Do you know that 70 percent of online buyers abort their buying processes because they don’t trust the ecommerce websites they shop on? The study that established the above figures also shows us that broken trust on online platforms leads to an annual loss of $1.9 billion. Also, a UK study reveals that UK online traders with websites that lack trust-building features such as online reviews and recommendations lose up to £9 billion in extra revenue.
What do these statistics mean to an online trader seeking to get the most out of their store? They mean that the lack of trust on ecommerce websites is one of the leading causes of failed online business ventures because people only give their money to store they trust, not just like.
Remember, a buyer-seller relationship without trust will soon rust in distrust; it won’t last! Therefore, I welcome you onboard to discover the best ways of winning and boosting your potential and existing customers’ trust. In this post, I will share different ways of achieving this indispensable ingredient in your business.
I will show you how features such as an SSL certificate, clear contact details, and adequate product information will boost your ecommerce website’s trust levels. So, remain with me as we explore the whole truth.
#1. Design Your Website Professionally
The first way of building your website’s trust is giving it a professional design and look because humans are creatures of sights, and hence, first impressions matter to them. If your website looks shoddy and sloppy, you will be telling them that you are too lazy or unconcerned to address even the simplest issues. If you cannot take care of how the site looks, how will you convince your potential buyers that you take care of how it works?
Remember, your customers will buy into your website before buying from it. So, make sure that your ecommerce website’s outlook inspires professionalism and trust.
#2. Use an EV SSL Certificate
Extended Validation SSL Certificate ( also known as EV SSL ) is the highest secure form of SSL Certificate on the market. Your company name in the address bar visible to end users that improve trust ratio.
Installing an EV SSL certificate on your ecommerce website is one of the surest ways of boosting its trust levels because it makes your users interact with your website without security concerns and worries. For instance, an EV SSL certificate makes your current and potential customers know that their sensitive financial information enjoys securely end-to-end encryption.
Also, they rest assured that their buying processes are secure from online threats such as men-in-the-middle and phishing onslaughts. Remember, a survey that Actual Insights conducted indicates that 61 percent of all online visitors cancel their purchases for the lack of trust such as EV SSL Certificates on ecommerce websites.
#3. Optimize Testimonials and Reviews
Do you want people to start and continue trusting your online store? Then you should consider engaging the power of genuine reviews because myriads of adverts and marketing claims bombard the modern online shopper. Moreover, all these competing adverts claim that each vendor’s products are the “best.” This way, it becomes even more difficult for an average buyer to differentiate between facts and hypes. Therefore, many people don’t take advertisements very seriously since they can allege anything.
To get a competitive edge, it is prudent to optimize what the satisfied end user says about your products. Here, reviews come in handy since they show how the product benefits the consumer, and not just the paid marketer. It is also good to remember that many customers read 2 to 10 reviews before making a final purchase decision. Therefore, it is prudent to conclude that positive and genuine reviews influence people’s buying decisions.
For example, SEJ Econsultancy shows that 88% of customers read reviews before making their final buying decisions. Moreover, a study the Local Consumer Review Survey conducted in 2012 shows that 72 percent of consumers trust online reviews the way they do personal recommendations from their friends and family members.
#4. Utilize Trusted Payment Gateways
After saying everything and convincing the buyer to purchase your products, it is also necessary to pay attention to how they will pay for them. You should show the customer that they will pay in a secure manner they can trust.
To make them trust your ecommerce website and buy from it, it is necessary to give them secure payment gateways. For instance, allow them to pay using trusted gateways such as Visa, MasterCard, Skrill, PayPal, and Western Union.
#5. Learn How to Address Customer Concerns
Have you done everything and still find customers raising various grievances and concerns? You don’t need to worry since it is a normal part on business—both online and offline. Instead, you can take advantage of such moments to build trust with your customers.
If you know how best and amicably to address customer concerns, you can turn unhappy buyers into some of your most loyal ones. Remember, it is better and more beneficial to appease a grieved customer than to make empty promises you won’t or are unable to keep trying to get a new one.
#6. Provide Adequate and Accurate Product Information
It is necessary to provide your customers with accurate and adequate information because buyers depend on it to make their final buying decisions. They need these details to know that they will enjoy great value for their money, use safe products, and that their products can meet their needs fully.
For instance, if your product has specific usage restrictions, you should inform the buyer early so they don’t end up with goods they won’t or cannot use. Otherwise, you will end up with mass product returns, leading to eroded trust and lost future sales. By offering customers sufficient details, you prove that you are hiding nothing. This clearly indicates you are not just interested in giving them what you have instead of what they need just because you want their money so badly.
Some of the essential product details you should avail are:
- Measurements
- Weight
- Expiry dates
- Warranty
- Ingredients and other manufacturing materials
- Any possible security threats arising from mishandling and abuse
- Delivery date
#7. Display Contact Information
Don’t be fooled by the myth that selling online does not require you to give your customers your full contact details. If you want to win and maintain your users’ trust, it is prudent to display clearly how they can find you in the real world. Also, show them how to reach you using online and offline technology such as telephone lines or email addresses. Otherwise, you will be telling them that you are hiding something.
Remember, a survey in 2009 reveals that almost 90% of people are nervous and apprehensive while shopping on new or unfamiliar ecommerce websites. By displaying your full contacts, you boost their trust to know that someone real and caring is there to assist them when they need help. Don’t forget that even the world’s biggest online store, Amazon, has known physical addresses and telephone lines you can call when offline.
#8. Make It Easy to Return Products
Even though you should do your best to minimize, if not eliminate, product returns, they are still common among many online sellers. Therefore, it is necessary to have a user-friendly product return policy because it makes your buyers feel appreciated and perceive you as an online store that is not just interested in taking their money.
Instead, you show them that their satisfaction is more important to you than just making sales and taking off with the money. This way, you reduce your buyers’ risk level and boost sales since they are sure they will not lose their money, if a product fails to fit their needs or they don’t like it. You can achieve this by doing the following
- Creating pages that outline your full return policy
- Creating dedicated sections to address returns
- Displaying badges on your ecommerce website highlighting your money-back guarantee
- Linking your return policy in your website’s footer
Why It Matters
Installing SSL Certificate, having a friendly return policy, using secure payment gateways, and offering sufficient product information are some of the best ways of enhancing trust on your website. In this post, I gave you a detailed description of how you can boost this critical ingredient of your relationship with your online customers. I hope by implementing the ones I shared will enable you to boost your ecommerce website’s trust.
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Photo by Kai Oberhäuser
