Gaining your customer's trust: 5 tips to increase your sales

How do you win your customer's trust? Did you know that trust affects your turnover and the number of customers you have? Think about it: what do you think about before you press 'Pay' in a web shop? Or agree to a business purchase?

Do you check the reviews? The 'about us' page? The certificates/approvals? What kind of phone number they use? What the social media looks like? Or even the Chamber of Commerce number? You're looking for this because you want to increase trust. Is it even a serious party? Do I dare to spend my money on this? Am I sure I am getting what I paid for?

No matter what your business is like: whether people make purchases of a few euros, or a few thousand euros, the purchase will not be made if there is no trust. That is why we have written this blog with 5 tips (plus a bonus tip) to gain your customers' trust and thus increase sales!

What we want to give you, besides these tips of course, is that you have to put yourself in your customer's shoes. Think carefully about what you would like to receive and how you would like to be treated. And how you can be blown away! Only then will you properly realise how to gain your customer's trust.

Read on soon for all our tips. ↓↓

Last updated: 16 November 2021

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#1: You are the expert

You know what they say: content is king! And that's just the way it is. For start-ups, but also for larger companies. This has to do with several reasons. 

For one, it is important to inform your customers well about the products and services you sell. With an online clothing shop, for example, think:

• 'The dress falls small, we advise you to order a size up.
• The model in the picture is 176 centimetres and is wearing size S.

For services, for example, it is good to mention how long you will be working, the hourly rate and how it works.

You are the expert in what you do, so it is important to convey this. This way, a client immediately knows what to expect and you build a bond of trust. After all, they will never be surprised!

Besides putting as much useful information as possible with your products and services, it is also important to post articles, blogs and white papers about your area of expertise. Obviously because of trust, but also to get and stay in the attention of your customers. 

Let's stick with the example of an online clothing shop. Relevant topics for this industry include: ethical fabrics, the trends, fabrics and colours of the season and different ways to style a t-shirt. These are things that appeal to your target audience or answer questions, which then helps them make a decision.

By writing articles that your target audience finds interesting and/or important, you profile yourself as an expert in this field. People will trust you and be more likely to make a purchase as a result of these articles. 

It is also important for business-to-business (B2B) companies to write content, for the same reason as for business-to-consumer (B2C). Build that relationship of trust.

#2: Word of mouth is your best friend: anything for the WOW!

As an entrepreneur, you have a choice of different types of advertising and ways to advertise. Think TV, radio, social media and Google ads. But, of all these forms of advertising, consumers always know that it comes from you as a business.

Of course, that's not how you want to communicate ;-). You can always say what you want about yourself and make it look better than it is. This is precisely why it is important to also (because you should certainly not forget paid advertising in a marketing strategy!) focus on word-of-mouth advertising. Nothing is more reliable than a friend, colleague or family member telling you that company XYZ is doing a great job. 

Go for that 'WOW'! Find something that makes your service or product unique. And if it doesn't succeed in your product, think about how it is packaged. Personalise it, or add something fun. It's the little things that 'do it'!

People like to talk about negative things, like when something has gone grandly wrong, but they also often talk about things that are very good again. Or above expectations! If you manage to achieve this, you get the most out of the most reliable channel of all: word of mouth.

#3: Be active on social media

Social media is an incredibly good way to build trust. Because besides being a medium where people share their holiday snaps, Instagram and Facebook are also widely used to look up businesses. 

So if you are not yet (actively) on social media, here is a missed opportunity. Make sure you are active on at least one social media channel, and also post this on your website so that people can easily navigate to it. 

In addition, social media is also great for building a relationship with your customers. Show off your latest products, announce fun things or share memes. Share what your customers like. Don't be afraid to test this! Through social media too, you build your brand and the reliability of your brand. 

Google Business Profile
Although not really a social medium, Google Business Profile should not be forgotten either. It is the first thing people see when they see your business name on Google. 

Has a well-stocked, reliable-looking, Google Business Profile page:

• A regional or national phone number;
• Opening hours;
• An address;
• A website;
• Photos;
• Products.

And more! The more you can post of your business on Google Business Profile, the better. It's free and an easy way to increase the professionalism of your business.

Update 16 November 2021: Google My Business has been renamed Google Business Profile. Same functionalities, but a different name.

#4: Collect reviews and ratings

Reviews and ratings are incredibly important. For every entrepreneur. Tell yourself: don't you want to know in advance how the people before you liked their order? Or what they thought of the service? Of course you do!

Actively collect reviews. By no means everyone will do it, but the people who do are nice to have. Reviews you wouldn't have had otherwise! 

With reviews, you immediately make it clear that you are a serious party that can be trusted. Provided, of course, that you have a good score. But as a good entrepreneur, that is bound to happen! Moreover, you can learn from all reviews; even negative ones. How you deal with negative reviews says a lot about your company and you as an entrepreneur.
 

#5: Optimise your website

Take a critical look at your website. Does it look trustworthy? Does it look personal? Are there things you miss, would word differently or add? What are your competitors doing? And why are they doing it? 

In the business world, people think about everything to get the optimal result. So too the details!

Some tips to optimise your website for reliability:

• Put your Chamber of Commerce number somewhere highly visible;
• Showcase yourself (and your team) via an About Us page. Include photos, names and possibly a story about you and the origins of your company;
• Be transparent about what you offer;
• Hallmarks and paying with iDeal on the website;
• Make sure everything works properly and optimise processes. Like the ordering process or the filters in your webshop.

#Bonus: A business phone number

We hear you thinking: hello open door.... But trust me, we wouldn't put it in there if it wasn't 100% true! After all, with a 085 number or regional number, you show at a glance that you are a serious company. 

Do we immediately do a little test with what we already covered in the intro: put yourself in the customer's shoes. So, how would you feel if you wanted to purchase a product or service from your own shop? And you see an 06 number listed there as, say, customer service or support line?

Exactly... Read more about why you need a fixed phone number in our earlier blog.

Building a trusting relationship takes time and effort. While trust can be shattered in an instant, building it often takes much longer. So don't expect to see much effect of your efforts right away either; this grows gradually.

Above all, keep an eye on whether more or larger purchases are made, or whether more visitors come to your website. On your social media, it is important to keep an eye on the number of followers/likes your page has, and whether you are being tagged in something (@) or your #hashtags are being used. This is a sign that you are being talked about and gaining traction.

So, what strategy will your company use to gain customers' trust?