In today’s digital era over 81% of people check out unknown companies online before deciding to purchase. They’re looking for what we call ‘trust factors’ to make sure you’re a reputable company. When visitors see these trust factors they’re highly likely to consider your company as reputable and increase the chances of conversion.
WHAT ARE THE TRUST FACTORS?
Trust factors are certain features a website should have to convince a visitor to make a purchase. These could be as simple as having independent reviews or providing a clean and clear website.
Trust factors include the following:
HAVING A WEBSITE
Having a website in itself is a trust factor. With just a facebook page or a physical shop, you could look small as you’re not investing in your business to keep with developing trends. If you saw an advert or was recommended the business by someone, to find out more information you’d expect them to have a website.
EMAIL WITH DOMAIN
Emailing potential clients with Gmail, AOL or yahoo accounts looks unprofessional. If you have a domain make sure you set up emails which include it. If you have a website and haven’t set up domain-based emails it looks like you’ve cut corners. When you receive an email from [email protected] you know it’s from that company. But if it was [email protected] then you don’t associate the two and it might be a red flag against using that company.
UPDATED WEBSITES
Old website trends such as flash could put off visitors as parts of the website might not load.
Sometimes companies have copyright dates set and if not updated it shows the website has not been touched since. A website not updated for 5+ years would be a big warning.
Outdated images such as the first generation iPhones or other technology which we’ve now surpassed is again another flag. It dates the website and makes it look like it’s not been touched.
Websites with blogs that have not been updated for long periods, show a lack of resources or effort from the marketing department. If it has been over 12 months without a new blog, it could potentially warn off clients.
MODERN APPEARANCE
Keeping up to date with website trends helps your website look modern and fresh. Leaving it for a few years can make it seem abandoned and therefore putting off visitors.
Modern design trends like icons and animated sections are now considered the norm. If you’re is pretty static and doesn’t use icons it could seem old and untouched.
For additional information, ArtButler have produced this article showing 5 signs your website is outdated. We’ve also written about about why it’s important to keep your website content fresh.
MOBILE FRIENDLY
Browsing sites that don’t respond to your screen size can annoy customers and can often lead to them bouncing off. With the majority of browsing done through mobile phones, if your site is not responsive it can put customers off. Customers wish to be able to make sales with ease and not have to scroll across and down just to get to a box. This instantly tells a customer the website is not updated and seems untrustworthy.
August Ash has blogged about the mobile-friendly websites, check it out for more information. We’ve also produced our own blog about the importance of mobile-friendly websites.
CUSTOMERS YOU’VE WORKED WITH
If you’re a business to business company, it’s important to showcase any brands that have worked with you. This demonstrates that they were convinced that you were a worthwhile investment and makes you more attractive to potential clients.
ENCOURAGE CUSTOMERS TO LEAVE REVIEWS
Reviews let others know what they think of the company and how well you’ve done. Encourage customers to leave feedback which can help persuade other visitors to convert. Using independent companies like Google, Trustpilot and Capterra also help to build your trust as these reviews need to be verified through an individuals email address.
AVOID STOCK IMAGES (AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE)
Sometimes as a web designer it’s hard to build a website without using stock images. However, people can generally tell when a stock image has been used and this can add poor credibility.
REGISTERED ASSOCIATIONS OR TRADE SPECIFIC CERTIFICATIONS
Adding badges of organisations you’re members of, can help show that you are trusted within your industry and qualified to do the work.
HAVING VIDEO CONTENT
Another modern trend is the use of video, those websites that have invested in creating video usually seem more trustworthy than others.
If you’re looking for ways to increase your conversion rate try using the above points as a guide. Hopefully, this should also lower your bounce rate in google analytics and improve your visibility in search.
If you’re looking to redesign your website to convert or looking to gain new visitors, visit these pages for more information Web Design West Bromwich or SEO West Bromwich
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