How to Make Your E-commerce Site More Trustworthy Here are some tricks to keeping customers around in the online-shopping trade.
By Syed Balkhi
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Even if you have the best product on the market, that doesn't mean consumers will automatically trust your business. You need to gain their trust in order to convince them to buy. According to Salesforce Research, 95 percent of customers are more likely to be loyal to a company they trust, while 92 percent are more likely to purchase additional products and services from trusted businesses.
Gaining the trust of online shoppers can be difficult, but here are some simple tweaks that will make your e-commerce site more trustworthy.
1. Build a relationship with your audience.
Would you trust a total stranger you just met? Probably not. That's why building a relationship with your audience is so important. When you build a relationship with consumers, they'll feel like they know you and will be more comfortable buying from you.
So, how do you build a relationship with consumers through your website? First, be sure to craft a compelling "About Us" page, giving consumers a peek into who you are and what's important to you. For example, even a big brand like Nike uses their "About Us" manifesto to connect with athletes of all levels with the phrase, "If you have a body, you are an athlete."
You can also create relationships by generating content like blog posts to help familiarize consumers with your brand and educate them on your products, not to mention communicate with you directly via the comment section.
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2. Add trust badges and trust seals.
One of the easiest things you can do to make your e-commerce site more trustworthy is to add trust badges and trust seals. A trust seal is simply a badge that can be granted or added to your website to let your customers know that your website is legitimate and secure.
Examples of trust badges include:
SSL certificates.
Payment processor logos.
McAfee and Norton security badges.
Money-back guarantee badges.
Third-party endorsements such as a Better Business Bureau badge.
Knowing that their sensitive data is protected is important to online shoppers, and trust badges will make them feel more comfortable making a purchase.
3. Display social proof.
Social proof is a psychological and social phenomenon where people are influenced by the actions and attitudes of others. So, if a visitor on your website sees that other people have purchased from your company, they're more likely to buy from you too.
You can display social proof on your e-commerce site in a number of ways, such as sharing user-generated content, adding real stats (e.g. how many customers use your product) and displaying product reviews. For example, customer-engagement company Zendesk shares positive feedback about its products via not only text reviews, but photos of their satisfied customers.
Images will make your social proof even more powerful. According to New York Times best-seller Brain Rules, when people hear information, they're likely to remember 10 percent three days later. But when a relevant image is paired with that same information, that percentage jumped to 65.
4. Provide detailed product and shipping information.
Consumers want to know exactly what they're getting when they purchase from a company as well as when they can expect a delivery, so you need to be transparent with your audience in regards to your product and shipping information.
First, let's talk about product information. The more details you can give shoppers about your products, the better. When you can provide them with everything they need to know about a potential purchase, they'll be more likely to head to the checkout. Provide your website visitors with information such as product features, exact measurements, product weight, ingredients, warranty information and more.
You also need to be clear about shipping information. If you surprise shoppers with unexpected shipping costs, it can cause them to abandon their shopping cart. Be upfront and let customers know when to expect a delivery.
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5. Offer 24/7 customer service.
Excellent customer service is key to any successful business, but it's especially important if you want to build trust with online shoppers. According to Microsoft, 96 percent of consumers say customer service is an important factor in their choice of loyalty to a brand. Consumers today want to know that your business is available to them 24/7. Not only does this help them solve any issues they have in a timely manner, but if they have a concern about your product that's preventing them from buying, they can get an answer to their question quickly. So, consider adding live chat to your e-commerce site.
Also, if a consumer is unhappy with their purchase, they can't waltz into your business to ask for a refund, which can make some shoppers wary about purchasing items online. To combat this, let your website visitors know that you have a great return policy.
Over to you….
Gaining trust from online shoppers is a must if you want to grow your e-commerce business. With these tips, you can turn even the most hesitant window shoppers into loyal customers.
