Building Trust
Every single person who is searching online for a product or service has a 2 second attention span. As soon as a potential buyer goes to a new website, that site has 2 seconds to engage the visitor enough to stay on that website. 2 SECONDS! In the past, companies have used cheap gimmicks and marketing tactics to keep you on their site, but people are smarter now. To really keep a person engaged and reading what you have to say online, you have to build loyalty and trust.
Online shopping, digital marketing, social media and dynamic websites have changed how people interact with a company. There is no face to face business meeting or consulting call anymore; we live in a world where your website and online activity is doing 90% of the talking for you.
Most businesses look as their website as a selling machine that is supposed to rack up the leads, but viewing your website through the lens of building lasting relationships can drastically change your business. So now the real challenge begins, how do you grab a potential client’s attention, build initial trust, and nurture that trust? You must build a quick connection, listen and respond, and deliver.
Build a Quick Connection
This part is simpler than you might imagine but is made difficult by overthinking. Here are your steps to building a quick connection online:
STEP 1: Make sure your website looks good.
Potential customers want to work with a company that is appealing and competent; nothing shows that more in the first 2 seconds than a solid website design.
STEP 2: Have content on the site that is appealing.
Short and to the point. Websites that try and trick you into staying with marketing phrases and catchy lingo never work. Create content that your potential customers will actually care about.
STEP 3: Make sure your content makes sense.
Content is often overthought and boring, but if you provide content that hits on issues that your potential customers may have, then you will build an instant connection.
Listen & Respond
It can be difficult and heart-wrenching to do, but you have to read your online reviews. People can be brutally honest online because they can’t image another human being on the other end of their review. So, read those reviews and respond to every single one! Also, consider surveys as a tool to find out what your current clients want out of your business. Free programs, like Surveymonkey.com, allow you to ask specific questions to your customers and see their honest responses.
Deliver
If you plan on making claims online about what your business does and the level of performance you can provide, then you better be able to deliver. Every company has had complaints from customers and 90% of the time will come back to unmet expectations. If you are going to have a website or be involved in any online activity for your business, know what expectations you are setting and if those are realistic.
