earning your customers' trust

Earning Your Customers’ Trust in 5 Simple Steps

Earning your customers’ trust should be your first priority as an e-commerce business owner. Once you get traffic to your site, you want visitors to take action, select products and place an order. But nobody wants to buy from someone they don’t know and trust – especially online.

Even though sales continue to grow, trust is a major issue in e-commerce, as customers are all too familiar with stories of website scams. However, you can establish trust with your customers through some simple changes to your website.

In this article we will share five easy steps to earning your customers’ trust, so they will be comfortable making purchases on your website.

Earning Your Customers’ Trust

1. Add a Personal Touch

Earning Your Customers' Trust
The founders of Calico Wallpaper share their story and photos of the process on their About page.

 

It is a simple truth that people trust people – not websites or businesses. So, your online store needs to have a human face for your customers to relate to, so they can see that there are real people behind the business.

Showcase yourself and your team by using names and images of the people in your business on your About page and throughout your website. Adding that human factor can make your customers feel more comfortable.

2. Anticipate Their Questions

Earning Your Customers' Trust
Vers Audio provides prospective customers with detailed FAQs, user manuals, and multiple means of contact.

 

When buying in a physical store, customers can ask the salesperson all their questions before buying. Not being able to get the answers they need can make them hesitate before purchasing online.

Make sure your website includes ways for your customers to get all the information and support they need. Your customers expect to see a contact page with all your details and a form, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), and customer support options.

3. Secure Your Website

Earning Your Customers' Trust
Output ensures customers enter their billing information on a secure page at checkout.

 

Your customers have all seen stories about website hacks in the news, and the average customer wants to feel safe when handing over their information. For many people, the fear of credit card data theft is a strong deterrent to shopping online.

Securing your website and showing the customer that you have done so is a necessity to earning their trust. Using SSL and displaying the certificate symbol is a key first step.

4. Highlight Social Proof

Earning Your Customers' Trust
Best Ever shows off the reviews from professionals using their saddle pads.

 

Customers want to see that they are not your guinea pigs. They need to know that others before them have purchased from you and been very satisfied with your product or service. This will make them feel much more comfortable making a purchase.

Feature testimonials from previous customers (especially if you can get video) to show your customers that they are in good hands. CopyBlogger has some solid tips for great testimonials.

5. Reduce the Customer’s Risk

earning your customers' trust
Alkemistry reassures its customers with a returns and refund policy.

 

Once they know their data is going to be safe, the next biggest fear of many customers is that they will have wasted their money and not actually like your product or service. Most will look for a returns policy before purchasing – especially on higher priced products and services.

Studies consistently show that lenient returns policies encourage purchases. Reduce the risk for your customers by addressing their concerns up front with shipping and return information. You’ll get even more points if you offer a guarantee.

Conclusion

If you want to get visitors to buy from your website, you need to convince them that you (and your site) can be trusted. Although people are more comfortable than ever buying online, they are also more wary of sites they don’t know.

Above we outlined five ways you can earn the trust of your customers by making some changes to your website:

  1. Add a personal touch
  2. Anticipate your customers’ questions
  3. Secure your website
  4. Highlight social proof
  5. Reduce your customers’ risk

Customers are the lifeblood of your online business, so do what you can to show them you are worth their time and money.

Leave a comment below and let us know how you earn your customers’ trust, or shoot over any questions you might have about how you can do so more effectively. We’d love to hear from you!