Now more than ever it is important that your web presence fosters trust and credibility amongst your website users. Your website is your businesses storefront, the first port of call when someone discovers or goes looking for more information about your work. But getting users to your site is only the first challenge, next is trying to convert those site visits into leads, purchases and long term-customers. And these conversions only happen if your business is trustworthy.
Studies show that 75% of people judge a company based on their website, so building trust quickly and effectively, can have a huge impact. Here are some of the most important trust signals that you need to show on your website.
If you feel that your site is lacking in any of these areas, please get in touch with us at Sprint Digital and we can help get your website back on track.
Secure URLs
The URL is your website’s address and is what your customers will use to access your site. But not all URLs are created equal and if you aren’t careful, yours could negatively affect your business. In the top left-hand corner of your browser search bar there is a site security indicator, this informs the user on how safe your website is to access. A secure site will be denoted by a lock or a “connection secure” message, insecure sites will have an alert icon or sometimes a broken lock icon.
In some cases, an insecure website will be blocked altogether by security software on a user’s computer. To prevent this your website design agency needs to ensure that security protocols for your URL and website are up to date, so that your customers can have peace of mind while browsing. Contact us at Sprint Digital for more information on creating a secure site.
Testimonials and Reviews
One of the keys to building trust with potential customers is to show that the work your business does is genuine and high quality. And there is no better way to show that than with testimonials and reviews from your previous or current customers.
Having dedicated area on your homepage or services page for displaying testimonials is a great way to show what your business is about and has much greater potential for trust building than services alone.
Contact Details
It might seem like a no brainer but not having an easy way for customers to get in contact with you is a definite red flag when it comes to building trust.
Lack of contact details is disconcerting for customers and will leave them feeling that you are either not interested in communicating and providing support for you customers, or worse still that your website is simply an automated front with no real team behind the scenes.
About Pages
Some websites leave out the about page but we at Sprint Digital believe that is a mistake. An about page is a great way to tell your customers directly who you are and what your business does, and it’s also such a common component of modern websites that leaving it out will seem jarring to your users.
An about page gives you a longer form way of building trust by explaining the backstory of your business, detailing the growth of your company over the years and highlighting some of the reason why you are worthy of your client’s time. It can also be a great opportunity for a “Meet the Team” section, giving your website a more personal, human touch.
Portfolios and Case Studies
While reviews and testimonials are great for showing how easy you are to work with, it can also be good to have explicit examples of the services you provide via prior projects. This way you can show off the process and results of your services from start to finish which can help new or potential customers feel more confident in your services.
You can even incorporate some reviews or testimonials into this section of your site, outlining your business’s great work as well as the positive impact it had on your customers.
Social Media Presence
Simply put, social media is a must-have in this day and age. You don’t have to be an Instagram or Facebook wiz, but you are doing your business a disservice if you don’t have at least one social media account to give your customers a closer look at your business. Social media provides a less formal medium through which your customers can build trust with you.
It allows you to give a behind the scenes look at your company, introduce the people behind the business, and can also show how many other customers are fans of your work via your follower numbers.
Accreditations and Awards
At the bottom of website, you will often see a section dedicated to showing off a business’s accreditations, partnerships and awards. These are great indicators to customers to show that your business not only does the work it says it does but also that your work is recognised and held in high regard within your chosen industry. It can also be a visually appealing section to include on your site as many accreditations and awards will have recognizable logos and badges that you upload to your site.
Building trust is a business-wide endeavour and not something that can be achieved via your website alone. Quality of service and customer support are of course very important as well. But by including all of the above items in your website plan, you can make the best possible first impression on your website users and start building trust from the get-go!
Trust signals are a key part of every Sprint Digital website so don’t hesitate to get in touch and we can help you create a site that is as trustworthy as your business is.
