Your brand's first impression happens in customers' minds before they ever interact with you. If they see you as inauthentic, a great website and low prices won't fix it. Authenticity means aligning every touchpoint so the story customers tell themselves about you stays consistent and positive.
Chapters
You may never get a second chance to make a good first impression. But where and when does that first impression occur? We don't know or control the factors that create the story the customer tells themselves, which is why authenticity matters. You may have a cool website, awesome customer service, and the lowest prices in town, but if in the minds of your customers your product sucks and your staff are unhelpful, then your story isn't seen as being coherent. If there's a disconnect in their minds, then they're less likely to advance the interaction. Conversely, when a business is seen as authentic from every angle, the story being told is deemed sufficiently consistent to align itself with the greatest number of audience members. It's not about spending a fortune redesigning your corporate ID, updating your support desk software, or putting a flashy video on your website. It's about optimising every point of contact before, during, and after the transaction.