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- 1 – Security – The Foundation of Building Digital Trust
- 2 – Reviews: Using Marketing Messages with Social Proof
- 3 – Rankings: Establishing Your Digital Authority
- 4 – Transparency: Building Trust & Loyalty
- 5 – Design Quality: The First Impression of Digital Relationships
- Building Digital Customer Relationships in 2023
It’s 2023 – and in the digital era we live in today, many customer interactions with brands occur online.
What does this mean for you as an online business owner?
Your digital customer experience is essential to your success!
When customers have a positive relationship with you, even cultivated digitally, you can increase customer loyalty, retention, and even conversion rates.
Especially in the world of working from home/working from anywhere we now live, digital experiences are the backbone of our daily lives.
In this blog post, I cover five essential strategies to foster trust and build lasting relationships with your customers online.
1 – Security – The Foundation of Building Digital Trust
Data breaches are all too common these days, which means that having a secure website is non-negotiable. Customers, clients, and website visitors want to know their personal and financial information is safe.
This comes through offline practices, like hiring trustworthy, vetted people through an executive recruitment agency, and it also comes through digital best practice.
Communication channels are key!
Your audience needs to know metrics and analytics regarding how their customer data will be used. In a virtual world, it’s not only recommended to build strong customer relationships, it’s also legally required!
To demonstrate to your audience that you have a secure website, you first want to have an SSL certificate. An SSL certificate stands for “secure socket layer,” which is a fancy website term for displaying that your website encrypts data between the user’s browser and your website server. It signals your website visitors that sensitive information like email addresses, payment information, and passwords is secure.
It’s also an important technical ranking factor from an SEO perspective, as Google doesn’t want to promote a website that doesn’t offer users a safe and secure experience.
Other security features may not be mandatory, depending on your business type. For example, healthcare businesses may need to have suitable access control and end-to-end encryption when building HIPAA compliant software. Regularly consult with cyber security experts to make sure your website and any business-related applications are as secure as possible.
2 – Reviews: Using Marketing Messages with Social Proof
Reviews are social proof for your business – positive feedback from previous customers helps boost your trust and influence potential clients.
Google My Business takes reviews into consideration – and you’ll see businesses with more Google reviews ranking higher in search results (more on that later in this blog!)
Many customers will look up reviews of a company online to make sure that others recommend them. It could deter customers if you have lots of negative or no reviews.
Try to spend time building positive reviews online by asking every happy customer to leave a review. You can also collect written testimonials to publish on your site or even create testimonials videos to repurpose on social media!
If you do ever receive a negative review, make sure to address the comments professionally. Show your customers that you care about the relationship, value feedback, and are committed to resolving issues.
3 – Rankings: Establishing Your Digital Authority
If you want the playbook to find new and loyal customers without having to design custom, personalized marketing campaigns, it’s time to learn about search engine optimization!
Your rankings on search engines can influence how much people trust you. Most people see higher-ranking websites are popular, trustworthy, and successful. On the contrary, if your website is nowhere to be found in the Google sphere, it could be a turnoff for your audience.
Consider whether you need to improve your rankings by investing in SEO services. You can do various things to boost your rankings, including adding keywords, improving site speed, and making sure your site is mobile-friendly.
As an SEO strategist for women entrepreneurs, I’m here to help you build trust and loyalty with your audience through SEO. If you want my latest tips on how to learn SEO, browse my latest blog posts!
4 – Transparency: Building Trust & Loyalty
Customers value transparency and honesty. In the digital world, this means being upfront about product details, pricing, and any potential shortcomings. By being transparent, businesses can build trust and ensure that there are no unpleasant surprises down the line.
You don’t want to give the impression that you’re lying about the benefits of your products and services or even hiding information. Instead, you want your brand to come across as transparent and honest.
How can you reinforce this message and show customers?
By creating two-way communication channels with your audience. Allow replies on social media posts – and reply to all your comments and DMs! Don’t buy likes or followers to try and keep up with social media appearances.
Offline interactions are equally important. Things as simple as picking up the phone when a customer calls go a LONG way, too! If you’re struggling to manage your phone lines without a receptionist, a virtual receptionist service might be a good next step for you.
It also helps to share photos of you and your staff, the real people running the business day to day (not another office stock photo). You can also use clear product photos and share behind-the-scenes videos to feel connected to your audience and demonstrate your transparency as a brand.
5 – Design Quality: The First Impression of Digital Relationships
When it comes to digital first impressions, your website design is the first thing people notice! And, of course, we want your audience to be wow-ed!
A well-design website reflects your professionalism and credibility. It tells your audience: “I’ve got it together, and I mean business!”
If your website feels a little early 2000-esque, it’s time to refresh. You don’t want your site’s design and user experience to turn away new customers. Ensure you have a smooth experience without bugs or glitches, a fast loading time, an easy-to-navigate menu, and color/font combinations that reflect a professional brand.
And don’t forget about high-quality brand photos and well-written copywriting!
Overwhelmed? Don’t be! I offer website redesign services for women entrepreneurs who are ready to take their brand presence to the next level with web design and SEO.
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Building Digital Customer Relationships in 2023
First impressions last, and with these strategies, you’ll be building a long-lasting, loyal sense of community in your industry. Don’t forget that your website is your signature accessory!
Don’t wait to build better brand loyalty and visibility. Let’s work together to optimize your site for search engine rankings!
Want my support with your website right now? Here’s how I can help:
- Organize your SEO journey with the Search Engine Success Website Planner
- Join the Search Engine Success Lab Membership for hands-on SEO trainings & support
- Book a Website Strategy SEO Strategy Intensive to answer all your SEO questions
- Outsource your SEO management with a website redesign or optimization package
And make sure to grab your FREE SEO website audit below!
