What creates trust on a website? Is it having a professional appearance? Is it having good reviews? Is it having the latest trends and treatments? Surprisingly, it’s all of these things – and more.
As a digital marketing agency, we know how important it is to build trust with your clients – it’s something we do every day. But while we’re lucky in the sense that we can visit our clients face-to-face and call them when we need to, it can feel harder to build that secure and trusted connection with an anonymous visitor to your site, who, at times, feels impossible to gauge.
Well, we’re here to tell you that building trust doesn’t have to be difficult. In our many years of digital marketing, here’s what we’ve learnt…
Prove you’re good
When scouring the web for a treatment, product or service, it seems that everyone you come across is best for this, or number one for that. But what meaning can you really glean from someone you effectively don’t know simply telling you they’re great?
In a word: results. Whether it’s ‘before and after’ shots that show off your treatments, five-star reviews from even the most discerning of patients or featuring your industry awards, your clients want proof that you’re as good as you say you are.
Another good tack to try is the use of numbers. If you’ve got a good review, great – but what about if you had ten, or twenty? The same goes for followers. A few hundred is better than none, but really, you want several thousand to be seen as a reputable and trustworthy company.
Create a ‘human’ business
Even when you’re looking at the most prominent businesses, you still want to have a feeling of connection. The easiest way to do that is to humanise your company. But how do you go about it?
First of all, recognise your team – they’re undoubtedly your greatest asset. Without these people, you simply wouldn’t have a business. If you’re a one-band man (or woman), then make it all about you – after all, you’re the one doing all the work.
Include photos of your staff and clinic, bring some camaraderie to your social media and don’t forget that Google business listing! Finally, tailor your services to your client, whether it’s offering bespoke packages or great aftercare and support.
Focus on the user
In 2020, user experience is everything. Your site should be clean and presentable – just like your clinic – with no sign of spammy content or ads, no overwhelming use of offers and definitely no broken links or pages.
Finally, consider what sort of content they’ll find useful when visiting your site. Our research tells us that clients generally linger on the homepage – which you should treat as your ‘shop front’ – and will also visit pages for your team, contact and pricing. Having a ‘popular treatments’ page can also help, as this can be a subtle way to recommend particular services to the client while still feeling
like it’s in their best interest.
The last word…
Cosmetic Digital’s founder, Adam Hampson, regularly lectures on all things digital marketing. He’ll be speaking on this very topic at the upcoming IMCAS World Congress in Paris on Saturday 1st February 2020. To find out more, visit their website.
