3 Strategies to Build Consumer Trust in a Digital-First World

Today, one thing is certain about retail marketer’s priorities: The customer is “boss.” Their shopping experience doesn’t end at eCommerce — it extends to everywhere they spend time online and even offline. This enables customers to dictate the experiences they have with brands. And it’s on the brands themselves to deliver exactly what their customers want.

With all brands being digital first (whether they were digital natives or not), smart marketers who are focused on long-term growth know success lies in driving repeat purchases and retention strategies that build customer loyalty and, ultimately, advocates. This requires cultivating a deeper relationship, with a key factor being trust: What do brands have to do in order for customers to trust them? And how do you not only get them to buy again and again, but make them want to proactively come back to your brand every time? This is dictated by the experience they have online.

So how can brands build trust through their digital strategies? To answer this question, Bluecore surveyed over 500 U.S. online shoppers on what makes them trust a brand. Based on this data, we’ve outlined three strategies to foster trusting relationships with your shoppers.

1) Double down on how your brand creates personalized experiences online for shoppers to earn their trust

What the survey says

Trust stems from positive experiences. Shoppers are less impacted by recommendations (15% of those surveyed) and instead value a successful customer service or purchase experience (62% of those surveyed). It’s not just about getting customers to shop — it’s about getting them to feel connected to your brand across every touchpoint, making it really more about the experience than the purchase itself.

What your brand should do

The shift to digital has forced brands to rethink how to recreate in-store experiences online that build their brand and drive affinity, especially as shopper expectations continue to rise as they have heavily curated, personalized experiences with digital giants like Spotify, Netflix and TikTok. 

This can be done by investing in technology that enables you to create seamless, consistent experiences online, from email to your website to your ads to your social profiles, and communicate what’s directly relevant to your shoppers on a 1:1 basis. This will demonstrate to shoppers that you understand who they are and what they want (which, ultimately, is what they want from brands), and these positive experiences will increase their trust in you.

2) Price is reflective of value — and to build trust, your brand needs to understand what shoppers value and communicate accordingly

What the survey says

Across demographics, price is the biggest factor influencing shoppers’ willingness to trust a brand. This does not mean that consumers are prioritizing the cheapest products on the market. Remember, informed consumers aren’t looking for the best deal — they care more about getting value from their purchase.

What your brand should do

Value means something different to every shopper. Use what you know about a shoppers’ purchase behavior to determine what brings them value. This does not mean sending out blanket discounts to your entire database. Instead, understand what offers and promotions resonate with shoppers and deliver those on a 1:1, personalized basis.

Consider how your brand can introduce value-driven promotions that not only protect margins and your bottom line but also increase consumer trust. Price as a factor of trust is reflective of shoppers thinking an item is worth a price, not that they’re buying something for a specific price (be it a luxury item or a “good deal”). 

3) Leverage data to better understand what types of products your customers care about and they’ll begin to trust your recommendations

What the survey says

Similar to what we discussed above, 75% of shoppers will lose trust in a brand because of a faulty product or poor experience. Again, shoppers are less swayed by negative reviews from friends, family or even influencers. But the experience they have with your product will determine how likely they are to trust you – and therefore how likely they are to purchase again.

What your brand should do

You can rely on data to influence your customers’ product experience. By combining product and shopper data, you can show products that your customers actually care about (as opposed to things they’ve already bought — especially if they had a poor experience with it) at the time they’re most likely to buy. This will lead to more engagement with your digital efforts, higher conversion rates and, most importantly, more trust because of the relevant, positive experience they had with products they like. 

Trust is a Direct Reflection of Your Relationship With Your Customers

In today’s digital-first world, putting your customer first is the most important thing your brand can do. This can’t be done without having data and audiences at the center of your strategy, enabling you to better understand who your shoppers are, what they care about and how you can show them you provide value. 

By understanding all the ways your shoppers will engage with your brand, you’ll be able to build trust with your customers. This will not only inform your marketing strategies and where you invest resources but, when done successfully, will also drive increased lifetime value for your customers and, ultimately, greater profitability for your brand. For more insights on how to influence shopper trust, check out the full report.