When it comes to content online, authenticity and truth matter a lot for search engine rankings (SEO) . Surprisingly there is some confusion about what “content” really means in offline dealings.
If you think about it, the whole “authenticity online” thing for SEO really comes from the physical world. The physical world of human-to-human interactions. In fact there is a large body of academic research on trust and commitment in buyer seller relationships. See a previous post.
So where do businesses get their “offline content” i.e.customer trust wrong? Here are some questions for businesses to ask about their dealings:
- Does the customer understand what you will exactly do? It is good to spend time explaining what you will do for the customer. Long small print contracts are fine, but its a good idea to explain at least the common points of misunderstanding ahead of starting work. If you don’t have a lot of experience, just Google for customer complaints in your industry. And you’ll always have a bunch of things you need to address upfront. The result is that the customer knows what to expect.
- What value will the customer receive? All your hard work is for nothing if the customer does not value the result she gets. Before starting work try to articulate what “value” means to a particular customer when the purchase value is large. Never loose sight of ensuring that the customer is indeed experiencing progress towards the value she expects.
- Are you communicating regularly? Communicating on a regular basis is absolutely required- so that the customer is updated about any snags that you may have that is delaying the project. Surprisingly, customers are very understanding and are ready to forgive many shortcomings if you simply let them know – in advance.
However the biggest thing that works to promote customer trust is:
4. Do you have your customer’s back? That is are you looking after the customer’s interests? Without compromise? In law the idea is similar to fiduciary duty and you’ll hear financial planners and many other professionals invoke the term in somber tones. Quite simply, are you (or your product or service) doing the job to the best of your ability? It doesn’t matter if you are a plumber or advertising agency or a hospital …. are you giving your best for the customer without the customer having to look over your shoulder?
This post might seem obvious, but we do hope it helps our dear readers understand “content” marketing better in both the online and offline world. About StratoServe Digital Marketing Services.