Why do people choose to work with your home improvement business?

You might say you have the best prices, that your service is top-notch, or that you have the best selections around. Those are all top considerations for many customers.

But did you know authenticity was also important to the majority of consumers? About 90 percent of Millennials say whether or not a business is authentic plays a role in their purchasing decisions.

That’s a known fact in marketing, by the way—younger generations are looking for positive experiences, authenticity and trust, and businesses with messages they can get behind.

However, younger homeowners aren’t the only ones who want to deal with people they can trust. Around 80 percent of Baby Boomers and 85 percent of Gen Xers also say authenticity is a big factor in decision-making.

So, What Is Authenticity?
Authenticity is about more than a mission, vision, and values statement you stand behind. According to a Cohn & Wolfe study, the businesses consumers consider most authentic provide trustworthy products, invest in innovation, and offer ways to break away from traditional options that might not be serving user needs.

The study ranked popular companies by consumer-perceived authenticity, and the top three spots went to Amazon, PayPal, and Burt’s Bees. Amazon could arguably be deemed the king of ecommerce innovation, PayPal offers products that help people break away from traditional banking, and Burt’s Bees puts a lot of effort into positioning its products as safe and clean.

Putting Authenticity in Home Improvement Marketing
You don’t have to be an ecommerce giant or all-natural skincare company to integrate authenticity into your business and marketing models. Some tips for doing so in any industry include:

• Being as transparent as possible about processes and pricing
• Providing helpful, educational content that lets people make better choices about home improvement services
• Not making everything about you or your products/services; share information about your community and get involved in the neighborhood too

Remember that authenticity isn’t necessarily a go-big-or-go-home endeavor. Start with small changes that can make big differences over time, and you might find that you’re connecting in better ways with consumers.