If you run a business, you know the vital role that your website plays in attracting customers and building their confidence in your company. But this doesn’t mean having a website guarantees your business will enjoy these benefits.
A poorly designed website may erode the trust of potential customers. Nevertheless, it’s widely believed that a well-designed website enables businesses to earn their clients’ trust which can translate to possible earnings.
Below are five ways web design builds customer trust:
1. Positive Impression
Web design plays an essential role in giving visitors the first impression of your business. When customers visit your website and find an appealing design and layout, they perceive your company positively. The situation changes when visitors click on display ads that lead to your website and land on a poorly designed, outdated website.
Many of them would leave the site with a negative impression of your business. Such experiences reduce your chances of building customer trust. Customer trust is enhanced when they can easily navigate your website, open it fast, and access it from any mobile device. Working with an experienced web designer like Kitching Ltd enables you to achieve this faster.
2. Credibility
The other way that web design can build customer trust is by boosting the credibility of your business among visitors. When people visit your site, they’ll be looking out for signs that your company is credible. There are several credibility indicators that web designers can include in websites to make customers feel comfortable.
These include testimonials, reviews, and social proof. People believe what other customers say about a product, service, or company. Some customers view reviews as personal recommendations. Boost customer trust by adding a testimonial section on your website. In this section, post customer testimonials that praise the quality of your service or product offerings, fast delivery, or excellent customer service. Better still, consider using video testimonials.
You may add a reviews section on your website during design so your customers can leave ratings based on pre-set parameters. Posting reviews on your website and social channels can go a long way in improving your business reputation.
Better still, add links to external review sites where your business has been featured. Most people know brands will only add positive testimonials on their sites. Posting links to external review sites makes your reviews less biased, more authentic, and credible – all of which boosts customer trust significantly.
3. Site Security
Every day, thousands of online users become victims of online scams. These security threats make it challenging for companies to earn the trust of their target audience. However, there are actions your businesses can take to make their sites safe for users.
These include using a valid SSL certificate on your website. Websites that lack SSL certificates are disadvantaged in search engine rankings. This may result in potential the loss of tech-savvy audiences visiting your webpage that know the difference between non-secure and secure sites.
The other way your businesses can improve website security is by publishing a privacy policy. Policy policies play a critical role in informing visitors about data usage.
Ideally, a privacy policy should be clear and understandable. Visitors should be able to view privacy policies with ease. Including a privacy policy on your website during design can go a long way in re-assuring users that their data is safe and shows them they’re dealing with a credible business.
4. Consistency
The other thing that builds customer trust through web design is consistency in color scheme, layout, tone of voice, and fonts. Maintaining consistency in these four elements adds coherence to your website, giving users a positive browsing experience.
You can achieve consistency on your website by positioning menus in the same position on every page, using the same color and fonts across the site, and establishing a clear hierarchy. Placing your logo and including links to the homepage on every page also enhances consistency to your website.
5. Useful Content
Customers are always looking for content that helps them address their problems. You can earn customer trust easily by publishing high-quality content on your website. The more visitors find your content relevant and helpful, the more they will believe in your business. Publishing quality content also increases your sites’ search engine rankings and enhances your company’s thought leadership in your industry.
Final Thoughts
Your website is the space where customers interact with your business even before they meet you. Its design can build customer trust in your business or break it. You can boost customer trust by ensuring that your website has an appealing layout, helpful content, and testimonials that reflect the credibility of your business.