Most local business owners think they need better marketing to get more customers. That’s why they invest in SEO, ads, and social media.
They assume that their business lacks visibility. If only more people knew about them, they’d get more sales. Or so they think.
But for most local businesses, the thing that’s actually holding them back is a lack of trust.
When people look for a plumber or a dentist and compare options, the main thing they’re asking is:
Can I trust this business?
Consumers Make Their Decision Before They Ever Contact You
To understand whether they can trust a business, consumers look at a business’s star rating and number of reviews. In fact, 78% of consumers won't even consider a business if its rating is below 4 stars.
They also pay attention to how recent the reviews are, what other customers complain about, and how the business responds.
And they do all of this in a matter of seconds.
By the time they land on your website, they’ve likely already decided whether they trust you or not.
While marketing will get you noticed, it’s trust that will determine whether you’re actually considered or not.
This is why a lot of local businesses will spend money on marketing and end up disappointed. Simply attracting attention isn’t enough.
You need to build trust.
Getting more reviews is one of the best ways to do it. Unfortunately, many business owners treat reviews as a nice-to-have. Or something to deal with only when they get a negative review.
But reviews can make or break a local business.
Consider a business with 200 recent and detailed reviews. This type of business doesn’t really need to convince anyone. Consumers will assume it’s legitimate and trustworthy.
On the other hand, a business with only a handful of outdated reviews will seem untrustworthy, even if it actually provides excellent service.
Responsiveness Builds Trust
How responsive a business is plays a similar role in trust building.
A missed call or a delayed reply gives consumers a preview of what working with a business might look like. If it takes hours or days to get a first response, what kind of experience might they expect after?
Slow responses create friction and doubt.
Today’s consumers value responsiveness, and they’ll often choose a business that responds first over one that offers more affordable pricing or has better reviews.
A business that responds fast feels safe, trustworthy, and professional.
Unfortunately, a lot of businesses still treat responsiveness as a secondary concern. They reply to messages and reviews when there’s time or when someone remembers.
This turns reputation management into a background task, instead of it being a core part of running a business.
Your Marketing Is Only As Strong As Your Reputation
Your business’s online reputation isn’t a side channel or a vanity metric. It’s also not something you “clean up” occasionally.
Your reputation determines whether your marketing efforts will result in new customers or not.
When choosing a local business, consumers look for the least risky choice. So, stop obsessing over getting more people to your website and start focusing on what people see and feel before they ever contact you.
