Good Reviews, Best Way to Build Consumer Trust

Brands look for online engagement and, in the end, for customers that will acquire their products. But in order to interact with people, brands must prove to be trustworthy, as a new study shows.

About.com conducted a survey from March to June on US adults whose results revealed the key “trust” elements. 41% of the responded said they trust a brand that allows them to see reviews on social networks. Having positive reviews to show is of course helpful at this point. 36% stated that seeing a photo with people using the product boosts trusts, while 33% mentioned the importance of a “like” or a recommendation from a friend. Other elements were being connected with people that may have searched the same thing, the number of “likes” received by a product, and how many people “pinned” that particular content.

Another interesting finding of the survey is that mobile content can do wonders for a brand’s trust. 54% of the respondents said a brand can win them over by providing potential customers with some real benefits and not being a simple promotional tool.

52% of the people who participated in the survey look for “real world” solutions closer to their current locations, while 41% would appreciate deals near their locations. Brands can also boost their trust among people by using this means of communication as a supplement to something viewed offline (40%) or as a primary solution for information/advice (40%).

Video also plays an important role in building trust, but it is seen as efficient if used as a complementary channel to other types of content.

These findings can help companies have a better online presence, an efficient one that helps them reach their online goals.