Factors to increase the trust of the visitors for your online business Table of Content 1. Make sure users know are safe on your site 2. Transparent with user 3. Badges on your site 4. Educate Rather Than Promote 5. Stand behind your work and show credentials 6. An appropriate and well-designed web site 7. Provide as much information as you can 8. Strengthening social media presence & getting listed in online directories 9. Look at your online business 10. Reviews and testimonials 11. Share Your Expertise 12. Multiple Key Fundamentals to Rely on 13. Conclusion Any business in this digital world relies on trust to succeed. Therefore, gaining the trust of your customers by meeting their demands and needs is truly an imperative move. Facts discovered that 81% of users feel concerned while shopping on unfamiliar websites. This eventually leads to loss of sales and long-run customers in the business. To put it simply, businesses have to earn visitors’ trust before expecting them to purchase. There are certain aspects that every individual seeks before making a move on to any brand. Among them is customer reviews. Customer reviews are the reasons for making or breaking the brands in the market. As there are countless options available, make sure you stay active with customers, and provide them quality products and services. In this blog, we will comprehend various factors to increase the trust of visitors for your online business. Make sure users know are safe on your site “The most important thing here is to make sure that your users know they’re safe on your site. A security certificate goes a long way, because it’s basically a form of reassurance for the user. You won’t steal their credit card, sell their data to some sketchy third party, or god knows what. I also want to stress the importance of having a website that’s user friendly and looks great. If you click on a website that’s full of ads and looks super spammy, then that’s going to drive the user away before they even get to see what you’re all about. Don’t let your website sabotage the good work you’re doing.” - Heinrich Long, Privacy Expert at Restore Privacy “One of the best ways to increase the trust of visitors to your website is to improve your website’s security. Security is becoming an increasingly important aspect of the internet for people, and it’s only going to become more important as threats advance and the effects of those threats become more devastating. It’s a good idea to mention that you’re using the best security techniques to protect visitors, and possibly even mention how you’re doing so (without compromising the security of course). This will help visitors trust your business more, and improve how they interact with it.” - Peter Horne, Content Lead at Geoff McDonald and Associates Transparent with user “The best way to increase trust with visitors is to be transparent with them. Explain what techniques you’re using to keep data safe, how you use that data, and more. Being open and honest will always help you to create stronger relationships with customers (that is if you’re actually handling the situation properly). You also need to understand what consumers’ expectations are. There’s no point in being open and honest but you’re selling their data to everyone that wants it, that’s simply bad brand behavior and not what consumers want. They want to know that their data is safe with you and that their privacy is one of your main concerns. So, you need to act the right way, handle their data safely, and show them that you care about their privacy. So, just to reiterate, it’s trusted behavior matched with transparency that will increase consumer trust.” - George Birrell CPA & Founder of TaxHub Badges on your site “You can tell people that your website is safe and secure until you’re blue in the face but backing your claims up with trust seals and security certificates is what’s going to convince them. Having badges on your site that show that trusted, unbiased, third-party organizations will vouch for the safety and security of your site go a long way towards convincing people it’s safe to use. Even with seals and certificates, you’ll have to keep assuring visitors and customers that they’re safe. An easy to understand, comprehensive privacy policy outlining how you protect customers’ personal information is also effective.” - Hosea Chang, Chief Operating Officer of Hayden Girls Educate Rather Than Promote “Assume the website as a hub of resources for your target visitors to come and learn about a relevant topic. By implementing this strategy, you will build a strong relationship with trust in the process. In the context of learning, digital marketing websites focus on engaging more, with informational content than promotional content.” - Shiv Gupta, CEO of Incrementors SEO Stand behind your work and show credentials “One of the biggest factors when it comes to increasing the trustworthiness of a site is to have a name and face behind it. This means having a well-written About page with pictures and contact information. As well as credentials as to why the visitor should listen to you. You should also try to mention the fact that you are an authority on the subject as often as you can make it natural. You can do that in the author bio and the article itself. For example, since I’m a qualified network engineer I make sure that my visitors learn this fast upon landing on my page. I mention it in the intros of my article and the end in my author bio. As well as on my about page and home page. This makes sure that visitors easily find my face and the reason why they should listen to me.” - Andreas Grant from Networks Hardware Read More: How To Improve Usability And User-friendliness For Software, Web And Mobile Applications? An appropriate and well-designed web site “One of the major trust signals from an e-commerce site to a potential consumer is an appropriate and well-designed web site. This is not the time for edgy color palettes or unconventional architecture. Any deviation of this sort is likely to hurt credibility, decrease trust, and very possibly keep people from making sales on a site they believe may be suspect because of questionable choices made during the web design phase.” - Max Cohen, Founder of Gift Kosher Provide as much information as you can “The best way to make sure your visitors feel safe when interacting with your business is to provide as much information as you can. Start with informing customers about your brand, and the idea behind it. Share your location (if there is a physical one) or a contact number/email that they can quickly access. A professional looking website or social media page will have a good first impression on the customer, looking for a specific solution. Any kind of information that shows visitors how you can serve them, and where you are available, proves you are a legitimate business, and focus on good customer service. Since most online businesses include payments, it is crucial to provide safe checkout methods and encrypted payment methods so as to keep customer information safe. Digital privacy is something you cannot miss as an online business, and you must know how to comply with government regulations around it. Customers should be informed about your privacy policy, along with how you will use the data they submit to you.” - Veronica Miller, Cybersecurity Expert at VPN Overview Strengthening social media presence & getting listed in online directories “One way to increase your visitors’ trust in your online business is by strengthening your social media presence and getting your business listed in online directories. Having your information available on these trusted websites/platforms boosts your credibility and standing. If you want to highlight other information besides your social media accounts, you can choose to make testimonials and reviews available on your website.   Giving your visitors a glimpse of your reach and showing them that your customers can vouch for your credibility is bound to boost/increase their trust in you.”   - Simon Elkjær, Chief Marketing Officer at avXperten Look at your online business “One way to increase the trust of visitors looking at your online business' webpage is to write compelling, authentic, detailed copy on each page. When you do this, the visitors feel they are reading the words of a real human and are more apt to trust you. When visitors see barely any text, or spammy text or grammatically incorrect or poorly written text, they are much more likely to write your website off as spammy and untrustworthy.” - Stacy Caprio, Marketing Expert at AcneScar.org Reviews and testimonials “Reviews and testimonials are a scientifically-proven way to increase potential shoppers’ trust in your online business. By using the marketing concepts of social proof and wisdom of the crowd, wherein individuals are more likely to follow the actions of a large group of people rather than following their own instincts, reviews and testimonials make your product seem like an industry leader with a loyal following. When you can’t physically view a product before purchase, it’s important to vet its legitimacy. Reviews from verified customers are an easy way to prove that your product is a must-buy.” - Chris Vaughn, CEO of Emjay “Testimonials and reviews are critical for any online business. Even a negative review that's acknowledged and addressed provides the kind of transparency consumers and prospective clients are looking for. If you're humble and honest enough to post a negative review and show the steps you took to make things right, that tells me you're the person I want to do business with.” - Michelle M. Horlbogen, CEO of The Gentlewoman Boss “When it comes to building a trustworthy business, it can be hard to get viewers to immediately trust your business. One piece of advice that I am constantly giving to business owners is to have authentic reviews accessible for new customers to see. When customers see that there are reviews from real people who have had a good experience with your product, they will be more open to buying it. Businesses who don't have reviews accessible on their page/website are less likely to receive orders in comparison to businesses that do. However, in some cases, customers may not believe that the reviews left on websites are from authentic customers. In order to gain more customers that thrust your business, I recommend having video testimonials available on your site. With these testimonials, customers can not only see that the review is true, but they are more willing to trust a video testimonial rather than a review.” - Chris Prasad, Director Of Marketing at Jook SMS “Testimonials and Case studies are some of the most effective ways of increasing the trustworthiness of the site in the eyes of other people. The customers who have already purchased products and used services, their valuable information will really help to gain trust in B2B and B2C sectors. It will be proof of social evidence in the eyes of third-party and site reviewers which helps to build trust.” - Brack Nelson, Marketing Manager at Incrementors Web Solutions Share Your Expertise “For visitors to your site to trust you, you need them to feel like you are an expert on what they need. Think about the niche of your business, then leverage that as a way to share your expertise to your target audience, without it costing anything. For example, we are a SaaS company that serves primarily to event rental companies. Our business is an intuitive all-inclusive software that takes care of their business needs, from bookings, to scheduling to inventory, etc. Our site, however, goes beyond just the software. Yes, we talk about the solution and the additional integrations, but we also use our blog and newsletter to equip their creative minds with resources to grow and expand their business. One of my favorite blog posts was about how rental companies could repurpose their rentals during the slower season that covid brought. Through blogs and newsletters like these, we show them that we understand what goes on in the industry, and we want to help beyond what we are selling.” - Karen Gordon, VP of Growth at Goodshuffle Pro Searching for Custom eCommerce Solutions ? CONTACT US Multiple Key Fundamentals to Rely on “Increasing trust on your website is about three key fundamentals: 1) Design. If you have a terrible site, people might assume you have an equally terrible business. On the other hand, if you have an excellent site that's easy to use, this sends a subconscious signal to visitors that this business is highly trustworthy. 2) Domain Authority. This one is difficult to achieve for longstanding businesses, but having good search ranking can elevate your business's trustworthiness factor. A site with great SEO is hard to fake, and takes a lot of investment. But you want a potential customer's search of your business to turn up results which drive sales and leads. 3) Social Proof. Arguably the most important factor for ecommerce and client-based web businesses, social proof allows potential customers to hear from existing customers or clients about their experiences. Having reviews on the front page of your website, and having user generated content display somewhere on the website can not only help increase trustworthiness, but drive stronger sales and leads.” - David Reichmann, Owner & Founder of Rawrycat Pet Products “There are a number of things to consider when designing a trustworthy website. Social Proof One of the best ways to convince visitors that you are a trustworthy business is social proof. Make your positive reviews and testimonials front and centre on your home page and product pages or include a well-placed and visible link in your navigation bar. SSL An SSL certificate is a must-have for doing business online. If a website doesn't have the 'lock' icon in front of the URL and it says 'unsecured,' there is a slim chance people are going to be wiling to give you sensitive financial information. Contact Information and About Us Contact information and About Us sections engenders trust because they let visitors know you are a real person with a real location and can be reached if need be. Ambiguous ownership and no way to get ahold of an owner are often viewed as red flags by visitors. Terms and Conditions It is always a good idea to have a terms and conditions page laying out any return and sales information. This lets visitors know that you think it is important to comply with relevant laws and regulations and tells them up front what your policies are. Antivirus Software Logos Having the icons of any of the antivirus software or plugins running your site easily visible provides an additional level of comfort for visitors who may be weary of entering sensitive personal information. The McAfee 'Secure' trustmark, for instance, is always nice to see when shopping online” - Kasper Langmann, Co-founder of Spreadsheeto “Trust is key for consumers who are making online purchases and there are many ways for websites to quickly build that trust. Having a well-built website that is free from errors is the first key to establishing trust from the moment a visitor lands on your website; things like broken elements and spelling mistakes can quickly turn a user away. The second key way to establish trust is to be transparent with your business and contact information. Every e-commerce website needs a contact page with information such as your email address, phone number, physical address, a contact form or live chat link and social media profile links. It’s also helpful to include some of this information in the website’s footer. If you prefer to keep your physical address private, considering investing in a PO box or virtual office instead. This helps to show that you are a legitimate business while protecting your actual location. Finally, an About page is an excellent way to build trust with customers to show that you are legitimate and worthy of their business. An e-commerce About page should include the history of the company and information about the people involved (including links to social media profiles) and other relevant ways to show your legitimacy such as information about awards you’ve won or business associations you’re a part of. Anybody can create an online store these days, so the more you can do to show that you are a legitimate business run but trustworthy people, the better. Ecommerce is a world full of opportunity but unfortunately, there are a lot of scam artists out there as well. By investing in building trust with consumers, e-commerce store owners can take their websites to the next level and establish profitable, sustainable online ventures.” - Michael Steele, CEO of Flywheel “The trust of consumers in the brand you carry is one of the gems online businesses must look after carefully. Because the better the trust, the more potential clients you can have which will deliver more revenue to your business. But how do people assess whether they must trust your products or services? This is influenced by many factors which include the following: First, the rating and comments of people on your brand. Positive comments and high rating equals better trust chances. Next is your credentials. If you have proof of customer satisfaction and praises, then those can garner you some extra points. Lastly, and the most important one is your actual products. They must be certain that your products are authentic and great. This can be achieved by creating amazing and tasteful promotions featuring your items.” - Lewis Keegan, Founder & Writer at Skillscouter “There's a lot of aspects to consider when you want to increase your trust as an online brand. Three important things to show on your website to increase trust: - *References* and *media* where the company has been *mentioned* (in a positive light) - *Testimonials* (must be real otherwise has the *opposite effect*) - *Faces of your team*, especially the CEO or *product owner* explaining what your company does.” - Johannes Larsson, Director of Financer.com Conclusion Trust is a key factor that drives many online businesses to success. However, this could not be gained that easily. To put your business in a better position, you have to work harder, devise strategies, and move on even with no sales in the beginning. Understand customer demands, offering quality services, etc. can help you get on the track to success. This blog conveniently helps you comprehend various factors to increase the trust of visitors for your online business.