Every relationship is built on trust, including the ones you share with your customers. As a business, your customers are your lifeblood, which means you can’t afford to lose them. As an online business, forging strong relationships with your customers can be a challenge because you’re unable to interact with them face-to-face. However, there are numerous tactics you can use to build customer trust as an eCommerce business.
How To Build Customer Trust Online
Whether you’re a new online startup or a seasoned business, take a look at how you can successfully build customer trust below.
Be Available
One of the disadvantages of running an eCommerce business is that customers are unable to work with a floor representative if they have questions. However, this doesn’t have to be the case. With online chatbots, you can have a team of customer service representatives readily available to assist your customers. Take Trust and Will, for example. Below, you’ll notice on their homepage, and any page on the site, that you can click a chatbox and type any question you may have.
Not only should your eCommerce website have a chatbox, but it should also have a “Contact Us” page where customers can find email addresses to different departments, a phone number for customer service, and any other pertinent information they can access to have a query answered. With direct and immediate communication, your customers will have no doubt you’re a reliable and trustworthy company.
Be Transparent
As an online retailer, you don’t have the opportunity to interact with customers in-person. This can make it hard for your audience to understand your brand and know who you are. One way to build trust is by being transparent and showing your audience who’s behind the computer working for your company.
A great way to be transparent is by having an “About Us” page, along with employee profiles that show customers who are helping run the business. On top of that, you can create a series on social media where different employees introduce themselves, what they do at your company, or discuss the products or services you sell. You need to put a voice and face to your brand.
Employee transparency isn’t the only aspect of your business that you should be open about, either. With online sales, customers don’t have the opportunity to look, feel, or test your products, which can make them skeptical. This is why you want to be transparent about the products and services you sell.
Some ways to be transparent about your products and services include:
- Allowing an attractive return policy if customers aren’t happy with their order
- Providing free demos or test trials
- Being open about shipping times
- Explaining your exchange or refund process
Build a Secure Website
As the age-old adage goes, “don’t trust anything you see on the internet.” Because it can be difficult for customers to differentiate between secure and risky websites, they may be reluctant to try your products or services, especially if you’re a new eCommerce business.
To instill a sense of trust when customers visit your page, it’s important to let them know your site is safe and secure. This can be done by protecting your site with an EV SSL certificate, which encrypts your customer’s data, such as their credit card, email, and personal information, to prevent hackers from accessing it. Secure websites will have a “lock” icon to the left of their domain name in the navigation bar.
Highlight Testimonials and Reviews
Reviews and testimonials are extremely powerful. 82% of online shoppers read online reviews. With that in mind, reviews are crucial to building a sense of trust with your customers. One way to increase the number of reviews you get is by asking customers who bought a product or service to rate their experience on a 5-star scale and write a short review. However, under any circumstance, never post fake reviews. Not only are fake reviews illegal, but customers can spot them from a mile away.
In addition to reviews, create a page dedicated to customer testimonials. While positive testimonials should be highlighted, don’t be nervous about posting ones that have constructive feedback, as these show your company is authentic and not immune to mistakes.
Ask for Feedback
Nobody’s perfect, including your business. While you might think the products and services are the best they can be, there is always room for improvement. The best way to grow your business and show how much you care about your customers is by asking them for feedback. By showing your customers that you’re committed to growth, they’ll get a better sense of your values and mission. If they see their feedback was taken seriously because you implemented it, they’ll love your company even more.
There are a few ways you can ask for feedback as an eCommerce business. One way is through a weekly or monthly newsletter that customers subscribe to. In your email, ask customers to send in any thoughts or ideas they may have to make your products better. Another way is by having your customer service representatives ask for feedback when they’re speaking with a customer.
Building a trustworthy eCommerce business
Customers want to know what they’re buying online is real and genuine. The best way to ensure customers that they’re buying from a reputable business is by building trust. There are numerous ways you can show visitors on your eCommerce site that you’re not only trustworthy, but an excellent site to shop at. From being available 24/7 to highlighting customer reviews and testimonials, these are just some of the ways you can successfully build customer trust.
Samantha Rupp
Samantha Rupp holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and is the managing editor for 365businesstips.com. She lives in San Diego, California, and enjoys spending time on the beach, reading up on current industry trends, and traveling.
