers to question the ethical practices that your company engages in. Keep your employees happy to keep your customers around.

Building Consumer Trust

Protecting customer data and privacy is a critical aspect of trust-building, especially in today’s digital age. Ensure that you have robust cybersecurity measures in place to safeguard personal information. Make it clear to customers how their data is used and give them the option to control their preferences. Complying with relevant data protection regulations is not only a legal requirement but also a way to build trust with your customers.

Building trust is a process that, when done right, can be a pillar for success. To establish and deepen connections with your customers, familiarize yourself with their needs and use that information to serve them better.

“Trust is something you have to earn. It doesn’t happen just once — it’s something you have to work on every single day. Do everything you can to earn the trust of your customers each and every day,” says Greg Hannley, Founder and CEO of Soba Texas.

Follow these nine steps for building brand loyalty, and you will retain more customers and expand your business in no time. Your customers will appreciate your efforts in caring for them authentically, and your investors will appreciate the boost in sales.