6 Questions To Help You Establish Trust On Your Shopify Site

Online shopping has become so much more common due to the pandemic, and people spend more time online than ever before. However, the “build it, and they will come” mentality doesn’t always work with e-commerce. Online businesses still need to put in work in order to attract new visitors and earn their trust to gain their business.

Multiple factors influence how visitors perceive a webpage. A Stanford University study confirms that the majority of online users judge a website’s trustworthiness based on its looks. And while relying on web design alone is not enough, some design decisions may improve how the website gets perceived. These are six questions that any e-commerce business should ask themselves if they want to establish trust and convert visitors into loyal customers.

Is your website design user-centric?

When visitors come across your website for the first time, they tend to judge your business based on what they see. Moreover, it has been found that the associated browsing experience shows if you respect your customers’ time. And the more intuitive and smooth the experience is, the more likely a potential customer will stick around and make a purchase.

On the other hand, outdated designs that make browsing unenjoyable may turn visitors away. That’s how poor UX and UI lead to the loss of trust. If your website is clunky and difficult to navigate, potential clients will likely leave your page to search for better options.

This is why it’s so useful to look at your website as a customer. Imagine how first-time visitors perceive it or ask people for feedback.

People prefer intuitive websites. Providing a smooth experience and being user-centric is the first step on the way to retaining visitors and converting them into loyal customers.

Is your product page designed with intention?

Creating product listings is not a simple task. Business owners invest many resources into getting high-quality photos and videos to show off their products. And when it comes to copy, product descriptions need to be easy to read and explain exactly what is sold. But this is only the minimum that needs to be done for any product page.

Enhance your listings by using the power of branding. Think of it as signals that tell people what your business is about. It starts with your photography and the aesthetic you convey through your pictures. Style your products, show what kind of person would be using them. Utilizing models and a natural environment where products would be used can help people visualize themselves using your products.

However, make sure to set the expectations right. Use multiple images to show your product from different angles and list all of the important features in the written description.

Consider adding user-generated content such as testimonials or social media feeds. It is a fantastic tool to show that there are many customers who like shopping on your website and enjoy your products. And as your website grows, the power of positive feedback will grow with it. Every great review adds to the influence that this tool has over new visitors on your website.

How can potential customers reach you?

In 2020, 72% of customers expected to communicate with the brand using their preferred method. Customer support is the feature that people are used to receiving from all businesses, so make sure that people have a way to reach you.

There are many ways to show that you provide customer service. Creating a Frequently Asked Questions page (FAQ) is a great start. It will let you answer the most common questions right away. Add an e-mail or a phone number to give your clients a way to ask more specific questions and check on their orders. And in the past several years, a live chat function has become an increasingly popular tool. It provides a customer satisfaction rate of 92% and tends to do better than all other channels in that respect.

Just like in brick-and-mortar businesses, communication is extremely important to establish trust and make people feel at home.

Does your business have a blog?

Blogging can do wonders for your online business. It’s a great SEO tool that will help you get discovered in search engines. Moreover, it’s an efficient form of marketing. But most importantly, a blog feature helps humanize your brand. Each article has a voice and a personality behind it. Convey your brand values via your blog posts to show what your company stands for. Here, you can be entertaining, educational, empathic, uplifting, or all of the above. By posting, you give your website visitors a chance to bond with your business on an emotional level, building trust and relationships over the long term. 

Additionally, this is a great way to communicate with your customers directly to announce upcoming sales and events. You can also feature your clients’ success stories or show off your products in more detail than you’d be able to on their product pages. Behind-the-scenes is another popular blog content type for many brands. 

Do you have a clear privacy policy?

By law, any website is required to notify visitors of its privacy policy and disclose how they treat the information that visitors share with it. And while policies vary from country to country, it’s clear that data privacy laws need to be followed.

It’s unlikely that a high percentage of users will read through your policies thoroughly. Nevertheless, having this information readily available is a step towards increasing the trustworthiness of your website. At this point, people are used to seeing pop-up windows that notify them of cookie policies, and that applies to both domestic and international visitors. 

Trust is key

Building trust for an e-commerce brand is a complex task. And while a lot of this process comes down to your business itself, you can convey the message through your website. A trustworthy professional design will help you to convert guests into clients. And over time, providing high-quality service and user experience will generate repeat business. 

Building a relationship with website visitors takes time. And if you find that your website is missing some better ways to display your content or other valuable information, our pre-built Shopify sections may be of help. They are customizable and are easy to install. Take a look at what we have to offer.

If you need any help choosing the right content blocks for your website needs, contact us today.