trust

When you run a business, there are always many growth strategies likely to be going through your head at any time, from marketing and sales ideas, through to increasing productivity, adding new team members, or creating or sourcing more of the products or services your customers want.

However, one area that many entrepreneurs don’t spend enough time on each month is thinking about how to convert more leads, and how to provide an excellent customer experience time and again. Increasing the number of customers you convert, as well as the number of times each of these clients buys from you, is a sure-fire way to build your business online.

One of the best ways to do this is to create more trust with the people who are thinking of spending money with your organization. While this process isn’t an overnight solution, and takes plenty of effort and energy, it can definitely pay dividends over the long run. Read on for some tips you can follow to sustainably grow your business and produce better sales results.

1. Have a Quality Website

One of the first things most people do these days when they are considering using or buying a product or service is take a look at the website of the business selling it. If you want to build trust with consumers, it is imperative that you have a quality website that will impress buyers straight away and show that your business is credible. If not, shoppers will simply click away to the next site without hesitation.

There are many aspects of creating a useful website to consider. Some of the most essential though, when you consider the top things customers look for in a website, are good design and a mobile-optimized layout. When it comes to design, make sure that your site:

  • Showcases your branding
  • Has plenty of white space (the plain areas on a site with no text or graphics) so that it doesn’t look too busy
  • Uses a font size that is large and clear enough to read easily
  • Makes use of excellent images

In this day and age you also must ensure that your site will work properly on smartphones and tablets, with an automatic resize and/or a specially-formatted version for mobile viewings.

It is also imperative that your website has an easy-to-use navigation. It should be clear for browsers what pages to go to once they arrive on the site, and easy for them to search for and find the particular information they’re after.

2. Showcase Logos and Certifications

You will also help to build trust with your customers if you showcase relevant logos and certifications on your website and other marketing collateral, such as your email signatures, social media profiles, and online advertising.

When people browse online for products and services, they need to feel like the company they’re considering using is legitimate, secure, and well-established so that they don’t fear providing their personal and financial information. Putting up site seals and logos of the various organizations that your business utilizes (such as SSL certificates, merchant services firms, verification websites, and the like) can help shoppers to see that you are operating a credible venture.

Examples of things you might want to display on your website are:

  • The PayPal, Visa, MasterCard, and Amex logos
  • SSL certificate providers such as GeoTrust and Thawte
  • Membership of the well-regarded “Google Trusted” program

3. Join Groups

In a similar vein, you should also consider joining relevant industry or local groups and displaying your memberships online. Being a part of groups shows consumers that you are a real business that can be trusted.

As an example, look into the member groups that exist for most industries, from retail and finance to hospitality and gambling. These groups may be local, but are generally nationwide or even international. There are also many broader groups to consider, such as those representing ethical or sustainable business practices, like the BBB Accredited Business group or the Green Business Bureau.

contact-us

4. Be Contactable

Another important element of building trust with shoppers is being readily available when they have questions or need further information. You should make sure that you put contact details on your website, in prominent places, as well as on social media profiles, email signatures, newsletters, ads, and the like.

Once this is done, you also need to respond promptly to all customer enquiries, whether they come in by email, phone, in person, online form or other method. Shoppers will feel much more comfortable about parting with their funds if they can be reassured that your business is on-hand to help if they ever have an issue.

5. Highlight Reviews and Testimonials

Lastly, many customers won’t even think about spending money with a business if they cannot read a variety of product reviews and/or testimonials from past buyers first. Displaying feedback from your clients on your website and on social media pages like Google+ and Facebook can do a lot to help convert browsers into buyers.

Posting (or having your customers post) comments and reviews can not only help buyers to overcome their scepticism about your business or the products or services you sell, but also highlight the various benefits of your offerings, and substantiate your claims about the effectiveness or usage of what you sell.


Amy studied Sociology and Human development in Arizona. With her vast knowledge in these areas, she has been able to create a number of informational pieces focusing on technology and education. When she is not writing Amy enjoys reading, singing and spending time with family.