42 Simple Steps to Create Trust in Your Website

All business is based on trust. You trust the person you buy from, if you didn't you wouldn't buy from them in the first place. Therefore If your website fails to create a feeling of trust for your visitors, all your online efforts will be wasted. Without Trust your online business will never succeed. Well that's the bad news. The good news, is that trust is very easy to nurture in your online visitors. Below, I have listed various techniques that can be used by websites. If you can think of more techniques, add them to the list.

As in the real world you have one shot to create that all important first impression that helps to create trust. Trust is always achieved by more than one action. Trust is created by the many little actions you take throughout your website, when added together these little things help nurture in your visitor a sense of honesty, legitimacy and stability.

Another bit of good news is the fact that very few owners of websites take the time and effort to build trust in the minds of their visitors. If you can learn to do it well, it will help you to achieve a real and sustainable competitive advantage over your competitors.

The 42 simple actions to help you get started building trust.

1. As already stated Trust is created by the carrying out of many small actions throughout the pages of your website.

2. As with a shop window your website design helps to create that first impression. Ensure that the visual design is professional and also relevant to the web page subject matter.

3. Your web page navigation system must be simple and intuitive. If your visitors cannot find the information they are looking for quickly and easily, they will form the opinion you are not competent in giving them what they want.

4. Try to make the website reflect your personality, speak using your natural tone and words, do not go overboard with technical jargon. Remember people buy people.

5. Remmember the "HEART" rule when creating content for your online presence. (HEART stands for Honest, Exclusive, Accurate, Relevant and Timely.)

6. Use natural language that is clear and appropriate for your audience. It will help build the empathy you would have in a face to face situation.

7. Continue to add more content to your site. As in life all things change continually by adding more content, it shows that the site is maintained by someone alive and kicking.

8. Check all links on every page. Dead links quickly help form the opinion in your visitors' minds that you don't care. Nobody likes being sent on a false trail especially if your links take your visitors to an error page.

9. Employ good grammar and spelling when creating your content. No one likes sloppy or careless people, write incorrectly and you will give the impression that you are that type of person.

10. Honesty is the best policy, never make claims that cannot be achieved. People are getting wise to the falsehood when faced with statements such as "Use this system and earn a six figure income within a month". People are now identifying very quickly the many scams, get-rich-quick schemes and rip-offs, that are forever appearing on the web.

11. If you publish testimonials or third-party endorsements make them REAL. Ensure you use real names and where possible link to websites. It is now easy to show images of the letters sent in by your happy and satisfied customers.

12. If you sell a product or service publish case studies detailing how a customer has been helped, by the use your product or service.

13. Do not critisise or insult competitors. It shows that you are unprofessional. If you have to comment about a competitor it is better to offer an objective comparison of your services or products.

14. As in life, relationships matter, show that you want to build that long-term reputation, do not give the impression you are only interested in a quick sale.

15. When writting articles remember you want humans to read them, not just search engines.

16. When using an 'About Us' page make it personal and comprehensive. The "About Us" page goes a long way in convincing a viewer that a real person is behind the site.

17. When possible use photographs of yourself and staff. Do not use stock photo's throughout. Again, this helps to reinforce the belief that you are real people.

18. Clearly identify who you are. Openness creates Trust, try to hide your identity and you will only create suspicion.

19. When creating your "Contact Us" page, provide an email form, show a real phone number, fax number and a real address for your company. It is now a legal requirement in Europe that all contact details are shown especially if you are selling for money. In the Uk it is also a legal requirement for all registered limited companies to show their registered address and registration number. If VAT registered you also have to display the registered number details. If only advertising you will also benefit from the open display of your details.

20. Ensure that the telephone number has a real person at the end of the line.

21. When giving email links ensure they reflect your website address not free email services such as Hotmail, Yahoo and Gmail.

22. If you wish to make money online NEVER lie. Do you sell products or services from an affiliate network? You write a glowing report, yet, you have never used the product or service, you just want the revenue. Your potential customers will soon find out you have lied, especially if the product or service is rubbish. Your customers will do 1 of 2 things; either not come back or they will trash your site in the forums and blogs.

23. When linking to other sites on the internet, make the links relevant to your site. If your site is giving information and offering products about fishing and you link to a betting site people will have questions about your integrity.

24. As with the above if you show adverts on your site make sure they are relevant, for the same reason.

25.If you collect peoples contact information etc show a Privacy Policy. Make the link easy to see and get to, do not attempt to hide it. Be open about your intentions when processing personal information. Show the fact that you adhere to the relevant laws concerning the useage and storage of personal data. Make your policy easy to read and do not fill it with legal jargon.

26. If taking money on your site publish a Security Policy, detailing what steps you take to safeguard peoples information. Again as above do not make it so that it needs a lawyer to understand it.

27. If you have a Delivery Policy and a Returns Policy again as above make them accessible and easy to understand.

28. If selling and taking money show the logo of the payment gateway you are using. Whether you use PayPal or your Banks gatway show which you use and be proud of it.

29. Have a search faclity on your site, it enables your visitors to find what they want quickly. Better still use the Google search function, not only is it a good tool it instills trust by showing the Google name.

30. Similarly if your gateway allows you use of credit cards show the logo's of the cards you will accept.

31. If your industry has governing associations and you belong to them, you do don't you! Show their logo's on your site it helps to prove your credibility.

32. If you use a forum on your site respond promptly to any concerns raised. Show that you are happy to help and do not expect anything in return. Remember the old saying "those that give without condition receive back the rewards".

33. If you publish articles let others have the opportunity of making comments, it shows that you want to be involved with your audience.

34. If comments are received there is no such thing as a negative response, take it on the chin and respond with understanding and try to get your audience to understand your point of view.

35. When taking personal information let your visitors know you use a secure website.

36. On every page that collects personal information have a well displayed link to your privacy policy.

37.It takes a great deal of time and effort to build a reputation but it only takes a few seconds to destroy that reputation.

38. If you are selling a subscription, offer a low-cost, entry-level option. This could be a one-day taster, 'a week before billing starts' or a monthly trial.

39. Never send credit card information or personal details over the Internet unencrypted. Tell your customers that their data will be encrypted.

40. Only ask for information from customers that you really need. For example, for an email newsletter sign-up, the only information you REALLY need is an email address, so that is all you should ask for

41. If you have pricing on your website, make it transparent. I recently went to buy a book which was advertised for £10. When I checked out, they added tax, post and packaging, and the final bill was £19.50. I didn't buy it as I felt they had deliberately tried to mislead me.

42. Keep your SSL certificate up to date. Let people know you are using SSL encryption and who the provider is.

You can never do too much to build trust. Most of it comes down to common sense and good business practice. To ensure that you are continually improving your trustworthiness, every time you go to a website, ask yourself whether you trust it or not. Then ask yourself why you have formed the opinion you have. Continually try to learn what makes a site trustworthy or untrustworthy and implement the relevant changes to your site.

If people trust you, the money will follow!

The author,Tony Harvey-Bacon is the Proprietor of Mercia Web. In a long and varied career, Tony has gained a vast amount of knowledge and used that knowlege when helping people create their own websites. Tony specialises in website design, website hosting and more importantly Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). Find his contact details on the Membership Details Page.

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