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Building a website is crucial for growing a company and increasing its brand awareness. In today’s times, a website can make a break or business and so it is of utmost importance to get it right. In fact, research shows that 75% of consumers judge the credibility of a business through its online presence.
So if you want to create a trustworthy image, you need to offer a professional platform that is easily accessible and well-designed. You will then be able to showcase a visual representation of your company that oozes with reputability.
Why is it important to create a trustworthy image online?
It goes without saying that having a strong web presence can help to grow a business by increasing its exposure and in turn is revenue. In particular, sectors such as eCommerce largely rely on their website to generate sales. Likewise, Justine Gray from consumer lending start-up Dollar Hand emphasized the “importance of a trustworthy image for conducting business”.
A website acts as a virtual ambassador and so creating a good impression through a trustworthy image will help to ensure your company is a success. So how can you achieve this? Read the following top tips and tricks to find out!
5 Useful Tips On How To Build A Trustworthy Website:
The following tips will ensure a positive user experience and strong content engagement.
1. Use Professional Branding
Website appearance arguably plays the most important role in creating a trustworthy image. It only takes roughly 0.05 seconds for users to form an opinion on a site, so having an appealing design and clear navigation is key. The design should match your brand identity so it is best to choose a relevant color scheme. If you are using WordPress, it is worth picking a high-quality theme with clear navigation.
Including high-quality images that are relevant to your product or service is particularly important since users tend to engage with images before text. In turn, they can help to consolidate your brand image too. It is however important to keep an eye on the loading time of the images as you might need to reduce the image size if they slow down your website. If images are too large and take a long time to load, there is a risk of reducing conversion rates by 7%.
Using a professional video also offers a great opportunity to engage with your customers in an interactive manner. This could include the founder introducing the product or an animated explainer video discussing a key feature.
2. Create a safe space
It goes without saying that you should check that your website is safe to use. You can then publicize any key regulations or licenses you comply with as this will reinforce the trustworthiness of your site and serve as an effective confidence-building measure.
Ensuring that you have the SSL certificate and lock symbol on your website’s address bar are key examples of ways to show your users that their personal information will be in secure hands. You can also enhance trust in your site by adding a “Privacy Policy” page so that your visitors know how their data is being used.
To maintain your website’s credibility, do not display any spammy ads or full-page pop-ups as this hinders free access to your content. Keep your own offers as unobtrusive as possible to maintain a sense of professionalism and to keep visitors on your site.
3. Provide Reviews
A good option to consider is having testimonials to provide evidence that your product or service is trustworthy. You can also include extra details such as a trust badge, a Trustpilot rating, reviews from your social media or details of any awards that your company has won. Adding logos of reputable clients that you have worked with will also emphasize your credibility.
4. Include important elements
There are essential components to a website that help to create a trustworthy brand. Examples include:
- An “About” page – The “About” or “About Us” page tends to be the first place that users look to find out more information about the company and what it offers. This is an imperative page that can help you to build a trustworthy website by sharing more about the product, service or company’s mission.
- Contact details –Clearly adding your company’s phone number and email address or a contact form will boost users’ experience as they will know you are easily contactable. A study revealed that 44% of web users would leave a site if there was no contact information so it is imperative for potential customers to have the option to get in touch or be able to clarify information before proceeding with their purchase.
- Company address –Inserting your postal address and a map (if you have a physical presence) is recommended so that customers can find you if they need to or be able to send you a letter or return.
- Pictures of staff members –Showing your visitors the team behind a website helps to increase your website’s legitimacy as it shows that real people are involved. It can also help to make your business look successful if you have lots of employees.
- A “Blog” page – Adding a “Blog” or “Useful Guides” section can help you build a lasting relationship with your users and in turn, help you build what is perceived as a trustworthy platform. Just make sure you keep it up to date to make sure your readers know your business is still active.
- Links to social channels –Adding direct hyperlinks to your social media channels such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Youtube is an effective way to show you are a reputable brand (providing that they are up and running).
- Terms and Conditions – This is not only beneficial for boosting your legitimacy but also means you can include key regulations to protect your business.
5. Routinely check your website
Proofreading your content to make sure there are no grammatical or spelling errors is also important as according to Global Lingo, 59% of consumers would not be inclined to purchase from a company that’s website was full of errors as it would make the business seem less legit.
Ben Sweiry of Dime Alley explained how “Nearly 8 in 10 customers will stop engaging with content that does not display well on their electronic device”. So you should regularly test your website to check the user experience across multiple devices such as mobiles, tablets, laptops, and computers, as well as different browsers such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, Apple Safari, and Microsoft Edge.
Concluding Thoughts
With these simple strategies, you can take the necessary steps toward creating a trustworthy website. Whilst it may take some significant upfront work, many of these suggestions are one-time tweaks and it will be worth the results: a credible site, a strong brand presence, and impressed website visitors.
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