How can I get my online customers to trust me?
There are lots of indicators in the real world in regards to trust. When you visit a shop, you can see what the place is like. Would you feel different if the luxury watch shop youâre about to visit is a garage at the back of a semi? You get to meet sales assistants in a real store. If they are friendly and helpful then that alone can help to build trust. But youâll also feel more confident about making a purchase if you believe you can pop back in, should you get any issues.
Whatâs more, unless youâre particularly important or your shopping habits are rather niche, chances are you will probably notice other people shopping at the same time as you. Itâs human nature to find this reassuring. But is it really all that different online? Itâs certainly a lot trickier to see this kind of stuff in cyberspace but there is still plenty we can do to send out the same reassuring signals.
Need a hand with building trust with your online customers? Read on for some handy tips:
QUICK LINKS:
Apperance | Maintenance | Availability | Security | Social Proof  | Assurances
1. Appearance
Perception is reality and appearance is everything. Youâll have felt the almost subliminal vibes you get when you approach a shop thatâs not quite up to scratch. Hmm, on second thoughtsâŚ
The same instincts apply online. An unprofessional design leads to users bouncing right off your homepage in seconds. In fact, studies show users only need 50 milliseconds (thatâs just 0.05 seconds) to form an opinion on your website. If they donât get the right vibes in those split seconds, theyâll be jumping ship, sharpish.
Quality design doesnât have to be expensive. Sure, it might cost more than getting your neighbourâs sonâs mate at the rugby club to knock something together. But as the famous saying goes. âIf you think itâs expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur.â Red Adair.
What works on the high street: Decent area, good signage, nice shop
What works online: Quality branding, professional design, looks good across multiple screen sizes
2. Maintenance & Fresh Content
You walk up to a cake shop, intending to have a conversation about a pug shaped 60th birthday cake for granny. But thereâs something not quite right. Thereâs rubbish outside and the windows need cleaning. The cakes on display in the window are halloween themed. Itâs March.
Inside there are boxes everywhere, empty shelves and faded posters on the wall. The shop owner has popped out. But thatâs ok, you can read last Novemberâs copy of Cosmo while you wait. Eek.
Youâll want to avoid this uncertainty online. Regularly maintaining the site and adding fresh content makes our online shop look open and ship shape.
What works on the high street: Someone available, clean and tidy environment, up-to-date products / literature.
What works online: Up-to-date slides on homepage, fresh content on blog, regular audits to fix any broken links.
3. Availability
Ever walked into a shop where thereâs a little bell on the counter? âRing for assistanceâ. No problem. Ding. Nothing. Polite wait because weâre British. Ding, ding. Nothing. There doesnât appear to be anyone here. Hello??
Sounds a bit off-putting, right. So, on your website, make sure there are ample ways to get in touch. That could be as simple as a prominent phone number, social media links, or live chat.
Live chat can be an incredibly powerful way to convert online browsers into buyers. Just make sure youâve the resources to power it. Be present, respond quickly. Like Yoda says âDo, or do not. There is no tryâ.
What works on the high street: Attentive, friendly but unobtrusive sales assistants.
What works online: UK based landline, responsive social media, active live chat.
4. Security
In the real world, you expect a level of security in a store. Similarly online, you expect a website to be safe. Clearly that means no nasty pop ups or malware. Itâs important to keep your website up-to-date to stamp out vulnerabilities.
But more commonly weâre talking about keeping your data safe. Thatâs personal details and credit card information. Having an SSL certificate installed on your site ensures you keep sensitive data safe. It also stops Google Chrome telling people your site is insecure, which can happen if you do not have SSL. Use recognised payment gateways to gain peopleâs trust. Talk to us about SSL, we can help.
What works on the high street: Modern equipment, real people, accept major credit cards.
What works online: SSL, trusted payment gateways, keeping the site up-to-date, privacy policy.
6. Assurances
Despite a rapid growth in confidence when ordering online, some people just prefer the natural assurances associated with visiting the high street. If you arenât 100% happy with a product, the perception (although not always accurate) is that you can just take it back. Thatâs usually easier to do with a shop purchase compared to online. To mitigate this, you may want to offer some assurances like free returns or a money back guarantee.
Depending on what you sell, distance selling regulations may mean you need to give consumers 14 days to change their mind anyway. But go over and above the minimum requirements to make a feature of your customer service and reduce any perception of risk. A hassle free returns process can alleviate potential worries and supercharge your online sales.
Use logos from awards, accreditations and organisations you belong to, to help boost your legitimacy with third party endorsements.
What works on the high street: Being able to take something back.
What works online: Free returns, money back guarantee, accreditations.
Fancy a Coffee?
We love meeting new people, learning about different businesses & their industries. Maybe we could start a project together?
5. Social Proof
People donât like making buying decisions. It can stress them out.
So it comes as no surprise that we often prefer to delegate the due diligence to someone else. Thatâs why weâll ask our friends and neighbours where they got theirs from.
Sometimes all it takes is a little recommendation from an existing customer and weâre happy to go with the flow.
What works on the high street:Â Word of mouth, seeing other shoppers.
What works online: Testimonials, reviews, Trustpilot.