As any seasoned entrepreneur will tell you, positive customer relationships are essential for growing your brand. However, in a world where cyber attacks are increasing in frequency and intensity, operating a trustworthy business online is easier said than done. To deliver on your promises to customers, you will need to pull out all the stops – otherwise, you risk losing business and receiving negative online reviews. If you want to inspire loyalty to your brand and keep your customers coming back for more, here are five tips for creating a trustworthy e-commerce site.
Limit Ads and Banners on Your Site
It’s a dilemma every blog and website owner faces. Displaying ads and affiliate links on your sitecan help you generate income, but get the balance wrong, and you could put your customers off for good. Your website needs to be all about the relationship between your brand and the customer, so keep it clean, clear, and easy to navigate. If your page takes a while to load because of too many ads and pop-ups, your customer will deem your company unprofessional and shop elsewhere – it’s as simple as that.
Don’t Write Overly-Promotional Content
Just like a sales pitch, if your website content sounds too “salesy” or promotional, your customers will consider your site inauthentic and unprofessional. The best salespeople encourage us to buy products through retail tricks that make us forget we’re being soldto. It’s a hard bat to strike, but being clear about what you’re offering and targeting an audience with a genuine need for your product is the best way to build trust online. So, instead of writing “Buy this cheap hair product now!” explain why your customer specifically will benefit from this purchase and the features it offers.
Display Security Certificates Clearly
With the global increase in cybercrime, Internet security is a valid concern for online shoppers right now. Reassure your customers by displaying your SSL certificates and trust seals where they can see them. If you store particularly sensitive data on your site, it’s worth employing digital forensics Washington DC experts to help you put an emergency security plan in place. Having a digital forensics expert on hand can help you set up preventative measures, as well as provide practical and legal support in the event of a cyber attack.
Pride Yourself on Customer Reviews
If you’ve made successful sales in the past, you’re bound to have at least some customer reviews and testimonials you can publish on your site – even if they’re just emails you’ve received or comments on your Facebook page. Showing that other customers have purchased your products and been satisfied with your service will inspire trust and loyalty and invite new customers to make a purchase.
Provide a Money-Back Guarantee
Lastly, what better way to build trust than to offer a money-back guarantee? By operating a no-quibble returns policy, there is very little risk to the customer, which will make them more likely to purchase your products. Just remember to use a secure checkout and always email your buyers a confirmation of the sale, including their invoice, delivery information, and your returns policy.
