Trust is one of the most important factors in E-Commerce conversion. If a customer doesn’t trust your site, they will quickly abandon and go elsewhere. It’s no secret that trust is built on several different touch-points on your site, and if you’re not fostering trust on each of them, you’re wasting an opportunity to convert your customer. This great infographic from KissMetrics about how to build a trustworthy E-commerce outlines some of the most important ways to foster a trusting relationship with your customer.
THE DISCOVERY PHASE
When a customer first discovers your E-commerce, you need to prove to them that you are trustworthy. Few will purchase from a store they’ve never heard of, and this first opportunity to gain your customer’s trust is the key between a visit and a sale.
A stellar landing page can help on this front: obviously, function is just as important as aesthetics, so make sure it loads quickly and is easy to navigate. There are also little things you can mention in your communication or on your site to show your customers that others have ordered from you and were happy customers. Here are a few tips to nailing trust from the door:
1. SHOW THE NUMBERS:
Show how many orders or customers you’ve served. If you don’t have a lot of orders yet, leave the numbers off the site until you get them. There are other ways to show that you’re trustworthy.
2. CONTACT INFORMATION:
If you really want customers to trust you from the landing page, make sure one of the first things they see is how to contact you. Include several ways of contacting you: phone, email, twitter, chat, etc. Be credible- post the customer service hours as well so you don’t frustrate your customers.
3. SECURITY:
Use a valid and clear domain name that’s secured. You want to show your customers that you take their privacy and information security seriously. So make sure that your server is secure and make that apparent on your site.
4. FEATURED ON…:
If your store is featured on another site, like a ratings site, be sure to include it on your landing page. Likewise, if you’ve been featured in a credible publication, you should feature it on your landing page or otherwise advertise it.
Feel free to feature all of this on your landing page, but remember the golden rule: You want your landing page to be light, fast, and user-friendly. Don’t bother putting tons of information if it only makes your site sluggish. Doing so can prevent your customers from getting to the second touch-point.
THE BROWSING PHASE
Once the customer has decided to browse your product, it’s your second opportunity to show that your site is a trustworthy e-commerce. Trust isn’t something that’s just gained in a snap, it’s like a bridge that needs to be built. There are a few more things you can do to build trust at the browsing phase:
5. BE CONSISTENT:
Keep what was on your landing page visible on your product pages: contact information, credibility markers, live chat options, etc.
6. IMAGERY:
Use high-quality studio photos of your products and as I mentioned in the last bullet point, be consistent. Don’t use a white background for some products and a black one for others. You want to make sure your site looks uniform and clean.
7. REVIEWS:
Put your reviews in plain view on your site. You want your customers to be able to see that others have purchased from you and were happy to do so. Product reviews and customer photos of your products will help new visitors to trust your site.
8. THE PERSONAL TOUCH:
When you include other personal items, like a blog or an about us page, you give your brand a human touch that will help your customers trust your team. Avoid using stock photos, as they look more fake than anything. It’s better to post a real photo of your team and humanize your interaction with your customers.
9. POLICIES:
Keep your shipping and returns policies visible and easy to find. A major key to building customer trust is the option to exchange or return the product in the event of a mistake.
While browsing, your customers are not only deciding if they want your products enough to purchase, but they’re deciding if your site a trustworthy E-commerce. If they decide that they might want to have confidence in your company, they’ll start adding product to their carts. This is the third opportunity you have to gain your customers’ trust.
THE CART PHASE
Your visitor has moved from being just a visitor to a potential buyer. The purchase process is the part that counts the most, as the slightest obstacle can dissuade the customer from finalizing the sale. Here are a few tips to keep the already built trust with your customer:
10. CART INFORMATION:
Give your customer all the necessary information at the cart, including delivery, number of items (to help prevent errors), contact information, etc.
11. SSL CERTIFICATES:
Having an SSL Certificate confirms that you are who you say you are. This is a key point of gaining customer trust and showing the customer that your site is a trustworthy one.
12. SHIPPING INFORMATION:
Show your customer when they could expect the order to ship and where it will ship from. This will give your customer an idea of how much time it should take. Do not hide shipping or delivery costs at any time- this is the easiest way to get a customer to abandon the purchase.
13. DELIVERY INFORMATION:
Display a delivery calculator to help your customer understand how much the total purchase will cost. Offer several secured payment and delivery options to give your customers the as many choices as possible.
Building customer trust is a continuing battle: and it doesn’t end when the product is delivered. You need to be prepared to do what you’ve promised to do in terms of your returns and exchange policy. This is the factor that will keep your customers coming back after the first purchase and build customer loyalty.
If you follow these tips, you should have no problem building a meaningful relationship with your customers and proving that your site is a trustworthy e-commerce.
What do you think is the most important factor that influences trust? Tell me below or Tweet us!