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If you’re an eCommerce site owner, you know that trust is key. Without it, customers won’t buy from you, and your business will suffer. So how do you go about building trust with your website?

It can be tricky, but it’s definitely not impossible. In fact, there are a number of things you can do to make your eCommerce site more trustworthy and increase sales. Here are 15 tips to get you started.

How important is trust in e-commerce?

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of how to build trust on your eCommerce store, let’s first talk about why it’s so important.

There are two main reasons:

1. People are naturally skeptical of buying things online.
2. It’s easy for scammers to create fake eCommerce stores that look real.

When you go to a brick-and-mortar store, there's not as much need for trust. You can see and touch the product, or talk with salespeople who are knowledgeable about their goods to get more information on what would work best for your needs without leaving behind any digital footprint.

With an online business though, when shoppers can't see or touch the product, it becomes more difficult to build trust and convince them that this is something they want to buy.

Make sure your website is secure

It's important to make sure your website is secure for a few reasons. First, if your site is not secure, hackers could potentially gain access to it and wreak havoc. Second, if your site is not secure, customers may not feel comfortable inputting their personal and financial information on it. This could lead to them taking their business elsewhere. Finally, if your site is not secure, Google could potentially lower your ranking in search results, which would lead to fewer people finding and visiting your site.

If you're looking for a way to tell if a website has an SSL certificate, there are a few ways to do it. One is to look for the lock icon in the address bar. If the lock is closed, that means the site is secure. Another way to tell is to check the URL. If the URL starts with https:// instead of http://, that means the site has an SSL certificate.

Trust Badges

When it comes to building trust on your eCommerce site, one of the best things you can do is to display trust badges. Trust badges are images or symbols that help to reassure customers and show that your site is credible and trustworthy.

Some examples of common trust badges include:

• The Better Business Bureau badge
• The Norton Secured badge
• The McAfee Secure badge
• The PayPal Verified badge

These are just a few examples. There are many different types of trust badges out there, so take some time to research which ones would be most appropriate for your site. Then, add them to strategic places on your pages, such as your homepage, product pages, and checkout page.

Respect customer privacy

As a business owner, it is important to prioritise the privacy of your customers and never share their information with anyone without their consent. This way, you can build trust with your consumers and show that you respect their privacy. When asking customers if they want notifications or promotions, make sure that the default option is set to "no" so that they are not bombarded with spam if they do not want it. Instead, give them the option to opt-in to your email marketing and promotional communications. This will show that you value their consent and that you are not trying to force anything on them.

Have a nice website

This comes down to two things - aesthetics and usability.

A website's design is crucial in determining whether or not a potential customer will trust and respect the business. In a split second, users are making decisions about a website's trustworthiness. Customers may be turned away from a website if its branding appears to be badly designed. Low-quality photography, ugly fonts, and bad colour schemes are all red flags that can make a website appear untrustworthy. By ensuring that your website is well-designed and engaging, you can increase the chances of building trust with potential customers.

If a website is difficult to use or the layout is confusing, customers will be less likely to trust the business. Good usability is key in establishing trust with customers. Make sure your website is easy to use and navigate, and you will be seen as a credible and trustworthy business.

Some common website usability issues that can affect a customers trust are:

• Unclear or difficult navigation
• Too many ads or pop-ups
• Cluttered or busy design
• Broken links
• Slow loading times

Third-Party Customer Reviews

Including customer reviews on your website can be a great way to build consumer trust. By featuring positive reviews from happy customers, you can show that your business is credible and trustworthy.

Make sure to use reviews from third-party websites like Google or Trustpilot, as these will be seen as more trustworthy than reviews featured directly on your website.

If you don't have any customer reviews yet, consider reaching out to some of your past customers and asking them to leave a review.

Be contactable

Make sure that your contact details are easy to find and up-to-date. Customers should be able to easily get in touch with you if they have any questions, concerns, or problems.

If your website does not have a contact page, consider adding one. Include your email address, phone number, and social media profiles so that customers can reach you in the way that is most convenient for them.

It is also important to respond to customer inquiries in a timely manner. If you take too long to respond, customers may get frustrated and lose trust in your business.

By being contactable and responsive, you can show that you value your customers and their satisfaction.

Have a strong return policy

An important part of building customer trust is having a strong return policy. This helps to reassure customers that you are confident in your product and that you are willing to stand behind it.

No one likes to feel like they are stuck with a product they are not happy with, so make sure your return policy is clear and customer-friendly.

A good return policy should include:

• Free returns
• A reasonable time frame for returns (e.g. 30 days)
• Clear instructions on how to return an item

If you have a strong return policy, customers will be more likely to trust your business and make a purchase.

Use high-quality imagery

The quality of the images you use on your website can have a big impact on how trustworthy your business appears. Low-quality, blurry, or stock photos will make your website look unprofessional and untrustworthy.

On the other hand, high-quality images will make your website look more credible and could lead to higher conversion rates.

Make sure to use high-resolution images that are relevant to your products. If you are selling physical products, consider using professional product photography. This will give potential customers a better idea of what they are buying and increase trust in your business.

Have detailed product descriptions

Including detailed product descriptions is another way to build trust with potential customers. By providing as much information as possible, you can show that you are confident in your products and that you are not hiding anything from the customer.

Be sure to include:

• A full list of product features
• Size and dimensions
• Material composition
• Instructions for use

Having detailed product descriptions will increase transparency and help customers make informed decisions about their purchases. It will also show that you are a credible and trustworthy business.

Use reliable payment gateways

When it comes to online payments, customers want to be sure that their information is safe and secure. Using a reliable payment gateway is a great way to build trust with online shoppers and ensure that their data is protected.

Some of the most popular and reliable payment gateways include PayPal, Stripe, and Square. Be sure to research each option and choose the one that best fits your business needs.

Including multiple payment options will also give customers more flexibility and increase trust in your business.

Provide clear and concise shipping information

Customers want to know when they can expect their orders to arrive, so be sure to provide clear and concise shipping information on your website.

Include the following information on your website:

• Estimated shipping times
• Shipping costs
• Delivery methods (e.g. standard, express, overnight)
• Free shipping thresholds

By providing this information upfront, you can avoid any surprises or delays later on. This will help build trust with your customers and keep them coming back for more.

Blog regularly

Blogging is a great way to build trust with your audience. By sharing valuable and relevant content, you can show that you are an expert in your industry and that you are passionate about helping your customers.

Not only will blogging help you build trust, but it can also lead to more website traffic and higher conversion rates.

Make sure to blog regularly and promote your blog posts on social media to reach the widest audience possible.

Show media features

If you have been featured in the news be sure to showcase this on your website. This will help build trust with potential customers and show that your business is credible.

Some ways to showcase media features and reviews include:

• Adding an “As Seen On” section to your website.
• Linking to media features from your blog posts.

Avoid making grammar and spelling mistakes

Making grammar and spelling mistakes on your website will make your business look unprofessional and untrustworthy.

Be sure to proofread the content on your eCommerce store before it goes live. You can also use a tool like Grammarly to help catch any mistakes you may have missed.

If you are not confident in your editing skills, consider hiring a professional copywriter or editor to help. This is a small investment that could pay off big in terms of building trust with your audience.

Feature your team

If you have a physical presence, chances are your customers have met and interacted with your team. For online retailers, it’s important to feature your team on your eCommerce store so that potential customers can put a face to the name.

This will help build trust and humanise your brand. You can feature your team by adding a “Meet Our Team” page to your website.

Make sure your branding is consistent

Your branding should be consistent across all channels, including your website. This will help create a sense of trust and familiarity with your customers.

Some things to keep in mind when creating consistent branding:

• Use the same logo and colour scheme on your website as you do on your social media accounts and other marketing materials.
• Feature the same photos and imagery on your website as you do on your other channels.
• If you are featuring customer testimonials or reviews, make sure they are consistent with the ones on your other channels.

Creating consistent branding will help build trust with potential customers and make it easier for them to recognise your business.

Conclusion

Building trust with your eCommerce website is essential to success. By following the tips above, you can start to build trust with your audience and increase sales. Trust is essential for any business, but it is especially important for businesses that sell online.

By taking the time to build trust with your website, you will create a strong foundation for success.