Getting customers to trust your online store is easier said than done.
Even if your store carries the WordPress branding, there are many users out there who need more convincing before they hand over their details and part with their cash. Online consumers have become all too aware of the dangers associated with digital shopping and how convincing a hoax store can appear.
If you want to make sure customers trust your WordPress store and recommend it to their loved ones here are some great tips, whether you’re just getting started or revamping an old website.
Great design
A professional website is a trustworthy website.
We may appreciate brands that aren’t afraid to experiment with new aesthetics, but when it comes to web stores, a more professional approach is often the best way to capture the widest net of customers.
The fact you’re using WordPress is a good start. As a framework it allows you to create a professional-looking store that fits the conventions of what we expect from online retail. It’s difficult to leave loose ends that can make a website feel unfinished and slapped together quickly with the hope of scamming people.
A web store should be treated like a traditional storefront. If you’re lacking in the essentials and there are obvious issues customers will pass you by, just like they would a shop with smashed windows and empty shelves.
A professional design is often about getting the basics right. That means ensuring all your essential pages are present and meeting the expected standards. FAQ pages shouldn’t just answer questions but present them in a clear and concise manner, so to show that thought has been put into developing them.
Likewise with your About Us page, which should be used to establish the brand and your ethos. Customers do read these pages, and will use them as a barometer to test the effort put into the website by the business behind it.
When it comes to building trust through design, your homepage is often the most important element. It should have a nice balance of promotional material (links to products) and content, suggesting to the customer there is more to this website than merely taking their money.
All facets of your web design should look to put the visitor at ease and convince them you have their best shopping intentions at heart.
Customer reviews
Customer reviews should always take a prominent position on your WordPress store.
The social proof phenomenon has become a huge part of dictating how we shop, who we shop with and who we put our trust into online. Studies have shown that 88% of customers trust reviews from their fellow consumers as much as they do personal recommendations from a friend.
A review can help reaffirm the quality of a product, showing that there are genuine people out there who have shopped with you before and enjoyed the experience. Don’t be afraid to brag a little, it’s important to give these reviews pride of place on your website and be seen to encourage them to garner maximum trust.
Not every customer will personally call you up or email your customer service team to ask a question about a product, it’s not just in their nature. Reviews help you retain those customers who aren’t quite sure about the product and are more likely to shop with a retailer that provides all the answers, whether they do that through product descriptions or reviews.
Make sure that reviews are presented prominently not just on your WordPress homepage, but throughout product pages. They should feature a clear star rating format if possible. Using a trusted review platform to host your customer feedback allows you to work some additional authority into your store’s design.
Brand building content
Content marketing isn’t just a fantastic way to capture new customers and provide further context to your products and services, it’s a fantastic tool for building trust in your brand.
Every good WordPress webstore needs content that tells the story of your brand and the people who keep it running. You should look to inform as much as you entertain, not in an educational sense, but a trust-building one.
Inform people about the background of your business, its humble beginnings and the ethos that power it. More importantly, you should look to introduce audiences to the team behind your business as soon as possible. Product centered content is brilliant and helps move people along in the purchasing process, but it’s just as important to establish your brand’s aims and provide a human face to what you do.
Staff bios, a weekly blog spot from your product experts and behind the scenes videos showing your daily operations all help to build the image of a business that isn’t just genuine, but passionate about what it does. Giving the impression that your online business actually inhabits a physical space in the world is vitally important for garnering customer trust.
Make sure that humanizing your workforce is a significant part of your content marketing strategy.
Awards and certification
Consumers want to know they’re shopping with the best. If you can promise your WordPress webstore is an official seller or one that has been praised for its service in the past then it doesn’t really matter what you’re charging, you’ll win customers.
Being a recognized, legitimate seller is essential when trying to find a footing in highly competitive ecommerce markets. One way to get consumers on your side is to include official seller and retailer stickers across your webstore, especially if you’re selling well-known brands.
Something as simple as one of these stickers or sashes can help assure a customer that a big brand has put its faith in you to uphold their reputation online. Think of it as a custom review, but from a brand that takes its profile very seriously.
These signs of additional quality can help set you apart from the competition and are easy to implement into your WordPress design.
Security essentials
Of course, when you’re trying to convince someone you’re worth trusting it helps to get the fundamentals right.
WordPress webstores need to hit all the security essentials, just like any online shop does. It’s imperative you have a secure checkout and allow customers to use their preferred payment method. If a customer feels they’re being pushed to one particular type of payment they may get suspicious.
Your WordPress store also needs an SSL certificate. Without one, you’ll turn off a lot of customers accustomed to this easy signal of security. It also makes it impossible for Google to rank you properly, which makes it almost impossible for you to find new customers.
If these were things you were lacking from launch don’t be afraid to own up to your mistakes and let people know you’ve added them retrospectively. A quick social media post can help restore people’s confidence, and the fact you were willing to do that is proof enough you’re not a scammer.
It’s easy to make obvious mistakes that will make your WordPress webstore appear untrustworthy. When you’re trying to do something innovative and focusing on your product range you can let simple security essentials and brand-building content slip. Make sure your website doesn’t go without these features for much longer.