1. Position Yourself as an Authority Being a dentist in your hometown puts you in the same boat as all the other dentists in your area.
But what if you’re the top holistic dentist who uses all-natural products and runs a “green” dentistry practice?
That brand may attract clients from all around the country, instead of just your hometown, and it can make you look like an authority in your specific niche, especially if no one else is doing what you do.
That being said, if you want to leverage the trust that comes with being perceived as an authority in your industry, then you’ve got to flex your authoritative muscle.
Explain what makes your products or services different, accentuate your strengths, and claim your title.
If you’re not the best, you can be the first, the biggest, or the number one trusted choice.
Find a way to set yourself apart as the top dog in your industry, even if it’s just in the holistic, all-natural, “green” dentistry niche.
Then constantly read, learn, and grow to keep your leading edge, and share what you’ve learned with your following, so they’ll never forget how authoritative you truly are.
Bottom line – when consumers see you as an authority, they’ll seek you out.
2. Provide a Great Digital Shelf Experience When consumers are looking for a trustworthy brand to purchase from online, one of their main considerations is the experience they’ll have with a retailer’s digital shelf.
But what is a digital shelf?
Well, it’s basically the online equivalent of what you’d find on a shelf in a brick-and-mortar store.
At a physical location, the product packaging will contain most, if not all of the necessary information, but there may be other elements to this, as well, such as in-store displays.
But when it comes to online shopping, where people can’t actually handle your products, consumers expect to find a lot more information on that shelf.
This includes things like images of the products, ratings, reviews, instruction manuals, and other info about the product, such as sizing, ingredients, and materials.
If you don’t offer this kind of information in your online store, it’s going to annoy shoppers, and it can make potential customers suspicious of the quality of your products or services.
In the Salsify survey I mentioned above, 45 per cent of respondents said one of the top three reasons why they trust a product online is that its digital shelf contains detailed product descriptions and high-quality images.
And nearly a third of respondents said that the number one reason they choose not to buy a product online is that not enough information or details are provided.
So, if you’re selling your products and services online, make sure to give consumers what they want by providing ample information about your offerings.
If you don’t, consumers will be lacking the information they need, and it might look like you’ve got something to hide, all of which will inevitably erode the trust potential customers have in your brand.
3. Put a Focus on Transparency If you want your brand to be seen as trustworthy, you’ve got to be open and honest.
Any indication that you’ve got something to hide, or are withholding information from potential customers is going to look really bad, and it’s certainly not going to inspire trust.
A survey from Label Insight drives home just how important transparency is to consumers.
The survey found that 73 per cent of respondents would be willing to pay more for a product if it “offers complete transparency in all attributes,” and a whopping 94 per cent said they’re “likely to be loyal to a brand that offers complete transparency.”
One of the best examples of transparency, in terms of the work we’ve done for clients, is Vancouver-based medical spa, Deez Skin Rejù & Pain Clinic.
How does Deez Skin Rejù show that transparency?
Well, for one thing, many of this business’ offerings carry the risk of side effects, and we like to shine a light on that when creating many of this brand’s marketing materials.
Some might shy away from doing this sort of thing, as they might think it could scare off potential customers.
But in my experience, it actually makes consumers more likely to do business with you, as it shows you care and reassures them you’ve got nothing to hide.
For instance, in a recent blog post we published for Deez Skin Rejù on vampire facials and vampire facelifts, which are two of the treatments they offer.
Aside from the written explanations the blog contains, anyone who looks at this post will also be able to see exactly what the procedure entails, no matter how off-putting it might be.
In addition, the blog contains a list of not just the mild, common side effects of this procedure, but also the rare, severe ones, and cautions the reader of the reasons why they may want to avoid getting this treatment.
Another example of this on Deez Skin Rejù’s website is the before and after photos of the treatments.
This is a pretty common thing, and it’s nothing mind-blowing, but if you work in this industry and you want to be seen as trustworthy and transparent, it’s incredibly important.