You can’t blame people for being a little skeptical when it comes to the online world. This is a relatively modern phenomenon, and society is always a little hesitant to fully trust something that seemingly appeared from nowhere. Also, there have been plenty of digital issues, such as online hacking and outright fraudulent websites, that make people a little wary. So if you’re going to build a website, you need to focus on developing the trust between you and your visitors. Below, we take a look at some tried and tested methods for making sure your website is one that people can trust.
Pick Your Name Wisely
The Art of Choosing the Perfect Business Name
What’s in a name? Well, a lot, especially when you’re trying to build a website. People make snap judgements all the time, you can’t blame them for it. If you’re after a professional vibe, yet your name is entirely unprofessional, then there’s going to be an instant disconnect. For starters, it’s imperative that you have a .com or similarly trustworthy end (such as.co). You would be highly unlikely to buy a smartphone from a site named as ‘www.cheapsmartphones.biz’ — it just doesn’t inspire trust. When you’re coming up with your website name, also think about your branding, which is an established method for getting people to trust your brand. A website named ‘www.monkeyphones.com’ would work if it were in line with your broader branding strategy.
Invest in Good Design
9 Golden Rules of Quality User Interface Design
As we just said, people are prone to making snap judgments, about more or less everything, and this, of course, includes the look of your website. Though there will be a cost factor, you’ll want to spend the money to invest in good website design. A person visiting a site that looks sleek, modern, and professional will have a favorable view; landing on a site that is a little haphazard and awkward will have the opposite effect. A company that invests in its web design is going to have higher ambitions than scamming a person.
Move Up Google Rankings
‘Ranking’ Is A Critical Factor For Business Success
Having a good place on the Google rankings is beneficial for many reasons. First, it’ll help funnel more people to your website. Second, it helps develop trust. Some websites rank so poorly on search engines that they don’t appear in the search results even when the address is practically written in. If there’s little record of you on Google, then it’s unlikely that you’ll be trusted all that much. To make sure this doesn’t happen, look at working with a company that offers SEO services. They’ll be able to help you to move up the results page. Internet users also trust that results on the first page are legitimate, which can give your site another nudge in the right direction.
Full Information
Top Tips For Bringing Your Business Into The Digital Age
Information on your website is king. You can’t get too far, trust-wise, if there’s nothing there for visitors to trust. It’s not that a person would distrust your website, it’s just that there wouldn’t be enough information to go off– they can’t make a call either way, which is essentially the same as not trusting your site. So make sure that you’re putting up as much information as possible, for your products and about your company in general. It’s also imperative that you have extensive information on your ‘contact us’ page. You should list a phone number, email address, physical address, and your social media channels (which should be updated regularly). If people know that you can be contacted in the event of something going wrong, they’ll be more likely to take a leap of faith and trust you.
Security Certificates
Tips For Choosing A Business Name
One of the reasons why some people have issues with the online world isn’t that they think the website they’re dealing with is bad. The issue is that the website could be easily targeted by would-be criminals, who would then get access to the visitor’s sensitive information. We’ve already seen that no website is too big to be compromised; As such, in order to maintain trust in your site, you’ll need to show that you’re doing everything possible to keep your data safe. You’ll want to first, only keep the information you really need to have, and, second, make sure you have all the latest security certificates on your site. Seeing them will inspire some faith in your visitors that it’s something that you take seriously.
Second-Hand Trust
7 Reasons People Don’t Trust Your Website (and How To Fix) [INFOGRAPHIC]
There are plenty of things you can that’ll encourage your visitors to trust you. But the truth is that ultimately, you have a vested interest in getting people’s trust, and that does affect how people could see your website. While what you say will help a little, the best recommendations for your trustworthiness will come from other people. If you’ve provided a good service to a customer, then ask for feedback, and then showcase their words on your site. Another option is to publish the names and logos of any large brands that you’ve worked with. It’s respect and trust by association.
Transparent Practices
If you’re running an ecommerce store, then one of the best ways to develop trust is to have open (and generous) policies related to returning items. Studies have shown that people are much more likely to buy from a website if they know that they’re able to send their goods back if they’re not happy with them.
Free of Errors
5 Grammar Tips for the Web that You Need to Follow
You’ll find it hard to be taken seriously if your website is full of simple errors, such as grammatical mistakes and poor-quality photographs and videos. Websites that have such errors look like they’ve been rushed, and that, clearly, little care has gone into making them the best that they can be.
Build Your Authority
Finally, look at building your trust by establishing your authority through blog posts, insightful commentary on social media, and by somehow pushing the game forward. If you can show that you’re not just another player, but a winner, then people will be more likely to believe in your website and what you’re trying to achieve.
