Whether you’re currently running an ecommerce store or plan to start one soon, it’s important to continually look at ways you can grow your business and achieve your personal and professional goals. There are many strategies you can use to succeed, from spending more time on marketing and sales and trying out new products through to hiring more team members, targeting new customers and increasing your overall productivity. However, one way that many entrepreneurs don’t focus on enough is building trust with shoppers.
People who buy online can’t see products in person or get to speak with a salesperson face to face. As such, they must put their faith in a business and feel so comfortable that they’re willing to input their personal and financial data. To boost sales conversions then, find ways to build trust online. This can take time and effort, but it’s worth it in the long run. Here are some tips to follow to build more trust with consumers today.
Have a Well-Designed and Comprehensive Website
You obviously need to have a well-designed website if customers are going to trust your business. Your site must impress shoppers immediately and look professional, like much care has gone into it. If it doesn’t give this positive impression ASAP, people will simply click away to the next site without a second thought.
For best results, a website should have a clear layout that isn’t too cluttered. Avoid making it too full of text or graphics. Use a font that is easy to read and in a decent size, and use quality images that showcase your brand, products or services effectively. Your branding should be consistent throughout, too.
Don’t forget about having an easy-to-use navigation. Shoppers should find the pages they need to go to after they arrive on the site and not have any issues searching for the information they need or adding things to their cart and checking out.
Your site needs to be mobile-optimized these days, too. Many consumers search for goods on their cell phones and tablets, so ensure your site loads properly in various formats. In particular, it should have an automatic resize in place, and/or a version that is specially formatted for mobile views.
Make sure you include plenty of data on your website. To entice customers and make them feel safe to hand over their payment information, you need to provide them with many details on each product as well as on your business. Make it easy for people to find contact details if they need help or further info as well as the lowdown on shipping costs and timeframes, returns and so on.
Use a Good Payment Processor
Next, to feel safe about giving you their credit card information and other sensitive details, customers need to know you use a good payment processor, one that’s secure and trusted. It pays, therefore, to use a service that has been around for years and boasts a positive reputation.
You want to choose a payment provider that takes security seriously, doesn’t store payment information and doesn’t redirect people away from your website. Being redirected can make people feel they are being scammed, so all transactions should remain on your site.
As well, when you accept payments, be sure to give shoppers lots of choice for their transactions. People expect to be able to select a payment type that’s the most convenient and comfortable for them. It therefore pays to accept debit and credit card payments, PayPal, Apple Pay and similar digital wallers, direct debits for recurring transactions, loyalty points, gift cards and so on.
Showcase Various Signs of Credibility
Lastly, don’t forget to showcase various signs of credibility on your website and at other online touchpoints, such as your email signature, social media pages and e-newsletters. Make sure you upload relevant logos, site seals, certifications and the like.
You might add graphics that show you utilize, deal with or are a member of well-regarded firms and programs in areas such as payment processing, SSL certificates, shopping groups and industry memberships. This list might include companies like American Express, PayPal, Visa, eBay, Shopify, Thawte, GeoTrust, BBB Accredited Business group and the Green Business Bureau.
In addition, display the feedback you have received from your customers, both testimonials about your business and specific product reviews. This helps other shoppers to see that you are a legitimate firm, one that can be trusted.