Using Internet Marketing to Build Trust With Customers

In today’s competitive environment it seems even the smallest custard stand must have its presence known online. What often seems to get lost in the shuffle is building trust, establishing yourself as superior and authoritative and, more importantly, letting your potential customers know you before you know them. There are several ways to start building the trust that will allow your business to succeed online, and it starts with your company’s website, and communicating to your potential clients how they should communicate with each other. This doesn’t mean build a Facebook page for your plumbing company. It means understanding where your clients are looking for you online, what they expect, and how to best reach them. Let’s go through a few examples of how this is done.

Establish a Human Connection ThroughYour Website

There are several things you can do on your website to build trust and authoritativeness. First of all, make sure your site is packed with helpful content. There is nothing wrong with sharing a little premium information now and again. This helps to build trust, and once you are comfortable with the idea you will see that it certainly brings more business than it loses.

Also make sure you have a nice “About Us” section with pictures and bios of the people your potential customers will either talk to or see in person. It is important that your potential clients connect with you on a personal level and see that there are real people behind your services. Once they know you and trust you, doing business is really an after thought. Remember: Customers trust people, not companies.

Build Communities Through Groups and Forums

Developing these options are very good ways to spend your time. Once you understand where your potential clients look for information, you will want to establish yourself as an authority. For example: Years ago we used to target dealerships specifically for Internet marketing, so we would make sure to participate in forums like ADM and Driving Sales, as well as always post on blogs like Dealer Refresh. Establishing yourself as an authority in those spaces (not always trying to sell products and services) and genuinely helping people will bring you more business. More importantly, it will lead to a profitable business.

Social Media like Twitter, Myspace and Facebook

One of the hottest marketing tools pushed by news and online outlets is social media. Often times it gets billed as “the solution to all your marketing problems.” I don’t blame the social media services for this, I blame the journalists and bloggers who say such crazy things. The fact of the matter is that – just as with all marketing channels – you have to do your research.

It is likely that many of your customers are on Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites. The important thing to consider is whether or not they are LOOKING for you there. They might be there, but do they want to hear your message through these outlets? If not, you’re just spamming them. Take the time to carefully understand where your clients are going to look for your service, and approach them there. It may sound like an oversimplification of the marketing issue but it isn’t. You wouldn’t advertise handguns on a cooking website, would you?

Effective online marketing involves understanding where your potential customers are looking for you and establishing a presence there. Don’t be afraid to give away information at the expense of a potential customer. You will build authoritativeness, trust and a strong client base. People will respect you for saving them a little time and money. If you see someone with a problem that is easy to fix, go ahead and do it. In our experience, the client comes back later and refers others to you. Word of mouth still works, even on the Internet.