3 tips to strengthen brand trust online

Online retail is booming. According to a survey, 70% of German small businesses already use digital platforms to sell their products and services. However, this digital boom also brings with it a number of challenges: scam websites lure customers in with false product images and offer items that may never be delivered. Customers often cannot be sure whether the product they are buying is what they see on the screen. This is why consumers are now more cautious and demanding than ever before.

This development underlines the growing importance of building reputation and trust. More and more people are thinking carefully about which brands they prefer and making decisions based on the trust they have in a brand. According to a study by Trustpilot, 90% of online shoppers have already decided against buying from a company that has a bad reputation. This shows that customers no longer give away their trust lightly, but that it must be actively built up by the brand. This presents marketers with a new challenge, as it requires creativity and honesty to achieve this goal. But how exactly can this be achieved?

1. Focus on open and authentic communication

Whether in person or online, authentic communication is crucial to forging strong bonds between brands and their customers. Despite society’s increasing dependence on the internet, both at work and in their leisure time, people trust one thing above all: people. That’s why online communication should always be genuine, inspiring and human at its core.

Marketers need to consider what kind of personality they want to give their company and brand. Should it be informative? Or rather humorous? Perhaps personal? Every company is unique. Marketers now need to figure out how they can use this to their advantage.

Using your own personality for corporate communications, sharing stories about the company’s development including roots, values and vision, can build and strengthen a strong connection with new and potential customers. Authenticity can also be seen in addressing negative experiences. Today’s consumers value real brands that they can identify with.

2. Build brand consistency

An obvious – but often overlooked – way to build trust is to be consistent across all communication platforms. Consistency helps to create clarity and build recognition, which in turn can lead to greater loyalty and trust.

From the logo, tone of voice, and the way the message is communicated to the platforms that are used, brand consistency ensures that the audience knows exactly who the brand is and what it stands for, no matter where or when they interact with it. For example, if branding and tone of voice are very different on the website and on social media, this can be confusing for customers. In the worst case scenario, they won’t recognize the brand – and therefore won’t be able to build a relationship with it.

Presentation on established media platforms strengthens trust in the brand, as consumers already have confidence in these platforms. Consistency not only builds trust with existing and potential customers, but can also establish a clear company philosophy and set it apart from competitors.

3. Invest in partnerships

Partnering with like-minded and complementary brands can bring many benefits for companies looking to build trust in their brand. The basic idea behind such corporate partnerships is to combine different areas of expertise or perspectives to create something bigger. However, it is crucial that there is a close alignment in the values of the two partners.

Bringing together two organizations with a shared passion can help make the mission more achievable. In addition, establishing working partnerships with credible brands that are appealing and relevant to the target audience goes a long way to building a sense of trust through association and shared recognition. If a consumer trusts the brand they have partnered with and has had a positive experience with it, it is likely that this positive opinion will rub off on their own brand.

Today, it is even more important for marketers to gain the trust of their customers. The recommendations to focus on open and authentic communication, establish consistent brand management and invest in partnerships offer effective strategies to strengthen this trust. Establishing these principles may be challenging at first glance, but it can also be seen as an opportunity to get to know both your own company and your customers from a whole new perspective.

Alexandra Anderson

Alexandra Anderson ist Marketing Director Germany bei GoDaddy und seit mehr als zehn Jahren als Marketingexpertin in der IT-Branche tätig. Seit sechs Jahren kümmert sie sich speziell um den Anbieter GoDaddy in Deutschland, mit besonderem Fokus auf digitales Marketing. Ein besonderes Anliegen ist ihr die Digitalisierung von Mikro- und Kleinunternehmer:innen.