Establishing trust with a business is the most important step in the customer journey. Indeed, trust sits at the core of every business interaction. Buying from a brand you trust means you’ve got faith in the quality of the product or service and how the brand treats its customers. 

Unfortunately, with more than 500,000 brands worldwide, customers need to be quick to judge the trustworthiness of a business. Here are 5 signs that a brand will have your best interests at heart.

Check their certifications & business awards

While there is no award for trustworthiness, the business world has a vast range of certifications and trophies awarded to companies for a variety of reasons. Certifications, such as environmental and carbon-neutral certifications, are never awarded at random. They’re the culmination of positive sustainability strategies and transformations within the business. Similarly, specialist certifications, for instance, require the team to demonstrate relevant skills. Awards are also a testimonial of quality, including best employer, growth rate in a market, innovation, etc. Customers can use these business recognition signs to build trust in the brand. 

Focus on the little details

It’s easy to make everything look good online. Website photos don’t reflect everyday reality. As a result, it can be an interesting experience to visit the physical business. For instance, companies that keep a specialist stock need to demonstrate good care and maintenance on-site, ranging from storage safety to updated inventory tags. For customer-facing venues, such as museums or restaurants, it’s all about what happens behind-the-scenes, from the cleanliness of the customers’ restrooms to the presence of public water fountains. Details can reveal a lot about a business attitude, showing how much effort the company puts into customer interactions. The devil hides in the detail, so don’t be afraid to check the little things that make a big difference.

Find realistic reviews

Every brand seeks 5-star reviews. However, customers get suspicious about reviews that are far too perfect. When we check reviews, we seek to find the answer to two questions:

1. Is this brand good?
2. Does this brand meet my criteria?

Negative reviews are essential to provide additional information about the business. Indeed, a bad review shows what the worst-case scenario looks like and helps customers make an informed decision.

Check their social media behavior

Nowadays, we expect brands to be active on social media platforms. However, having a social media account and being active are two different things. Customers check how brands interact with other users. Does the brand answer direct questions? Does the brand resolve customer problems? Does the brand engage with customers’ content? A brand that only uses social media as a one-way communication system fails to convince potential buyers. 

Tech safety and stability

The brand website is a potent source of information. Content, of course, matters. But potential customers are also sensitive to tech factors when visiting a website. They avoid sites without a secured connection for fear of compromising the data on their personal devices. A non-secure website is missing an SSL certificate, meaning the connection isn’t private, and data entry is easily accessible to hackers. Why would you trust a brand that puts visitors’ data at risk? 

Trust is a complex process that can be gained via different methods. However, as a rule of thumb, brands that are trustworthy share the same traits. They are attentive to their customers’ needs; they have a proven record of skills and values; they maintain a dialogue with the customers.