

And social proof works - 57% of consumers surveyed said that good ratings and reviews were the most important reason they trust brands. Social proof refers to the abundance of recommendations, reviews, and ratings that consumers give to brands and businesses online. So, how is it possible to inspire trust in the millisecond that it takes to create a first impression? The answer is social proof.

Plus, trust has to be earned, and usually builds slowly over time. Trust is a highly valuable brand asset, but it’s also intangible and difficult to quantify. In fact, 81% of respondents said they must be able to trust that a brand will do what is right. In Brands We TrustĪccording to the 2019 Edelman Brand Trust Survey, trust is almost as important to consumers as quality and value.

The Tiffany color appears consistently across every aspect of the brand, from the website and product packaging to social media pages and in-store design, making it instantly recognizable as exclusively Tiffany.Ĭonsistency isn’t just a buzzword or “nice to have.” Studies show that when brands have a consistent presence across all platforms, revenue can increase by up to 23%. For example, luxury jewelry company Tiffany & Co turned its duck egg blue signature color into a brand icon. This means conducting regular audits of the brand’s online presence, checking that all company information is up to date, consistent, and functional.Ĭonsistency in design is another way to solidify a brand’s first impression. Brands should also make sure that their business information and contact details are correct everywhere they appear, including third-party platforms such as Google My Business and review sites like Yelp. This means that brands can’t just rely on a high-quality, high-functioning website they also need to cultivate an active social media presence across all platforms relevant to their target audience and have a great SEO and SEM strategy to boost rankings on search results pages. Brands that don’t demonstrate a solid and consistent presence online won’t be able to create an impression of legitimacy. Thanks to the internet, consumers today have the whole world at their fingertips - literally. The featured photo imparts luxury and excellence, while the bold slogan and simple navigation bar include words that perfectly reflect the brand character, like “pinnacle” and “performance.” All of this is successfully communicated to the customer in a fraction of a second as soon as they land on the page, creating an undeniable look and feel of quality and a strong brand identity. 40% of consumers simply won’t stick around on a web page that takes longer than three seconds to load.Ī great example of a quality first impression is the homepage of Lexus, a brand that relies on cultivating an image of prestige. Here’s another way to broadcast a quality brand impression: Make sure web page loading times are as fast as possible. Or, if customers are encountering a brand on mobile, then a mobile-first design is critical to making a good impression. This can be as simple as ensuring that logos and graphics are formatted with optimal resolution. In fact, 48% of consumers say that website design is critical to a company’s credibility.Ī brand’s first impression is strengthened by high-quality web design and navigation experiences. If a customer encounters a website with an outdated design, broken links, and glaring popups, they’ll logically (and quickly!) conclude that the brand is also out of date and undesirable. But what exactly do consumers expect? What constitutes a great brand first impression? Here are five ways brands can create the right impression, in an instant. In marketing, creating the right impression needs to happen in an instant - and that’s quite a challenge for any brand competing in a crowded marketplace.Įvery customer wants to feel that they’re buying from an authentic, legitimate brand. It takes anywhere from just 17 to 50 milliseconds for people to form a first impression.
