The Big Three – How Can I Trust You?

When someone does a search in a search engine looking to buy a product or service, they usually have three questions at the top of their mind.

These are:

1. Do you have what I want?
2. How much does it cost?
3. How can I trust you?

Last week we looked at pricing. And you probably agree if a web site does not clearly state exact or approximate pricing, most visitors will not bother wasting their time getting a quote.

But what about building trust?

When we look at a web site there are many things that we scan to determine our level of trust.

In no particular order these include:

• the look and feel of the site including colours, fonts, layout and other aesthetic elements
• the brand value or potential brand value of the organisation behind the web site
• the words on the page including tone, spelling, grammar and the clear articulation of a beneficial offer (what’s in it for me?)
• customer reviews and testimonials
• memberships of trade associations
• links to Linkedin profile pages
• listing a bricks and mortar street address
• privacy, guarantee and returns policy pages
• photographs of products, staff, business premises and employees on the job
• social media interest including shares, likes, tweets and pins
• links to mentions in the traditional media
• recent blog posts about the related industry or service