Adding the right trust signals to your website can make a world of difference in its conversion rate. Internet users have become increasingly reluctant to submit their credit card information online, and for good reason: many websites have lax security, placing such data at risk for a breach. By including the following trust signals on your website, visitors will feel more comfortable taking action.
Allow Customer Reviews
There’s a reason why Amazon, the world’s largest online retailer, allows its customers to write and submit reviews: because it establishes greater trust. And when visitors trust a website, they’ll feel more comfortable buying its products or services. According to a survey conducted by Dimensional Research, 90% of the respondents claimed that positive reviews posted online influenced their buying decisions, and 86% said negative reviews posted online influenced their buying decisions. That alone should be reason enough to include customer reviews on your website.
Site Speed
A lesser-known trust for websites is speed. When Internet users are confronted with a slow-loading website, they’ll probably think twice before buying its products or services. Several studies have confirmed this theory, reinforcing the belief that load times directly affect conversion rates. There are dozens of ways to test your website’s speed, including the free-to-use tool at tools.pingdom.com.
Logos and Seals
Using the right logos and seals on your website may also build greater trust with users. So, what exactly is a trust logo/seal? Chances are you’ve probably seen one before. Trust seals consist of well-known brand logos (sometimes linked to the respective brand’s website) that build trust. The web research firm Baymard Institute conducted a study to determine which trust seals instilled the greatest amount of trust in online consumers. Researchers found the Norton seal fared best with 35.6%, followed by McAfee Secure at 22.9%, TRUSTe at 13.2%, and the Better Business Bureau at 13.2%.
Contact Information
Yes, even a website’s contact information can be considered a trust signal. Don’t just toss up your email address and call it a day, but instead try to be as transparent as possible. This means posting your business’s street address (if applicable – if not, include a PO box), phone number and hours of operation at the bare minimum. You can even go one step further by embedding a Google Maps view of your establishment directly into your website, allowing visitors to pull up directions.
