12 Things You Can Do To Increase Visitor Trust In Your Website

When your website appears untrustworthy you can be sure to get referrals – referrals to not visit.

Most internet users don’t even bother going past the homepage of a trustworthy website, let alone an untrustworthy looking one. So if you want to increase your conversion rate and not have your visitors feel like they are walking into a poorly laid trap, there are changes that you can make to boost your site’s trustworthiness. But first, let’s look at the mistakes you’ve made that make your site look suspicious.

1. Having a poor design that reflects negatively on your company’s image.
2. Being unnecessarily mysterious with the identity of those behind the website’s operation.
3. Having poor or confusing content that is either misleading or uninformative.
4. A lack of reviews, testimonials, or even comments to indicate that your website’s business is tested and trusted.

Now that we’ve discussed your mistakes, let’s discuss what you can do to make your online visitors feel safe, welcome, and reassured that their online security isn’t in jeopardy.

1. Have a reliable web hosting service: A reliable web host will ensure that your website has a steady, constant loading speed. A website with faster than average loading is more likely to be taken seriously compared to a slow loading one.

Also, a good web host with very little downtime will cause a website to appear more dependable and trustworthy. Brendan at umbrellar.com agrees with this, saying that, “when an online store’s loading speed facilitates the online shopping experience, with almost no downtime, customers have every reason to revisit that site to re-live an enjoyable and safe experience.”

1. Secure your site: To have visitors trust your website right from the start, you have to offer them assurances of security. The fastest and surest way to accomplish this is to show your visitors that your site is SSL protected. This protection is indicated by the lock icon in the URL bar which implies that your site’s traffic is encrypted. Another indication is the prefix of your URL being https rather than http. You can also get an SSL or other security badge that indicates that your site is protected.
   
   
2. Have an effective ‘about’ page: An about page that tells your audience who you and your team are and what you represent is an effective way to win the trust of your visitors. Using pictures or videos to support your individual bios also breathes life into your online personality.
   
   
3. Testimonials and reviews: Use testimonials and reviews of previous clients to indicate that your business is tested and trusted, and is capable of delivering on promised services.
   
   
4. Provide useful information: Don’t crowd your site with pointless information or graphics. Utilize white space and provide your guests with details concerning what they want and need, not what they don’t care about.
   
   
5. Invest in design: A well designed website is easier to navigate and also indicates the professionalism your business promotes.
   
   
6. Stay current: Make sure your website stays updated so visitors won’t consider it an abandoned warehouse with no one home.
   
   
7. Make your website relatable: Visitors want to trust the brand or people behind a website, so give them a face that they can trust. Show them videos or pictures of your team, but use real images depicting people in real life situations to humanize your website.

Also provide contact numbers or messaging platforms where you or your team can be reached to answer queries and/or socialize with clients.

1. Avoid complicating your site’s navigation or processes: Familiarity breeds trust, so if your website has a familiar feel to its navigation, something that’s similar to what they’ve experienced on other sites, visitors will be able to easily and confidently find their way around.
   
   
2. Offer money back guarantees: To further boost visitor confidence, you can offer money back on certain transactions. This will have customers feeling covered when worries arise concerning a transaction. Also, such assurance will inspire them to explore your site further.
   
   
3. Location: Indicating where your offices are located goes far in assuring people that your business isn’t fictitious and that it actually exists. Displaying your physical address indicates that you have nothing to hide.
   
   
4. Proofread: Spelling and grammatical errors are a huge turn off for a lot of visitors. It can make a site appear incompetent, or worse - unintelligent. When a site’s content is well organised and proofread, it leads visitors to unconsciously assume professionalism in connection to the website.