What makes a customer buy a product or service? It’s true that offering something amazing is important, but it turns out that customers buy from brands for a lot of reasons that go beyond the actual thing they are buying. In addition, there is so much competition in the market which gives customers more choices than ever before. They can look for other things in a company besides the actual products and services they offer.
One of those things is choosing a company they can trust.
It’s never too late to build more trust with your customers! Here are a few tips that will make customers feel like they can come back to your brand time and time again.
Lock Down Network Security
How secure is your network? If you’re still using perimeter-based security, your systems probably aren’t as secure as you think. The ironically named zero trust security system is a much better choice.
With zero trust security, every access transaction is treated exactly the same. Whether access comes from an employee inside the office, an employee outside the office, or someone else, the same safety and security protocols are in place.
Customers aren’t going to know exactly what kind of security systems your company uses, but they will appreciate knowing that their personal information is safe. Keep customer contact and payment information secure and they’re more likely to keep shopping with your brand.
Manage Client Expectations
There’s old advice that tells companies to underpromise and overdeliver. Although this sounds like a good idea, it’s actually terrible advice. It turns out that customers don’t really care whether you go above and beyond or not, which means you’ll just end up wasting time.
Instead of underpromising and overdelivering, work on managing client expectations. A lot of frustration can be avoided if your customers know exactly what to expect.
When will their package arrive? How long is the product expected to last? When can they expect a refund to be deposited into their bank account? Answering questions like these as clearly and honestly as you can reduces the chances that your customers will have unreasonable expectations about your services.
Develop a Brand Personality
Brand personality is important. It provides customers with the ability to connect with your company in a personal way. It informs how your company talks and behaves, enabling you to connect with your target audience and provide them with products and services that match their values.
Developing a brand personality includes:
- Knowing your audience
- Crafting messages with the right tone
- Using social media to stay in touch with customers
- Responding to feedback
If you’re struggling to develop a brand personality, start by thinking of your brand like a person. How does that person dress, act, and speak? Give your brand an actual face and you can narrow in on exactly how you want your brand to behave.
An Easy, Generous Return Policy
No matter how hard you try, there will always be some customers who aren’t happy with your product or service. Providing customers with a return policy or a money-back guarantee can instill trust in your customers because it shows that you care about their satisfaction.
There are many different kinds of return policies you can consider, but the more generous you can be, the better. If you offer a unique product, consider taking returns without a receipt and don’t pass restocking and other fees onto your customers.
No matter what kind of return policy you choose, make sure it’s clear. Managing expectations, as mentioned earlier, is the best way to make sure customers have a positive experience even if they are returning your product.
Be Available
How easy is it for customers to get answers to their questions? The easier it is, the more trust you can build, and the more likely they are to make a purchase.
Phone calls and emails are classic ways to communicate with customers, but you can build even more trust if you have a live chat option on your website. It can be programmed to answer common questions automatically, and it can connect customers with actual customer service representatives when the bot is unable to answer their questions.
There are a lot of things you can change about your business to increase sales, but one that will pay off in the long run is building trust. With these tips, you can work on building trust in big and small ways that your customers are sure to appreciate.
