Building Trust Through Copy: How to Help Online Customers Trust You

Hint: Copy Is Nothing to “Sniff” At… Or Is It? 😉

Dear passionate pet professional,

I hear your whimpers. You’re hungry for new sales. And you’re not quite sure what to do with this whole digital marketing thing. It might yield results, but it’s a little overwhelming and it smells funny.

You want online shoppers to become customers. You want them to find you, pay you money, and joyously prance into the sunset, raving about you to all their friends. But hold on: why would they buy from you if they don’t trust you? Especially if the stakes are high. Like if their furry family’s well-being is in question. (Not just anybody can clip Sophie’s toenails, okay?)

So how do you turn a skeptical online searcher into a happy customer? How do you connect with digital window shoppers — so that they buy?

Think about it. You don’t get to look into your potential customers’ eyes when they shop online. When they happen upon your website, you can’t reach through the screen to shake their hand. You can’t hand them a coffee. You can’t pet their fur baby and let them qualify you with the sniff test.

So, sans sniff test, what can you do? How can you build an authentic connection with your customers — online? 

✨ Copy, my friend. Your marketing copy. ✨

Copy refers to all the words that market your products or services. It’s your online voice, your presence. Wrap yourself in an internet bow and hand yourself to the world. It’s your website, social media platforms, email marketing – all the things. It’s how you represent yourself and, therefore, how customers get to know you. 

There’s the kicker: get to know you. Copy is how you build relationships with online customers. Authentic, genuine customer relationships. Let’s talk about the ways quality copy builds trust with online audiences.

To create a happy, trusting, money-making relationship, follow these five principles in all of your marketing copy. Make it clear, credible, consistent, corroborated, and considerate.

— Make Your Copy Clear —

First, your message has got to be clear. If someone doesn’t know what you’re talking about, that’s a red flag for shoppers. They have other options, so they can duck out and try search result #2. (Thanks for the options, Google.)

Or, if they do like you but can’t find the information they need to take the steps, they, um, won’t take the next steps. Which is certainly a problem for your sales funnel, but that’s a topic for a separate blog post.

But who do you trust: someone who makes you feel lost or who gives you precise direction? 

You don’t have to boss customers around. Wouldn’t recommend it, really. But you can draw a path and explain outcomes. Depict the experiences. Let them know what they’ll need along the way. 

So tell readers the process for working with you, your guiding philosophy, and the steps they’ll need to take. 

We’ve been in relationships that were up-front and honest, as well as those that had hidden agendas or sketchy secrets. Don’t you think customers have a preference, too? 

It’s okay to tell readers you sell dog toys and that they’re kind of expensive. What’s not okay is to spring a sales pitch, hidden fee, or weird small print clause out of nowhere. Like surprise subscriptions, extra payment fees, or didn’t-know-until-it-was-too-late requirements.

Transparency is pivotal for trusting relationships. Say what you mean. Mean what you say. Lay it all out there – because you don’t have anything to hide. 

And as you’re giving that honest info, talk to readers in words they are likely to understand. Telling the truth doesn’t mean much if they don’t get it. You can intimidate people with fancy vet-school jargon or chew-toy chemical compounds. Remember: you’re not trying to impress people with how smart you are. You’re here to help them. 

So meet your customers at about a 6th grade reading level. They won’t think you’re dumb. Readers will appreciate your clarity. It’s not a dissertation. It’s a conversation.

And when readers can understand you, they can truly interact with your message. And they can register that you respected them enough to be up-front with them. 

By writing clear copy, you open the door for a trusting customer relationship.

— Keep It Credible —

Then, show your credibility — break out your credentials. Diplomas and certifications can mean a lot. However, experience often means at least as much. Don’t minimize it. Tell your reader why you know what you’re talking about. 

Do not do this to brag. Offer assurance that customers are in qualified, capable hands. 

Why can you make recommendations for Spot’s diet? How do customers know you can safely, and respectfully train Josie? Maybe you’ve been educated, mentored, and certified. Maybe you’ve shared your whole life with animals and taught more than one old dog new tricks. Tell your customers. They want to know.

Sprinkle these assurances of credibility throughout your copy. Put your credentials on your website bio. Add a customer-centered telling of your story. Briefly describe your qualifications in your blog posts where relevant. 

Anytime someone could wonder, “Why does he think he can say that?” or “Can I trust what she says?” – answer your readers. Before they have a chance to get critical, just tell them how you know. 

People want your expertise. ⭐ Claim it. Offer it. Let readers receive it. ⭐

— Corroborate Your Claims —

Now, can your copy corroborate your story? Not that you’re trying to get away with something. You're not like that. And you’ve shown that you know what you’re talking about. But you know how it is when you meet someone new. Sometimes it helps to have others back us up.

So, when you tell your customers that your chew toy is super durable and lots of fun, do readers have to take your word for it? Or do you have testimonials that authentically rave about those features?

Patsy from Delaware’s thoughts as a purchaser means more than yours do as the seller – no offense.  91% of 18 to 34-year-olds trust online reviews as much as they value a loved one’s take. Simultaneously, 84% of millennials are skeptical of traditional advertising. Which is why we have to have this trust emphasis in the first place.

So, do customers have to take your claims on faith? Or do you back yourself up with statistics and facts from reliable sources? 

It’s an age-old persuasion principle: logic and reasoning support arguments. It goes back to Aristotle’s ethos, pathos, and logos. The logical part of our brains thrives on evidence. So don’t hold it back. 

Let customers know that you’ve done your research. Show that other people have tested you already.

When it comes to making a case for yourself, there’s no need to go it alone. You’ve got back up. Let others show your customers that you can be trusted.

— Be Considerate of Your Customers —

Next, to pave the way for trust, be truly considerate throughout your copy.

This isn’t just about manners. It’s about treating your copy like a conversation.

Do you speak to readers with respect — like they’re people and not just dollars? Do you give them the information they deserve? Do you research their hurts and wants? Do you put in the effort to understand and address their perspective rather than just yours? 

Readers need to know that you really have their best interests at heart. Otherwise, why should they trust you?

So show them. Anticipate their questions, so you can answer them. No, you’re not a mind-reader. So how can you know what readers are thinking? Well, it takes a little digging. But it’s not rocket science. 

Start with your reviews. What are people loving and appreciating about what you offer? Now you know what speaks to them, what’s connecting. These are benefits that your customers value enough to share with others. Don’t ignore the things your people care about.

Similarly, what are they still wondering about? What are they missing? Now you’re learning about their concerns. These places could use more clarity and attention.

For example, maybe you’ve been marketing your dog toys as sustainably developed. But your happy customers celebrate that they last and come in the sizes they need. Hear the struggles readers have had, and celebrate the ways you’ve given them a “win.” Let them know you understand that it’s hard to find matching rope toys tough enough for Yukon and small enough for Pepper. And you’re so pumped to have their solution.

Or maybe people are getting a little disappointed with the colors of your food and water bowls. This reveals a place to reassure customers of the reason for the selection – that you use only chemical-free paint or omit dyes or use the colors pets can see best in the dark – whatever good reason you have. Now you can address that concern as a positive before customers have questions.

Call out the things that hurt for customers. Speak to their desires and loves.

Show that you’ve listened to shoppers. And respond meaningfully. ⭐ That’s how trusting relationships work. ⭐

— Trust Makes Compelling Copy —

All that trust-building leads you right into having copy that is compelling. As in, people might respond in the way you’d like. Like how Tiger is more likely to try the new scratching post you brought when you’ve faithfully taken care of her thus far. 

When you’ve researched your audience’s concerns and clearly, compassionately addressed them… When you’ve backed up your claims and proven that you’ll faithfully show up… Then you’re in a good position to make the ask. 

You can – shocker, I know – actually ask people to respond to your copy. Which leads to whatever success means to you – sales, email list subscribers, happy testimonials, more sales… 

Copy that you’ve crafted with these principles leads to trust built. Which means customers are now willing to listen to you, care what you say, and feel good about supporting you –  because they feel supported by you. 

So when you ask them to take the next step, if they feel that the time and offer are right for them, they will. 

So stop worrying if your potential customers trust you. Instead, put yourself out there as someone who can be trusted. Take the first step in the relationship. Forge the way for trust.

Readers buy from whom they trust. Clear, credible, consistent, corroborated, considerate copy builds trust. And can thus be effectively compelling.

Let’s make loyal pets our standard for trust. No one can read people — and no one stays in it for the long haul — like our pets. 

So: Put your paw out to your customers. Give a friendly sniff. Listen when they bark or meow. Figure out if they want to play ball or eat kibble before you offer either one. Let them smell you and watch you a bit. Let them decide if you’re okay.

Be a friend to make a friend, right? Then you’ll be the one they come to when they need you. ✨ Because they trust you. ✨

— Copywriting Services —

Now, devoted pet professional, you want that trusting customer relationship. You built your business to serve animals and owners in the best way you can. But running that business with “paws on the ground” doesn’t leave much extra time. And frankly, your expertise may not be highest in written communication. 

You don’t have to sacrifice your customer relationships by letting your copy fall by the wayside, though. Keep doing the things you’re great at, and let someone else put your sincere communication into action for you. A copywriter can help you do just that.  

As a copywriter for the pet industry, it’s my goal for you to genuinely connect with customers, so they can genuinely connect with you. We’re not after sleazy one-sided marketing. The only thing slimy should be the purring, panting pets drooling over how happy you make them – and their owners. 

Book a free 15 minute, no obligation call today, and let’s get that trustworthy copy building your customer rapport.

Let’s communicate your Lassie-level loyalty. Let’s build a happy, trusting customer relationship. With sales that make everyone’s tails wag.