When a potential customer lands on your business website, they’re doing more than just scanning services and comparing prices, they’re trying to decide if they can trust you. Any building trust with digital marketing and on your web presence is crucial. In today’s competitive digital landscape, especially for local service businesses, trust and connection are often one of the deciding factors in who gets the call or the email. One of the most effective and underused ways to build that trust online? Show your face.
At Gazz Digital, we’ve seen firsthand how much of a difference it makes when business owners feature themselves prominently on their websites. Whether it’s a professional photo, a candid team image, a branded vehicle or even better, a short video introducing yourself and your company, these simple additions humanize your brand and help potential customers feel more comfortable choosing you.
Why People Want to See the Local Business Owner – Make a Connection
Local service businesses aren’t faceless corporations. They are run by real people, often family-owned and operated, and rooted in the communities they serve. When people hire a contractor, appliance repairman, home remodeler, glass repair firm or pest control expert, they’re often letting someone into their home.
That’s a big deal for many people. Before they open their door, they want to feel like they know who’s coming. Questions often considered are:
- Who am I going to be working with?
- Do they appear professional and responsible?
- Is this a locally owned business? (Which many people want to support and especially look for in local service businesses)
Seeing the owner’s face, and learning a bit about their background, values, or how they got started in their business helps create a connection. It puts a real person behind the brand, which immediately makes your business feel more trustworthy and personal. It tells your story in a way just a logo or generic stock photo couldn’t.
Why Video Works Even Better
While a professional headshot can make a good impression, video takes things a step further. A short welcome video from the owner builds a connection in a matter of seconds. Potential customers can see your body language, hear your voice, and feel your personality, all of which help convey confidence, professionalism, and warmth.
Every business has a sales approach and competitive advantages, which can be clearly presented and explained in video. We recommend keeping these videos short and authentic. You don’t need a big production budget. A clear video with good lighting and sound, introducing yourself and explaining what your business does, your competitive advantages and why you care about your customers, goes a long way.
Build Trust, Build Leads
Transparency breeds trust. And trust leads to more people picking up the phone, scheduling a consult or sending an email.
When your website features the owner or leadership team, it sends the message: “This is who we are, and we stand behind our work.” That’s powerful, especially when a customer is comparing three or four local businesses offering similar services. If you’re the one who’s shown your face and shared your story, chances are higher that you’ll get the call.
Stronger trust acts as a tiebreaker, that extra push that convinces someone to fill out the form or pick up the phone.
A Simple Step with Big ROI – Get Yourself Out There
In the digital marketing world, small changes can make a big impact. Featuring yourself on your website is one of the easiest things you can do to boost engagement, improve conversion rates, and build long-term trust with your audience. Whether you’re a one-person operation or you run a team of 50, your potential customers want to know who they’ll be working with.
At Gazz Digital, we help service businesses across the country improve their online presence with strategies that work. Want help putting your best face forward? Let’s talk.
