It’s not nice to lack trust, but if someone doesn’t know who you are and what you do, nor your history, how can they trust you? It’s totally rational on their part to be hesitant and even reticent, and not to move forward without confirmation.
This applies to the business world as much as it does to the personal. Businesses of all shapes and varieties, especially online, pretend to be the pinnacle of reliability and capability. Sometimes, they really are. But as a brand, if people are Google searching “is X brand legit?” or trawling Reddit threads trying to find out if you’re about to scam them, then that’s a terrible start.
Ideally, your platform should speak for itself, with all the social proof that may be needed. It’s not easy to achieve that, of course, especially if you’re a brand-new business or trying to break into a new field. Despite that, we believe the following advice could help:
Use Obvious, Easy Contact Routes
We all want to know there are humans behind the business we’re dealing with, and a real address, phone number, and multiple ways to reach you go a long way toward building that basic level of confidence. Having just a contact form buried somewhere on your site makes visitors wonder what you’re hiding, even worse if you have no social media or business listings on sitesl ike Google.
So, put your contact details front and center, maybe in the header or footer where people expect to find them. Include a proper business address too, not just a P.O. box, though if you’re working from home, consider getting a virtual office address or being upfront about your setup.
Collect & Display Authentic Customer Reviews
No one wants to take your word for how good your business is, because they know you’re biased. You’re not exactly going to warn people away or even want to be frank about flaws in your marketing, it’s just not how confidence works. Reviews and testimonials are going to give you the social proof that skeptical visitors need to see before they’ll trust you with their money.
Even with AI, fake reviews are pretty easy to spot these days, and of course, if you have to do this, you shouldn’t be in business. You can at least get reviews from customers by incentivizing them with an email and discount code after, and display them on your site or platforms like Trustpilot, for example. Just be sure to encourage honesty.
Use Secure Payment & Trust Badges On Your Site
Security badges and certifications aren’t exactly a fun topic, but they pack a punch for any website building its sense of place and incentivizing a first test purchase.
Some examples include SSL certificates, payment security badges, and industry certifications, which should all be on your site, and they show visitors that you take their safety seriously. They should also be visible on the checkout process, as you make sure your payment processing is bulletproof too. This also includes high risk payment processor use if you sell goods that might be limited by others, like CBD.
With this advice, we hope you can avoid questionable searches about your business, which might inspire a sale elsewhere.
