Establish an omnichannel presence

Today, businesses and their websites cannot live in a vacuum. When researching products and services, people do not rely solely on one website for credibility. Instead, they look for external, unbiased sources. An isolated website that doesn’t link to or appear on third-party review sites, social media, or news outlets seems to have something to hide or not be fully established.

Even if you don’t have an omnichannel user-experience strategy, your customers do. With the sheer amount of social media and review sites available, people trust external sources more than company-sponsored content. Many users research services online but are distrustful of sites not recommended by friends, family, or other people on the web — regardless of how beautiful the website is.

To introduce this approach:

• Ask satisfied customers to leave reviews on third-party sites.
• Be active on platforms where your customers are and share user-generated content.
• Link to news articles or press releases about your company.