The Internet can be a dangerous place, and we all know it. For as much as we take online communication for granted, we’ve all seen the reports about online scams, malware, information theft, disreputable e-commerce merchants… the list goes on and on. The point is, consumers know that they have to be careful with the websites they frequent, and especially with the websites they entrust with their credit card information. As a business owner, the onus is on you to create a site that exudes this trust, and that makes it easy for consumers to feel comfortable with your online offerings.

There are various kinds of trust signifiers that can be placed onto a website to instill buyer confidence. Likewise, there are strategies you can employ to ensure that your website is designed as reputable and professional. Below are a few that you might consider.

Building a Website That Exudes Trust

Be careful with ad content. Pop-ups and in-site ads can certainly help you increase revenues or facilitate conversions—but at what cost? Too many of these ads might make your site annoying to the user, or worse, they might make the site feel unprofessional—too “spammy” in its approach. This can undermine trust and credibility, so discretion is key.

Your domain name matters. A simple, branded domain name is usually the best way to go. Something like QuickAndEasyHairGrowth.com, meanwhile, smacks of desperation, and may make your entire company feel like one of those “too good to be true” products you sometimes see advertised on infomercials.

Trust seals can significantly enhance your site’s trustworthiness. Do you have a Better Business Bureau rating? A seal of excellence from the local chamber of commerce? A five-star business rating from Yelp? Any of these things can be added to your site to prove that your company has met a certain threshold of respectability, and that consumers can do business with you confidently.

If you offer guaranties or warranties, you should show them off. One obvious way to encourage customers to trust you is to promise a money-back guarantee, or something similar. If you make any such offer, make sure it’s well-publicized on your website.

Words from satisfied customers speak volumes. In addition to Yelp, Facebook, or Google widgets, you can also show off testimonials from past clients. Remember that customers always feel more comfortable shopping somewhere where other people have shopped and had a good experience.

Don’t act like you are hiding. Even something as simple as a clear Contact page—with a working phone number and email address—can help foster trust, showing customers that you can be reached should they ever have a question or a problem.

Allow customers to search your site with ease. One final way that you can build trust is to ensure that anyone who wants to find information on your website can with ease: Build an accurate and reliable search function into your site.

Trust is a precious commodity for any business, and your website is one place you can create it. To talk with us more about these tips, don’t hesitate to reach out to the enCOMPASS team today.