The latest changes to data protection (the GDPR) has brought the need for online security and being aware of who has your data to the forefront of many people’s minds.
Due to this the need to present your business, online and offline, as a reputable and trustworthy brand is higher than ever.
Whilst you may be aware of your own business’s moral stance, and have a strict policy regarding the handling and storage of customer data, communicating this through your offerings and marketing without being heavy handed is a skill that many businesses need to work on.
So just how do you portray trust through an often faceless and time limiting tool such as your website?
Portraying Trust Online
There are various trust signals that you can place on your website, these trust signals and tried and tested. You yourselves may find yourselves noting these without realising when you view websites and buy online.
Key trust signals:
Green Padlock in the URL bar
This little padlock indicates that your website and its communication is encrypted. If you aren’t seeing this on your website already then you need an SSL certificate implemented on your website.
Your Contact Information clearly shown on your Website
It should be extremely easy for your website visitors/customers to find your contact information, i.e. telephone number and email address, at all points on your website. Ideally this information should be in the top right hand corner and/or in the footer of your website. On top of this we would expect to see a ‘Contact’ option in your menu and in your footer where full contact information can be found – this often includes registered address, phone number, email address, links to social channels and sometimes a contact form.
Badges of Honour
A further element which can help promote trust in your website is the showcasing of badges such as payment providers used (i.e. WorldPay, Sagepay and PayPal) and any industry certifications. Known badges such as PayPal gives your customers a huge reassurance that their payment information is going to be kept secure due to the large brand and good PR that PayPal has.
Feedback and Reviews
Help to remove the often faceless facade that a lot of websites suffer from by including customer feedback, reviews and testimonials. These help give your website visitors and customers reassurance. This can be taken a step further by using an external review website such as TrustPilot to collect the feedback used on your website.
Don’t sit back – ensure that your website is working as hard as it can for you by ensuring that it showcases and correctly communicates just how moral and trustworthy your website and brand is.
If you would like to get a second opinion on whether your website portrays the trust and re-assurance needed for online vistors and online shoppers, simply contact Digital Nachos today for a quick and simple trust audit.
Published: 25th May 2018