5 ways to establish trust on Shopify websites

People spend more time online than ever. And while online shopping has become much more common due to the pandemic, websites still need to put a lot of work into acquiring new customers. There are many factors that influence how visitors perceive a webpage, but a Stanford University study confirms that the majority of online users judge a website’s trustworthiness based on how it looks.

That’s why it’s necessary to focus on website design when looking to build trust with visitors. E-commerce companies should spend time and effort identifying their customers’ concerns about doing business online and address them with smart web design choices. Here are a few examples of how various website design elements can help establish trust and convert visitors into loyal customers.

Create a user-centric website design

Your website is your online salesman, and the associated shopping experience represents your company as a whole. Offering good user experience shows that you respect your customers’ time.

Clunky, outdated designs make browsing unenjoyable. Moreover, poor UX and UI lead to loss of trust, and potential clients leave your page to search for websites that serve their needs better. Whenever in doubt about the user-friendliness of your website, employ empathy and imagine how visitors would navigate it. Intuitive design and accessibility will help you win customers over.

People prefer websites that are easy to use. And while building trust with a customer is a loaded task, ensuring that you don’t lose potential clients over an unfriendly user experience is the first crucial step.

Design your product page with intention

Investing into the accurate portrayal of your products and services certainly pays off. Presenting your merchandise in a consistent way creates a pleasing display that builds trust and enhances the perception of the brand’s value. That sense of coherence can be achieved by stylizing products during photoshoots.

Use multiple high-quality pictures to show off your merchandise online. This way, customers can experience your product from different angles and see all of its features.

Written descriptions also play a major role in managing visitors’ expectations of your products. Seeing important specifications assures them that the item in question is exactly what they need.

Another great tool to increase the sense of trust is user-generated content. Positive testimonials help you reach several goals at once by showing that people enjoy your products, love doing business with your company, and are happy with their overall shopping experience. The best thing is that this tool will become more influential as you grow your business and build a larger, more outspoken customer base.

Offer visitors an easy way to reach out and ask questions

If you want to show a brand new visitor that your company is trustworthy, give them an easy way to reach you. Customer support information should be easily available on your website. In 2020, 72% of customers expected to communicate with the brand using their preferred method. Adding an e-mail and a phone number will show people that you are willing to offer customer support and address their questions.

Another popular customer service tool is a live chat function. It seems to be especially effective since it “provides a customer satisfaction rate of 92%, outperforming all other channels.”

Communication is as important in e-commerce as it is in traditional business. Consider creating a Frequently Asked Questions page (FAQ) to anticipate standard inquiries and let your customer service team focus on unique requests. Additionally, being open about that information makes your business seem more transparent.

Add a blog

Creating and maintaining a blog on your website can serve multiple purposes. It’s a fantastic SEO tool, an efficient form of marketing, and also a great way to give your brand a unique personality. But most importantly, your blog is the space where you can communicate with your customers. You can show what your products do by sharing your clients’ success stories and hype people up for the upcoming sales and releases.

And still, your blog can do so much more. Here you can talk about the brand’s values and educate your clients, making you an expert in their eyes. Moreover, you can share behind-the-scenes moments that humanize your company. It adds transparency to your operations and helps customers bond with your business on an emotional level. 

Establish clear cookie and privacy policies

No matter if you do business domestically or internationally, any website is required to notify its visitors of privacy and cookie policies. Almost all countries around the world have data privacy laws, and companies are required to adhere to them.

Few users read such policies thoroughly, but knowing that the information is readily available makes people feel safer. Besides, disclosing the policies is the law, so having them saves you the legal trouble.

Add applicable trust seals and security certificates to your website

Safety is still a concern for many online shoppers. According to a study performed by Cognizant, “Nearly all respondents are concerned about privacy (91%), theft (76%), misuse of personal data (75%).”

Add trust seals and security certificates to put first-time visitors at ease. If your SEO is done right, many people will find your website through the search engine. They don’t know what to expect when seeing your website for the first time, so recognizing familiar names of popular payment processors and security software can assure them that your business is trustworthy. It also shows various payment options at a glance and helps shoppers feel like the checkout process will be a breeze.

Establishing trust is instrumental to running a successful e-commerce website. A trustworthy professional design converts guests into customers, and high quality user experience translates into repeat business. 

Studio Umbrella can help you take your e-commerce business to the next level. We have worked with hundreds of companies in various industries, and we are happy to show the results. So reach out to us today to request a quote and get started on creating a beautiful website that works hard for you.