The internet is in an upheaval. There are now more bots than there are human users. AI-generated content has already surpassed all of human creation (online, at least). Add in the distressing fact that AI has also led to an uptick in scams and other criminal activity online, and it’s no wonder that customer trust has plummeted.
The Challenges Customers are Facing Today
There are so many reasons why customers are struggling with trusting new brands online today:
- There are so many fake products and sites online today
- Markets like AliExpress have made it obvious how many brands just dropship the same items
- Phishing scams reached record levels.
- Social media sites have been found to actively allow scammers to advertise on their platforms.
- AI-related scams have resulted in record-high losses
With bots, scams, phishing links, and even the degradation of product quality affecting every single brand, it’s no wonder that customers are at their wits’ end. That’s why it’s essential that you, as a business, work double-time to build trust on your platform with these top methods:
Heavy Compliance is Your Best Friend
Compliance has become your new best friend, which is why you need to stop thinking about regulatory bodies as a hindrance to your operations.
Just look at online casinos. Thanks to strict licensing and regulations, they’ve grown exponentially around the world. Sites like Lonkero online casino offer TLS encryption, secure banking, fast withdrawals, and fair play, and customers trust them. Why? Because they’re licensed with a recognized regulating body.
This is like a badge of trust, and it’s something that customers are increasingly looking for to enjoy a safe, enjoyable experience online.
You can also use compliance to build that trust. To do this, you’ll want to add trust badges:
- Security badges like SSL/TLS
- Payment badges
- Reviews
- Media mentions
- Endorsement badges like Certified B Corp
- And more.
There are so many third-party accreditors you can use to help boost your reputation and security online, and, in doing so, the trust of those on your site, including McAfee and the Better Business Bureau.
Championing User-Generated Content
With AI bodies now flooding our screens, brands are fighting back and keeping it real by using user-generated content. This is a fabulously easy way to not only show real users enjoying the product in question, but it also acts as both a gateway to authenticity and a review in one.
You can easily encourage this content by essentially asking your customers to tag your brand and use a specific hashtag for the product they’re wearing or using. This way, you can add a simple social feed to the product page that highlights customers using the product itself.
Have Clear Policies
It’s time to take a stand, and that stand needs to align with your customers’ values and your own mission statement. An organization that’s built around art, for example, will need to make a clear stance on its AI usage, for example.
Whatever side of the line you stand, being upfront and clear to users will help you build trust. In this day and age, the worst thing you can do is try to keep any practice, whether that’s how you make something or where it’s from, secret.
Honesty is the best policy. You also have to back the truths you share. If you say you don’t use AI in your campaigns, but then users find out that you used AI to create the written portion, that’s not going to win over your customers.
The rule is simple: just be clear and be consistent. The truth is the secret to building lasting trust online.
