As such, as respected computer scientist Paul Graham put it, “the web is very sloppy in general, but an online store can not afford to be.”
Simply put, trust is critical.
However, here’s the rub: trust is exceedingly difficult to establish. And, to add insult to injury, it’s particularly tough to develop online. In simple terms, to disregard trust in eCommerce is to certify failure.
Without trust, potential customers will be unlikely to consider purchasing your products. Without actual one-on-one engagement, you must rely on your website and social media to build trust.
As a result, the websites and social media platforms must be outstanding.
Now, how then do you configure your website so that it efficiently builds trust and increases sales? Herein, we’ll go over the nine techniques and tactics to start implementing immediately to make your store more trustworthy.
Guarantee Visitors That Your Business Regards Safety Seriously
Cybersecurity is a significant concern that should not be underestimated. Leaks and hacks of personal and financial information can lead to theft, fraud, or even stolen identities.
As a result, it’s unsurprising that 95% of Americans are concerned about how businesses utilize personal data.
As a result, shoppers must trust your website sufficiently to feel comfortable exposing themselves to these hazards before purchasing from your store.
Therefore, how can you reassure shoppers?
For starters, make sure that you’re leveraging a payment system that is both safe and familiar to your visitors, such as Stripe, PayPal, or Apple Pay.
Furthermore, make a point of highlighting the use of these reputable brands.
Five-Story, a women’s apparel brand, displays the logos of reputable payment providers with a padlock emblem and the text “Payment 100% Secure.”
Trustworthy Payment Providers
Additionally, Five Story displays the logos of reputable payment options, such as Visa and Mastercard, in their website’s footer.
If Shopify powers your online store, it’s straightforward to activate these logos using the Shopify backend:
Following that, use an app like McAfee Secure to automatically scan your site for malware, viruses, and other unwanted activities. Then, you can display the McAfee Secure symbol on your site to demonstrate to visitors that it is secure.
Additionally, you can show other trust badges on your websites, such as the Shopify Secure badge or those provided by apps such as Trust and Trustful.
Bottom line: Take security extremely seriously and ensure your customers know that their information is secure in your hands.
Provide accurate and up-to-date product information.
Customers can pick up products, inspect them, try them on, and even ask sales associates questions in a physical store.
It’s a bit more challenging to conduct research online.
To compensate for that, you must ensure that the information about your products is detailed and accurate. Further, you should provide numerous high-quality product images.
Besides that, you might create product videos that highlight the features and benefits available.
Essentially, if a potential buyer has a question, it should be answered on your product page.
That’s useful in mitigating risk and building trust by empowering shoppers to make informed purchasing decisions.
Check out Bittermilk, a producer of cocktail mixers.
Their product sites contain comprehensive information on their mixers. You can learn about how they make the mixer, suggested matches, the ingredients, important publication features, and even the accolades it has earned in the examples below.
Complete Description
Additionally, Bittermilk does not leave anything to chance — they end each product description with an email address for visitors to contact them.
Therefore, be specific.
Inform shoppers of the precise size, weight, and dimensions. Describe the manufacturing process of the product. Inform them of the ingredients or supplies that are needed.
Immerse yourself deeper to provide clarity.
Don’t just mention “Size Medium” — add precise dimensions for each of your sizes on a simple chart and a video of someone wearing it for context.
Be thorough, leave nothing to chance, and ensure that all questions are fully addressed. Each visitor should have confidence in the product they are purchasing.
Declare Your Exceptional Return Policy
Acrobats are fond of safety nets. Customers appreciate generous return policies.
A firm return policy eliminates the risk associated with purchasing your products. So why don’t they approve? It’s insignificant. What if it fails? It’s insignificant.
Additionally, liberal and open return procedures inspire trust.
“We are so convinced that you will love our products that if you do not, you may return them at any time – we will even pay for return shipping,” they state.
Therefore, create a return policy that you can be proud of.
Then, ensure that it is widely displayed across your website to ensure that visitors are immediately aware of it.
For instance, emphasize your return policy for dropshipping products and services on your product and checkout pages. Target Dry, for example, does an excellent job of doing this on their product pages:
Following that, create a dedicated page outlining the conditions and benefits of your return policy in plain language. Then, include a link to it in the footer of your website.
Never undervalue the persuasive power of a generous return policy. Instead, ascertain that your hotel effectively mitigates customer risks and that visitors are aware of them.
Using Content, Define Your Authority
Shoppers frequently gravitate toward the market leader for the simple reason that they are the market leader!
Even if the market leader does not offer the best product, service, or pricing, they are regarded as an authority in their niche.
This leads to an increase in trust.
Which begs the question: How can you increase your chances of being regarded seriously as an authority if you are not the market leader in your niche?
In a nutshell, content
The practice of creating valuable and insightful content that appeals to your target market is called content marketing.
Helpful content isn’t obnoxious or salesy. Its sole purpose is to provide value and establish a relationship with the visitor. This article you are currently reading is an example of content marketing.
You may create various forms of content, including blog articles, videos, infographics, and ebooks. You can utilize these platforms to demonstrate your knowledge and skills while amusing or assist your target market.
In summary, shoppers are more likely to trust your brand if it is evident that you are knowledgeable about your subject.
Consider the following example from the bike brand Pure Cycles.
Pure Cycles consistently creates high-quality articles and videos for the cycling community, establishing them as an authority.
In one of their images, you will find a video they made to educate visitors about road bikes.
Credible, Authoritative Content
Additionally, content is an excellent approach to engaging directly with your target audience.
Through sharing your content on social media and encouraging visitors to write comments, you may engage and interact with members of your target audience. It thus indicates your commitment to helping your target market and brings your brand’s aspect to the forefront.
Display Your Social Proof Fully
What’s social proof & what does it entail?
Robert Cialdini created the term “social proof” in his book Influence. It simply refers to the reality that the thoughts and behaviors of others influence people.
Reviews & testimonials make for the simplest form of social proof.
The co-founder of Orbit Media Studios, Andy Crestodina, put it best: “When you say it, it’s marketing.” When your customers mention something, this serves as social proof. “
Consider Beardbrand, a men’s grooming brand. Their product sites prominently display the aggregate customer rating for each product.
Social Proof Reviews
Additionally, you may read individual reviews and sort them by rating upon clicking rating or scroll to the bottom of the product page.
Au Lit Fine Linens, a home and bedroom brand, takes this a step further by prominently featuring significant reviews on their website’s homepage. This enables them to establish trust with first-time visitors immediately upon their arrival.
Master and Dynamic, a manufacturer of headphones and speakers, display social proof in the form of reviews from prominent magazines.
The inclusion of the logos for each publication assists visitors in quickly grasping the level of endorsement that Master and Dynamic have earned.
Regardless of how you present social proof on your website, make sure you effectively utilize this persuasive method.
However, what if you lack the social proof to display?
If you’re new to eCommerce or planning to open a store, you’re probably going to be short on reviews, testimonials, and endorsements.
Take it easy.
Make that you encourage your initial customers to submit reviews after purchasing so that you can start leveraging social proof immediately.
Meanwhile, work on implementing the other strategies and approaches on this list.
To discover more about social proof, read Social Proof: What It Is and Why It Is So Effective in Marketing.
Build a Personal Relationship
Which are you more likely to trust, a pleasant neighbor or a friendly corporation?
Simply put, the more we learn about and like someone, the more probable it is that we will trust them. While this may sound self-evident, are you using this principle in your business?
Therefore, how can you create a personal relationship with your website visitors? To start, you can highlight the people behind the brand.
Creating an About Us page is one of the simplest methods for doing this effectively.
This page is dedicated to the people and events that led to the establishment of your store. It should be a clear reflection of the business’s personality and beliefs.
Greats’ shoe brand illustrates this with a shot of the founders and the shared vision that inspired them to start their business.
Personal About Page
Another example is the snack brand Pip Snacks, which describes itself as a family-owned store that is “on a quest to do things differently.”
Even if visitors do not read the Story, the admirable portrait of the team immediately establishes a human connection and contributes to the development of trust.
Additionally, you can create a personal connection through your website copy by using relatable language to your target audience.
Consider how Pip Snacks accomplishes this by inserting words such as, “Dear Truffle Pipcorn lover, we want to start by stating… yep, the excitement is true!” “
Every business is about people acquiring from other people. Therefore, do not overlook the personal touches that make all the difference in trust development.
Sweat the Minor Details
Have you ever heard the adage, “Take care of the minor details, and the major ones will take care of themselves”?
Make a point of noticing the minor stuff that undermines trust, such as the following:
- Unprofessional, poor quality graphics & images
- Hazy shipping timelines or prices
- A crowded, disorganized design
- Slow-loading pages
- Slow-loading pages
- Errors in spelling
- Broken links
These seemingly insignificant details create a sense of discomfort, cripple trust, and eventually reduce conversion rates.
If your website is hurting because of any of these issues,
Apply a critical eye to your work and look for seemingly minor issues to resolve. But still, you can enlist the assistance of others who can provide a more objective assessment of any areas for development.
After that, you get to work.
For instance, if your store is loading slowly, you can speed it up using a service like TinyIMG SEO & Image Optimizer.
You can also use an app like the Image Optimizer to ensure that your photographs are thoroughly optimized and are not in your store.
Consider upgrading your store’s style with an eye-catching Shopify theme.
Following that, go through each of your pages one by one and test each link to ensure it works properly.
Additionally, you can utilize an internet program such as Grammarly to identify any problems in your text.
Do not overlook the small details.
As Amazon founder Jeff Bezos put it, “we view our customers as guests at a party, and we serve as the hosts.” Every day, it is our responsibility to make every significant part of the client experience.”
Offer Samples
If you’re new to eCommerce or having difficulty gaining trust to land those first few transactions, consider offering samples.
What about it? Sound familiar?
While an excellent return policy helps mitigate risk, samples eliminate risk – the consumer truly has nothing to lose!
They have the option of “trying before you buy”!
Consider the case of the eyewear brand Warby Parker.
Choosing the proper design and fit of glasses is frequently a highly personal decision. As a result, few shoppers are likely to purchase glasses without first trying them on.
Offering free samples is especially effective for firms that sell consumables and recurring purchases, such as razor blades or beauty products.
While it will cost you initially, allowing customers to test before they buy can attract repeat customers, leading to enormous profits down the road.
Additionally, giving away free samples allows for the collection of reviews.
It is best suited for newly opened stores. Consider offering a limited quantity of products in exchange for objective and candid reviews. Then, as an aspect of social proof, you can showcase this on your website.
However, there’s more to it.
Moreover, you might send complimentary samples to influencers in your niche in exchange for a mention or shout-out on their social media channels.
It’s a great way to connect with your target audience, build trust through endorsement, and increase website traffic.
Offering samples to prospective customers demonstrates confidence and helps develop trust.
Simply put, make sure you weigh the costs. You must sustain profitability or suffer the investment period in the belief that it will pay off later.
Handle Customer Concerns on a detailed FAQ Page.
Your customers should never be perplexed. Instead, each stage of the transaction should be straightforward, unambiguous, and reassuring.
Enter the FAQ page here. The FAQ page can prove handy-dandy at this point.
Create a new page that addresses frequently asked questions if you’re having trouble, including detailed shipping and return information on your product pages.
The page contributes to the development of trust by removing ambiguity.
Ensure you an excellent FAQ page. It’s simple to navigate and provides straightforward answers to frequently asked queries by shoppers.
Detailed FAQ Page
If you’re just getting started, begin by answering fundamental questions, such as:
- Is it possible to track the delivery of my order?
- What if my order gets lost in the mail?
- How does the return policy work?
- Is it possible to cancel my order?
- Is it possible to change my order?
- How long does it take to ship?
So, if other frequently asked questions arise, you may add them to your list. Thus, make sure you revisit and modify your FAQ page on a routine basis.
Conclusion
Trust is critical. Without it, your store will be unattended.
Trust is tough to establish online. Online merchants must work extra hard to create a website that fosters visitor trust in a world devoid of face-to-face interactions.
In summary:
· Eliminate uncertainty by creating a detailed FAQ page: Start with the fundamentals and constantly update your FAQ page to include all information shoppers require.
· How reliable is your website? Which of the nine methods and strategies listed above are you currently employing? Tell us in the comments section below!
· Don’t skimp on the details: Provide detailed information about your products so that your customers feel confident making informed purchases.
· Eliminate all risks by offering samples: Allow customers to try before buying or submitting free samples in exchange for feedback or exposure.
· Reduce risk by offering a liberal return policy: Demonstrate trust in your products and services, and inform visitors about your return policy.
· Social proof is highly effective: creating reviews, testimonials, and recommendations to win visitors’ trust rapidly.
· Minor errors kill trust: Use tools such as Grammarly and Pagespeed Guru to polish your website’s rough edges.
· Demonstrate your commitment to security by utilizing trust badges and trusted payment options to reassure shoppers.
· Make it personal: Demonstrate your brand’s human side and create an emotional connection.
· Promote your skills and knowledge: Create content that positions you as a reputable authority in your niche.
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