Best practices for brand perception
A personal approach
People buy from people, even online
Visitors decide in seconds whether they trust your brand. Not based on your product, but on instinct.
Most websites invest heavily in product information: specs, pricing, comparison tables. That content matters, but it answers rational questions. The question of trust is emotional, and it's answered by a completely different set of signals: tone of voice, imagery, visible support, and the way real people show up on the page.
When the experience feels generic, trust has nowhere to land Brand perception is shaped by how the experience feels. People have no reason to trust a brand that doesn’t make an effort to connect with them. This disconnect usually stems from sterile corporate jargon, soulless stock imagery, hidden contact details, and a total absence of visible humans.
A personal connection lowers perceived risk Visitors want to feel there are real people behind the product. A brand that shows its human side removes a subtle but important barrier: the fear of being left on your own with a product or service you don't fully understand.
Let's look at two examples that show what this looks like in practice.
Living the brand promise on every page
Coolblue positions itself as “the most customer-centric company in the Netherlands”, and they prove it across the entire customer journey.
Coolblue.nl
Staff front and center Coolblue's pages feature real employees, photographed while delivering, installing, or helping customers. This helps make the brand tangible and human.
Expert advice built into the journey The "Coolblue's Choice" sections curate recommendations backed by reviews and specialist knowledge. That shifts the relationship from retailer to trusted guide.
"Alles voor een glimlach"
Personality in the details Coolblue turns moments that are usually forgettable, or even annoying, into something entertaining. Their "wait therapy" transforms the gap between ordering and delivery into a playful experience: print a banner for your delivery driver, listen to a curated playlist, follow a relaxation session. Category pages get taglines like "Vacuums. Dust collector’s item."
Small moments, big impact These details don't drive conversion directly, but they create an emotional footprint. They signal that the company behind the site cares enough to make even the boring parts enjoyable. That's what visitors remember, and what they tell others about.
Making help feel effortless
Centraal Beheer doesn't wait for visitors to go looking for support. Contact is woven into the page, visibly, repeatedly, and with warmth.
CentraalBeheer.nl
Contact visible from the start The product detail page features contact options in several distinct locations: a phone number with opening hours, a WhatsApp button, a "Call me" option, and a link to direct contact.
Conversational copy Rather than generic service copy, Centraal Beheer uses language that reads like something a person would actually say: “Feel free to call”, “We're here for you”, “We're happy to help.”
Faces behind the service A photo of a real employee, identified by name and role, appears on the page. Faces transform an abstract service into a human one. Visitors can picture who picks up the phone, and that changes how safe the decision feels.
Checklist: Brand Perception
Use these questions to assess whether your website builds trust through a personal approach:
Does your website communicate who you are before it communicates what you sell?
Is your tone of voice warm and human, instead of dry and corporate?
Are real people visible on the page (with photos, titles, quotes)?
Are your contact options prominent on the page, without visitors needing to scroll to find it?
Does visual design and photography contribute to creating a feeling of trust?
Do you deliver on your brand promises within the website experience itself, not just on a separate brand page?
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Let’s optimize your brand perception together
You've seen how Coolblue and Centraal Beheer use a personal approach to build trust at scale. But how does your own brand perform, especially in the eyes of real visitors?
In a short, no-obligation conversation we explore how your website presents your brand, where visitors feel supported and where uncertainty creeps in.
We identify concrete opportunities to make your brand feel more human, trustworthy, and customer-focused.
Book a 30-min call
Merel Schouten Digital Research Consultant merel.schouten@wua.cx
