How to build trust in e-commerce in 2024?
This is it! You're finally there!
After all your efforts to raise your brand awareness, attract shoppers and guide them through the sales funnel, they've finally arrived on your product page.
This is the final step. It's also the most engaging for your future customers.
They're hesitant, and they don't want to make the wrong choice.
You need to create a feeling of trust and reassure them of your credibility and your ability to solve their problem.
The solution: Display elements of trust and reassurance
Elements of what? What do they mean? Which are the most important?
In this article, I'll tell you all about them and give you tips on how to find the right place for them and boost the conversion rate of your product pages.
Let's get started!
What are trust elements?
Trust elements are all the marketing content designed to reinforce web users' confidence in your brand, and in the ability of your products or services to meet their needs.
They help to build your credibility and reassure consumers. With them, you're ultimately trying to transfer the risk from the buyer to you (the seller).
Trust elements are essential to encourage online purchasing.
13 essential signals for building trust in e-commerce
- A modern, attractive ecommerce website
- A regularly updated ecommerce website
- An "About us" page
- Contact information
- FAQs
- Labels and certifications
- Media coverage
- Payment information
- Satisfaction guarantee
- Delivery information
- UGC and customer reviews
- A loyalty program
- A Sizing app
1. A modern, attractive e-commerce site
First and foremost, develop a website that is welcoming, attractive and modern.
An old-fashioned, overloaded site that looks as if it hasn't been updated for several years doesn't send out the right signals to shoppers.
The business may be top-notch and may sell great products. But a website like this inevitably raises doubts and mistrust in the mind of the surfer.
Why haven't they updated their site? Are they in financial difficulties? Does the brand still exist? Is it a scam?
Also pay attention to the performance of your pages. A site that's too slow to load will only add frustration to consumers' shopping experience.
On the contrary, a fast, up-to-date site reassures your customers. It's synonymous with quality and trust.
This first element of reassurance is perfectly illustrated by one of Cialdini's 6 principles: the principle of appreciation.
This tells us that sympathy or appreciation for an individual or a brand plays an important role in our purchasing decisions.
In short, we humans are more likely to say "yes" to people/brands we like.
Your e-commerce store is one of the first things your prospects will see of your brand, and therefore the first element on which they will base their opinion.
You only get one chance to make a good first impression, so pay attention to its design and performance.
2. A regularly updated e-commerce site
If you have a blog or a News page, make sure you keep up the publication pace.
A blog whose last post is more than a year old won't give your customer trust, and will send the wrong signals about your business.
On the contrary, if the site is lively and new content is published regularly, it shows that the business is active. It's a sign of good health.
If you're not sure you can keep up the pace over the long term, it's best not to go ahead with a blog or news page.
3. An "About" page
On the other hand, go ahead and create an "About Us" page.
This is another application of Cialdini's principle of appreciation. The aim is for the customer to get to know you and identify (even a little) with you, your brand and its values.
If there's more than one of you, why not show each member of your team?
A nice photo, a few lines to introduce everyone (with a touch of humor, even better), and your business will immediately seem more human.
Take this opportunity to reiterate your market vision and company mission.
Tell the story of your brand, its highs and lows, and the history of your products.
Be transparent. Authenticity will help build closeness and trust with customers.
4. Contact information
What do I do if I need to contact them? If I have a question about my delivery? Is customer service readily available?
Customers need to be reassured that they can contact you quickly if they need to.
What's more, these elements increase trust by proving that you're a serious business and not an obscure buying/reselling site that's only after its customers' money.
Display your contact information on your e-commerce site:
- customer service number
- e-mail address
- postal address (if you have a physical store)
A good practice is to display them directly on your menu or footer, so that they're visible everywhere, quickly.
Also, think about your mobile customers (who are more and more numerous) by making your contact details clickable.
Finally, some large e-commerce sites even create entirely dedicated pages to centralize information on their customer service and their various stores.
5. An FAQ
Your customers will have lots of questions when they discover your products. And that's normal.
Human beings hate being wrong. They don't want to make mistakes, and they want to be sure they're making the right decision.
An FAQ at the bottom of your product page will help build trust and remove any objections that may have arisen in their minds while browsing your store.
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Please note that FAQs should be open-ended.
Remember to update it regularly as soon as you detect new questions from your customers.
If your FAQ becomes too extensive, create a dedicated page on your e-commerce site, like the Horace brand.
6. Labels and certifications
Here, we're going to talk about Robert Cialdini again, and use what he calls the authority principle.
The principle of authority tells us that people or organizations perceived as experts and leaders in their field are perceived as more credible and therefore have more influence over us.
Example: toothpaste brands that use dentists for their ads.
On your e-commerce site, you can apply this principle by displaying the labels or certifications you have or were awarded.
In a way, you're taking advantage of the authority of these recognized organizations to legitimize your products.
It's an excellent way of building trust and appeasing any remaining skeptics.
Display them in pictogram form to make them more visual.
7. Media coverage
Here's another use of the authority principle.
Proudly display media that talk about your business or product (as long as they're relevant).
It sends a great message to customers.
You're showing that your product is known and even recognized by industry experts.
8. Payment information
Here we come to the main obstacle to purchasing.
Your customers are afraid of making a mistake and losing their money, or even worse, of being scammed and having their personal data and bank details hacked.
Reassure them right away that payments on your e-commerce site are secure.
Add words like "100% secure payment" and display the CB, Mastercard, Visa, American Express, PayPal, etc. logos.
Also offer alternative payment methods.
In addition to inspiring trust, you show them that they have the choice of paying with their preferred payment method.
9. Satisfaction guarantee
The satisfaction guarantee is the ultimate trust-builder.
You're proving to customers that you're confident in your products' ability to meet their needs, and reassuring them that you'll get their money back if you don't.
The most common is to offer a 30-day guarantee.
But more and more brands are setting themselves apart by offering much longer warranties.
Tediber, for example, offers a 100-night warranty.
It's a sure-fire selling point, so display it proudly on your e-commerce site.
Go one step further and tell your customers about your return policy and how to return their product.
10. Delivery information
Delivery rates and on-time delivery are the top two criteria for customers when shopping online (Parcel Lab, 2020).
So if you're an e-commerce site, this is information your customers are bound to be looking for before they buy.
How much does delivery cost? Is it free? With or without conditions? What are the delivery times?
These elements must be quickly visible on your product pages.
You can even specify the carriers who will deliver your products.
If you offer advantageous delivery terms, display them proudly in the header or footer of your e-commerce site.
11. UGC and customer reviews
We have a natural tendency to imitate the behavior of the majority. This is called social proof (another of Cialdini's 6 principles).
Social proof is a principle of persuasion based on the fact that human beings are social by nature and tend to conform to the norms of a social group.
Example: This is the case when you go out to eat in town. If you have a choice between two restaurants, one full and one empty, you'll go to the first because there are already people inside.
So show your shoppers that your products are being used by as many customers as possible. And that they're satisfied!
Display customer reviews. People tend to attach more importance to information provided by customers than by the brand itself.
If possible, use online platforms like TrustPilot or Trusted Shops to certify your customer testimonials and prove to your shoppers that they're genuine, that you didn't make them up.
If you have them, you can also post photos of your customers wearing/using your product on your product pages.
(And if you don't, Loyoly can help you generate UGC and customer reviews).
12. A loyalty program
When new buyers arrive on your e-commerce site and spot a strong loyalty program, it acts as a credibility and trust booster
They instantly think: "This brand isn't just after my wallet; it's looking to build long-term connections".
The mere presence of a loyalty program adds a layer of transparency, showcasing a tangible give-and-take relationship.
What's more, a loyalty program indicates that you have a list of regular customers, which subtly testifies to the quality and reliability of your brand.
It's a bit like walking into a busy restaurant: the crowd itself speaks volumes about what's on the menu.
So a loyalty program serves as more than just an incentive mechanism.
It functions as a trust-building tool, affirming that your brand is committed to long-term customer relationships.
Read this post to learn how to build a loyalty program that inspires trust
13. A sizing app
When customers need to guess their size, either they don't buy, or they buy a size and send it back because it doesn't fit.
Option 2 can be solved with the help of a good logistics partner, who offers a smooth returns and exchange experience.
Check out this guide to find our favorite e-commerce logistics partners.
Option 1, on the other hand, must be resolved on the product page itself, or risk losing the sale.
The solution here is to install a sizing solution.
These applications recommend the ideal size to customers, based on their age, height, weight and body shape and preferences.
It's a must-have for e-commerce apparel brands looking to add trust and increase their conversion rates.
