Trust is a quality that’s expected but ironically overlooked. It’s a quality that’s required in every kind of relationship in order for it to move forward.
It shouldn’t surprise you that people consider trust just as important when it comes to online activity. Your website visitors expect a fast-loading, reliable, and accurate website. With an endless amount of fabricated information online, it has become increasingly difficult to trust the information we read or the websites we visit. People are now more aware of fake websites and they’re ready to ditch them! If visitors sense that your site might be fake, they will leave and never come back. That is why it is very important for you to make sure that your website is trustworthy. You might be known as the most trustworthy person your friends have ever met, but if that isn’t reflected on your website, then you will lose visitors and revenue.
If you haven’t seen many visitors to your website or sold any products lately, it might be because your website visitors don’t trust you. So… How do you gain that trust? Listed below are 10 ways that you can easily gain trust from your website visitors.
- Add a Headshot and/or pictures of your team
Add some pictures of yourself and your team to your website! By adding pictures, you will be giving your visitors a visual look at your business, which will help bring your website to life. You will be helping your customers get to know your business and its members a little better. Pictures can also eliminate any fears or anxiety, allowing your customers to know that they are dealing with real people and not robots! Showing off your team will help your visitors build confidence in your business. When customers have confidence, they will trust you enough to purchase from you or at least stay on your site a little longer.
- Have your phone number and physical address listed
Having your phone number listed will show that your business is easily accessible. Websites that do not have a phone number listed are very hard to trust because it shows they are hiding something. Sites that do not have phone numbers also make it impossible for customers to call if something goes wrong with their purchase. Your website should also list your physical business location. Having your phone number and business location listed adds a completely new layer of trust for your audience. People want to know that your business has an actual location. They also want to have a phone number accessible. Listing your business information will also help with SEO and your Google Ranking.
- Create a Detailed “About Us” Page
Get as creative as you’d like on your “About Us” page! This is the first stop for many doubting visitors. Your “About Us” page should include an introduction of you and your team, tell your brand story, share what’s going on behind the scenes, and let customers know where you are. You should add anything that you think accurately describes your business and team! You should also include why they cannot live without your product or service. Make sure that your “About Us” page accurately and completely encompasses who you and your business are!
- Establish Testimonials and Reviews
Testimonials and reviews are so incredibly important! It has been proven that people are more likely to buy a product when they see that others have purchased the same product and enjoyed it. Good reviews are basically free advertising for your company. Granted, you will get some negative reviews here and there, but don’t be discouraged! It’s necessary for your business to have reviews, regardless of their negative or positive intent. We do not recommend using fake profiles and testimonials to make it seem like you have more reviews that you actually do. It’s very easy for someone to spot a fake testimonial. Once your audience discovers that you’re using fake profiles to increase you business ratings, their trust in your company will fall. If you want to use testimonials on your page, use the reviews of your business that are already on Google.
- Use Social Media and Blog Consistently
You need to have an active presence on social media. Not having a social media account can come off as suspicious or that your business does not exist. If you already have a social media account, make sure that you are engaging with your followers who like or share your content. Businesses who do not respond or reply to comments from potential customers will lose the sale- no doubt! It’s also important to blog because your followers are going to begin to expect consistent and valuable information. By blogging consistently, the audience will begin to see you as an authority and trust you for it. You also have the option to add social media buttons to your website to give your visitors easy access. Be sure to not overcrowd your website with too many social media buttons.
- Make your Website Mobile-Friendly and Up-to-date
You always want to make sure that your website is updated! A dated website can cause distrust almost immediately. Imagine visiting a website whose blog posts are over 2 years old, the home page looks old and untouched, and there are many broken links. You wouldn’t trust a website with that many problems, right? If not, why let your own website look like that? Over 50% of internet searches are on a mobile device, which is why it’s important for your website to be mobile-friendly. Your website design is one of the first impressions given to your audience. If you are building your own website, don’t take it lightly. The quality of your website is one of the first things that people will judge when they visit it. It should at least show that you are keeping up with industry standards and new keywords that people are searching for. Your site should also be easy to navigate and use.
- Have a Call-to-Action
One thing that will benefit your business and website is having a Call-To-Action. Give your visitors a reason to stay. Whether you’re offering a free newsletter or a discount on your products, a Call-To-Action would show that you’re actively selling products and operating a business. A CTA makes it absolutely clear to potential customers that they need to take an action on your website. A CTA will help motivate your visitors to try out your product. Visitors also expect to see some sort of offer or CTA at the end of the page. Without a CTA, your marketing message will be hard to push. You’ll be missing that final hook that you need to reel them in.
- Invest in a Domain name that accurately describes your business
Look at your domain name and think about whether it’s still working for your business and representing your brand. If it’s not working for you anymore, consider changing it! Avoid choosing a domain name that looks weird or spammy. A good domain name should establish authority, reinforce your brand identity, and promote your business. If your domain name does not fulfill any of those areas, you may be giving off a bad impression. Avoid using numbers to replace letters, hyphens, and abbreviations. You should also make sure your domain name isn’t too long, too bland, or hard to type. You should also be aware of your domain name extension. Most companies opt for the .com extension because it’s the most well known. You can really choose any domain extension, but be aware of how it flows with the rest of your domain. Your domain name should ultimately say what you do and where you do it.
- Double-check your website for typos and grammatical errors
As silly as it sounds, your credibility is based on how well you represent your business on your website. If your website is covered with grammatical errors and typos, it is going to make it very hard for your visitors to trust you. If your sentences are grammatically incorrect, misspelled or seemingly odd, your visitors may view it as a scam. You’ll want to be extra careful when posting things to your website to make sure that it is accurate. On top of your business looking like a scam, it also makes you look unprofessional.
- Offer a Secure Payment Connection
People are online shopping every day, especially now more than ever! The question of payment security never leaves the back of the mind. Your business could be offering awesome products, but if your payment options are not secure, you will have a hard to keeping visitors on your site. If you want to make your visitors feel completely safe, offer a trusted online payment method that is widely recognized by consumers. You will be setting your customers up for easy purchase and they’ll likely come back for more if they enjoy it. You will thank yourself in the long run! The most popular forms of payment that you can add are credit and debit cards, such as American Express, MasterCard and Visa. You can also include Google Pay, Apple Pay and Google Wallet. Keep in mind that customers pay attention to the safety badges, normally located on the bottom of the page, when considering purchasing something from an account. Studies show that websites who have these safety badges earn more revenue.
Building trust with users online isn’t as difficult as it may seem! Creating a safe environment for users really comes down to maintaining a high-quality website and following best practices. Be sure to keep your website up-to-date and you’ll keep that trust you worked so hard to build! The last thing you want to do is lose your visitor’s trust.