Matt Pyke

9 Trust Signals Your Website Must Have

April 26, 2021

Trust is one of the most important factors in increasing conversions on your website. If you want to build rapport with your website visitors and get them to convert into sales and/or leads, they need to trust your brand.

But how do you build trust with new website visitors?

Successful websites and ecommerce stores successfully build trust signals to put customers at ease. Trust signals are elements of your websites that make customers trust your brand. They basically reassure customers that your business is going to deliver on its promise.

On ecommerce websites, trust signals can tell customers that they are going to get the product they ordered on time, the order will be processed through a trusted payment portal and that they will be looked after by customer service. On service-based websites, trust signals can tell customers that the service provider is authentic and has a history of satisfied customers.

Here are the top 9 trust signals your website must have:

Company and VAT number

If you have a Limited Company, you will have a unique ID provided by HMRC. Some customers will look for this as reassurance that your company is authentic. You can add it in the footer of your website to let customers know that you are trading in compliance with UK law. They can also use this number to do a background check on your company. Displaying your VAT number can also build trust.

Registered address and phone number

The registered address and phone number of your company are excellent trust signals. They tell customers that you have dedicated business premises and are willing to take calls. If possible, you should use a landline phone number instead of a mobile. Well-established businesses always have a landline phone number, so it shows a customer that you are more than just a one-man operation (even if you’re not). It also gives the customer reassurance that they have somewhere to turn if they are not happy with the product or service.

Reviews

Customer reviews are one of the most important trust signals. 82% of online shoppers seek out negative reviews and 91% of young consumers trust reviews. That tells us how powerful reviews can be, whether they’re positive or negative.

There are multiple ways to use reviews on your site:

Customer testimonials – Detailed reviews that are often backed up by a picture and name of the customer. They work best for service-based websites.

Product reviews – Specific reviews of a product. On ecommerce websites, they are crucial if you want to convert visitors into sales.

Company reviews – A critique of your business as a whole. They can work for any type of business and are popular on Amazon and eBay.

Find the right kind of reviews for your business and display them prominently on your website.

Grammar

Nothing says unprofessional like spelling and grammar mistakes. A small mistake on your website could be ruining your conversion rate and credibility. Customers will quickly look elsewhere if you can’t do the simple things right.

Spelling and grammar mistakes subconsciously tell prospective customers that you’re not a serious outfit. It’s important to read through your website copy and check for any mistakes. You can also use a grammar-checking tool – like Grammarly – if you’re not confident.

Good design

Good website design can significantly boost customer trust. If your website looks like a professional website, your customers will be more inclined to trust your brand. 94% of customers reported that mistrust was directly related to a site’s design elements.

Here are the design flaws that you need to avoid:

It’s worth hiring a professional web designer to look at your website. They will be able to tell you exactly what is wrong with the design. Then, once it has been fixed, you can test the UX with a tool like Hotjar.

Up-to-date content

Up-to-date content can be a powerful build trust with your audience. This can include new blog posts, video uploads, news articles and more. New content shows the website visitor that you recently made changes to the website, which tells them you are an active and successful business.

Don’t forget to keep on top of the small things on your website. For example, if the copyright notice in the website footer is out-of-date, this could create mistrust. Make a list of all the content on your website that needs updating regularly.

Having and SSL certificate and Enabling HTTPS

HTTPS (HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure) is an encrypted version of HTTP, designed for transferring data over the internet. It basically protects the communication between your browser and server from cyber-attacks. Some IT-literate customers will only buy from companies with SSL certificates.

Chrome, Firefox and Safari automatically mark websites that provide forms on pages without HTTPS as being non-secure. That means – if you don’t have an SSL certificate – your customer will be informed that your website is non-secure.

Having an SSL can also help with your website’s SEO, so it’s important that this is in place.

Clear payment systems

If you’re running an ecommerce website, it’s imperative that your payment system is clear.

This includes:

It’s super important to make this easy-to-understand for your customers. A clear payment system will help build trust. Plus, your return policy and after-sale service might be a reason that customers pick your brand over one of your competitors.

Having a good off-page presence

If a customer is looking for additional trust signals, they might search through your off-page presence. This includes everything from your social media accounts to your Google presence.

Here’s a checklist to follow to make sure your off-page presence is up-to-scratch:

When a customer is making a big buying decision (spending hundreds or thousands of pounds), they are going to need reassurance that your company is trustworthy. A solid off-page presence will go a long way to helping them trust your brand.