Trust is a fundamental building block of every relationship in our lives—and that applies to your senior living community, too. Today, 81% of consumers say trust is a deciding factor in their buying decisions.1 And if your company steps out of line, you pay the price. Nearly half of consumers won’t trust an organization that behaves unethically, and two out of five people say they would choose not to patronize that business at all.2
How Important is Trust in Senior Living?
In the senior living space, trust is critical. For senior living community owners and operators, you’re providing something more than a simple, one-off transaction. You’re literally providing the space where your residents are planning to spend the rest of their lives, which is an incredibly consequential decision not just for themselves, but also their loved ones. And you better believe seniors and their adult children will thoroughly vet a community as a means of establishing trust long before they pack their bags and move in.
Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic seriously shook the public’s trust in senior living. Half of baby boomers said they didn’t trust senior living communities to keep residents safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.3 And about 44% of the Silent Generation agrees. This is a serious blow for the overall trustworthiness of the space in the general public.
So what’s a senior living marketer to do? Reestablish trust and repair relationships with the public at large and your target market specifically as quickly as possible. And use every opportunity to demonstrate your honesty and integrity to inspire trust in your ideal prospective residents.
Top Website Trust Signals for Senior Living
One way to cultivate dependable relationships is through trust signals on your website. Trust signals are markers of your community’s integrity. They’re aspects of your website that visitors observe—consciously or unconsciously—that make them feel comfortable and confident in putting their trust in you and your community.
Here are a few trust signals to incorporate into your website that will help build better relationships with your leads.
1. Technical Markers
Users place the most trust in websites with “.com“ domains. You also need an SSL certification (https) to signify encryption. Without this, a warning from Google will greet your website’s visitors telling them your site might not be safe, something you definitely don’t want!
Also, make sure to list your privacy policy as well as your terms and conditions on your site. While few people may actually take the time to click on these links and read the content, including them demonstrates your commitment to integrity. And don’t forget to include a copyright in your footer displaying the current year.
2. Security
Every user worries about security because no one wants to risk visiting a website that could endanger their device. Take the steps to earn trust badges from TrustedSite and Norton to demonstrate that users don’t need to worry about the dangers of malware and other viruses while browsing your site.
Also, be sure to get the TRUSTe seal to confirm your privacy policy meets the rigorous data governance standards.
3. Essential Information
People love stories, and including your senior living community’s story on an “About Us” page is a great way to bolster trust. This can be anything from your mission and vision statements to the year by year history of your community. Don’t forget to feature information about the leadership team and other employees, taking care to mention any education or certifications that make your staff uniquely qualified for their jobs caring for your residents’ needs.
The “Contact Us” feature is another must-have. List every form of contact, including your phone number, physical address, email address, and social media accounts.
4. Design + Speed
Invest in high-quality design with clean lines, simple site navigation, and original photos. Optimizing your site for speed positively affects your conversion rates! Your site converts about 2% of visitors if the page loads in 2.4 seconds or less.4 Any longer than 4.2 seconds, and your conversions drop to less than 1%.
5. Reviews + Testimonials
About 93% of customers read online reviews before buying a product or service.5 So imagine the power that positive reviews and testimonials about your community can have on your prospective residents. Solicit testimonials from happy residents and their families, and showcase your best online reviews on your website. Also, embed your aggregated star ratings across several review sites to signify your commitment to excellence.
Prospective residents are looking for a senior living community they can trust. Dreamscape Marketing can help you build a digital presence that inspires trust and confidence. Contact us at 888.307.7304 to schedule a strategy session today.
For a list of references, please contact us.