Trust can take years to build and seconds to destroy. It’s a powerful motivator for customer behaviour. When customers trust a business it can lead to brand loyalty, referrals, recognition, and company growth. In fact, our own research shows that over three quarters (83%) of UK consumers agree a good Trustpilot score makes them more likely to buy from a brand, whilst an additional 82% report it would make them more likely to trust a brand*.
But in an age of distrust, how can businesses grow customer trust? There are three key elements for organisations to implement to be in a constant state of trust building: positive relationships, good judgement, and consistency.
Foster positive relationships
To understand how to build trust with customers, a business needs to first understand how to cultivate positive relationships. To nurture a strong relationship, they should stay attuned to customer concerns and perspectives, and resolve any conflicts and issues swiftly and effectively.
To stay informed, companies can conduct social listening. By diving into conversations on social platforms, businesses can understand the feelings of different customer segments and uncover their real needs, desires, and pain points.
Another way to uncover customer needs and their sentiment is by collecting and responding to reviews. Most customers rely on both positive and negative reviews to make an informed purchasing decision. But businesses shouldn’t hide negative reviews. Instead they should ensure an open space for all reviews to be posted, to show they’re transparent, that there’s nothing to hide and they can be trusted. Businesses should also respond to negative feedback regularly, within 24 hours. Consumers want to be heard and will appreciate a fast response that action is being taken.
Analysing reviews can also help identify recurring themes and customer sentiment. This feedback, even if negative, is valuable data about customers to truly understand how they feel about the product or service. Firms can then use these analytics to proactively address their concerns and desires, improve their business and better service customers. This will foster loyalty, which will in-turn drive brand growth. The Total Economic Impact™ study conducted by Forrester Consulting for Trustpilot found that 98% of businesses using Trustpilot believed reviews and ratings helped improve brand reputation, as well as acquiring new customers (95%) and improving sales (94%)**.
Beyond monitoring for customer insights, businesses can also actively ask customers for their feedback and input, and involve them in the product development process. This can make them feel valued and help form trusting relationships.
Exercise judgement and tailor actions
The most trusted brands demonstrate good judgement and use that to take action that builds consumer trust. Trusted brands consider how their actions and decisions will impact customer experience, satisfaction and long-term loyalty, and they communicate in a relevant and efficient way.
Organisations should create tailored, informative content for different customer segments, that help them use the product or service effectively. This content should also show the impact of the product or service, and clarify the organisation’s clear purpose. When companies have a strong purpose, consumers are more likely to not only buy from them, but champion and defend them.
While it’s important to communicate with customers and take action to build trust, there needs to be a balance.. Brands that overdo it on their communication can jeopardise relationships. An Adobe study found that 39% of consumers distrust a brand that sends them too many communications. Instead personalise and send relevant marketing to the right audience.
Final thoughts
Trust doesn’t develop overnight. As the marketplace gets more and more crowded, it’s become increasingly essential for businesses to spend time on building trust amongst their customer base. It may take time, but it can help to cultivate better customer relationships, improve customer service and therefore boost overall business reputation. This will ultimately affect the bottom line and drive growth.
*Research commissioned by Trustpilot with London Research in 2024, surveying 1,000 UK consumers
**Findings based on a 2024 commissioned study, The Total Economic Impact™ Of Trustpilot, conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Trustpilot. Results are for a composite organisation representative of interviewed customers.
