Building an online presence is a crucial element to most businesses, especially since 75% of people judge the credibility of a company through its website. Creating an effective visual representation of your business through a website is, therefore, extremely important to showcase its legitimacy and reputation. With this in mind, this article presents 10 easy ways to build up a trustworthy website.
10 Top Tips On How To Create A Trustworthy Website
1. Make Sure Your Website Design is Professional
Website appearance plays a large role in presenting a trustworthy image. According to a scientific study, “Given the same content, a higher aesthetic treatment will increase perceived credibility.”
Using a good color scheme such as blue or green provides a professional appearance and will help to catch the customer’s eye. Justine Gray, founder of the news start-up Trending Impact, claimed that “It takes roughly about 0.05 seconds for users to form an opinion about a site, so it is imperative to create an appealing design that catches the attention of users”.
2. Provide Testimonials and Badges
Including customer reviews on your homepage will offer clear proof that your product or service is trustworthy. You can also include extra details, such as a trust badge or a badge showcasing an award. Adding logos of reputable clients or companies that you have worked with will also demonstrate your reputation.
3. Clearly Display Contact Details
You should add a valid contact number, email address, and postal address or map to your website. A study showed that 44% of web users would leave a site if there was no contact information so it is imperative to provide details or a form, especially if a visitor would like to clarify some information or ask any questions before proceeding with their purchase.
4. Include An ‘About’ Page
An ‘About’ page is the first place users look to find out more about a business and its mission. It is an extremely useful way to build a trustworthy website by sharing more about the product, service or company aim.
5. Add Pictures Of All Employees And Staff Members
Showing your visitors the person or people behind a website helps to increase your website’s credibility as it confirms that real people are involved. It may also make the business seem more successful if it has many employees hired.
6. Show Key Regulations Or Licenses That You Hold
Make sure that you publicize any key regulations or licenses that you hold, as this will directly showcase the trustworthiness of your site. For instance, the SSL certificate and lock symbol on a website address bar will help users know their personal information is safe.
7. Include High-Quality Images
Website users will engage with images before the text, so it is best to include authentic images that tell a story and relate to your product or service, helping to build your brand image. Keep an eye on the loading time, as although you want high-quality images, you may need to reduce the image size if it takes too long to load, as this can significantly slow down the web pages, which could make users more reluctant to stay on the site.
8. Add Video To The Site
Videos offer a great opportunity to engage with your customers in a more personal manner. Content ideas include introducing your product or explaining how a new feature works. Presenting the founders or the team in this personal way will certainly help to build a trustworthy image of your website.
9. Thoroughly Test Your Website
It has been found that nearly 8 in 10 customers stop engaging with content that does not display well on their electronic devices, so it is important to run through your website to get an idea of the user experience. Dan Kettle, co-founder of popular news and business site The Hawker Online, recommends “covering all bases and checking different types of smartphones, tablets, laptops or computers, as well as various browsers and operating systems to ensure that all of your content is optimized effectively.”
10. Proofread All Of Your Content
It is crucial to have a thorough proofread of your website for both spelling and grammar mistakes. It has been found that 59% of customers would not buy from a company that had errors on its website, as it would make it appear less legit. Having 2 or 3 different employees carefully checking your site can help make sure that no misspellings or errors are missed.
The Bottom Line
Creating a website that presents a trustworthy image is a relatively straightforward process that is extremely important, as authenticity is an integral part of the success of a business. By implementing the key steps mentioned above, your website should stand in good stead in presenting a strong, reliable, and authoritative site.
