How your store is subconsciously creating doubt for customers

Your website is the front door to your online business. When consumers visits your website, they make an immediate decision whether or not they are going to buy from you.

That’s why it’s important for your website to not only look and function correctly, but to also go the extra mile to make visitors feel comfortable when purchasing from your business.

We’ve created a list of must-have items to preventing customers from doubting your website and, instead, start shopping.

Contact Info

According to a 2015 B2B Web Usability Report, 44% of website visitors will leave a company’s website if there is no contact information or phone number. Having your phone number, email, and physical address on your website is the connection between the online world and your business. If customers can’t contact you, what will they do if they need support, have questions, or issues with their order?

Shutterstock's contact page is simple and clear. It has an easy-to-use contact form along with additional contact information like social media links, phone numbers, and physical addresses.

In addition to having all modes of contacting you available on your Contact page, we also recommend three placements for your contact information:

• Main navigation: Put the 'Contact Us' link as the last menu item within your main navigation.

• The footer: Add your phone number, email address, and the 'About Us' link within your website footer

• About us: All relevant contact information should be available on your 'About Us' page, making it easy for visitors to find and access.

By making your contact information easy to find, your visitors can quickly get in touch with you. This shows that you are easily accessible and available to answer any questions the customer may have regarding a product or service. This makes users feel like there are real people behind your business, making your site more reliable and trustworthy.

An easy-to-understand return policy

As online shopping becomes more and more common, so should easy return policies. Online consumers don’t get to see, touch, or smell the physical product before they buy it, so it’s important that ecommerce sites have reasonable return policies available for their customers.

eMarketer reports that more than half of all online shoppers won’t do business with a company if they feel the return policies are too strict. A clear and concise return policy gives consumers a feeling of security that they will be receiving what they are purchasing. If a retailer doesn’t give this guarantee, then consumers become suspicious and may avoid buying the product.

Develop a fair return policy that is visibly posted on your website for your customers to see. We recommend having agreements with conditions, such as time limits. For example, the customer should know that they have 30 days to decide whether the product satisfies his or her needs. If the customer decides to return after the 30 days, you can charge a restocking fee or offer store credit. Most importantly, make sure all these terms and conditions are clear and visible for all your customers.

Trust Seal

Trust is essential for all businesses with an online presence, but it’s especially important for those that rely on online sales. According to a study that measured online shopping behavior, over 70% of shoppers would cancel their online orders just because they didn’t trust the website.

In order to gain your visitors' trust, you need to remove their doubts by keeping your website secure. One way you can prove that your store is secure and clean of malicious code is by displaying a trust badge on your website. Trust badges give customers the greatest sense of security and trust when shopping on a website.

Keep in mind, not all trust badges are created equal. If a customer doesn’t recognize the trust badge on your website then trust will not be established. McAfee SECURE is a great example of a popular trust badge that your customers will recognize. According to a test performed by InFlow, the McAfee SECURE trustmark is the seal most likely to increase conversions.

Social Media

Back in the day businesses relied on word of mouth marketing—one satisfied customer tells a friend, who then tells two more friends, and so on. Today social media provides the benefit of reaching millions of people worldwide.

If your business isn’t on social media, you’re missing out on a lot of marketing opportunities. 90% of all marketers say social media marketing has increased their business exposure. When you have a social media presence, you make it easier for your customers to find you and connect with you. Communicating and engaging with your customers is one of the best ways to understand your target market and the key to great customer service.

Having a strong social media presence also builds trust. When you’re engaging with the public on social media, you’re building a connection, which shows customers you value them. Regular posts on social media show that your brand is active and alive. It also provides your loyal customers and fans with fun facts and information about your company. This allows customers to see you as more than just a business, but as a brand with personality and vision—this is what makes you more relatable and trustworthy.

Wrapping Up

When looking to get more visitors to your website it’s important to have the basics that make people feel safe. Simple adjustments to your site, like making your contact information easy to find, creating a fair return policy, adding trust badges onto every page of your website, and using social media to engage with your customers will all help alleviate doubt. These simple tools will convince your visitors that your website is a place they want to shop.