Many factors go into making a successful eCommerce site. One of those factors is making sure that your targeted customers view your site as trustworthy. If people do not trust your website, then they are less likely to buy your products.
If you search online for how to make your eCommerce website more trustworthy, you’ll come across many different articles and websites with ongoing lists about all of the steps you need to take. In this article, however, I’m going to cut through all of those steps and give you four tips to make your site a more trustworthy eCommerce site.
Design
Think of your eCommerce site as the face of your business. It’s the first thing people see when they search for your business and your brand. If your website’s design is outdated and not up to par, it could mean losing potential customers. In addition to the look of your website, navigation and usability are key. With roughly 5 seconds to capture their attention, if a consumer lands on your website and has a hard time finding what they are searching for, they will bounce and head directly to a competitor’s site.
Mission
If you can’t initially grow your business by word of mouth, how are you going to get people to invest in what you are trying to sell? The answer: your mission statement, about us page, story, etc. No matter what you call it, having an informative and open ‘About Us’ page, ‘Story,’ or ‘Mission Statement’ will give consumers insight into who you are, what you are selling, and your reasoning behind it. Many people tend to skip over this part of building a website, dedicating more time to other aspects and leaving this section with the bare minimum. However, if you want to build a successful eCommerce website that people deem trustworthy, personalization and background is the way to go.
Reviews
Ratings, reviews, testimonials, you name it. The number one thing to convert consumers into customers, besides design, mission, and your actual products, is customer reviews. New companies and businesses that don’t have a huge customer base need to rely on actual customer testimonials and reviews in order to build their reputation. Incorporate these customer testimonials, ratings, and reviews on your product pages, ‘About Us’ page, email campaigns, and more. Potential buyers will be much more receptive to the positive experiences of your customers rather than the claims you make about your own business.
Policies and FAQs
Last, but most certainly not least, policies, badges, and FAQs. Before displaying your badges and implementing your policies and FAQs, the first step you should take to make your eCommerce site more trustworthy is utilizing an SSL certificate. After this, you should implement your policies and create a FAQs page. This will give people an idea of the kind of business you are running and should answer their questions about ordering, shipping, paying, returning, etc. It’s also a good idea to display any certificates and badges you may have that would assist in instilling trust in potential buyers.
In conclusion, the four most important steps you should take to make your SSL certified website more trustworthy to consumers are stellar design and a great user experience, an informative and personalized “About Us’ page and mission statement, highlighted customer reviews and testimonials, and an easy to find policies and FAQ’s page. Consumers won’t put their personal information on a website they can’t immediately see is secure and they won’t waste their time searching for products on a messy and outdated website.
