At some point in the conversion process, trust becomes the most critical factor. Can I trust this company? Will they deliver? Will they take my money? What if I'm not happy with the product/service? Who are they? What do they stand for? How much experience do they have? Will they share my information? What do their reviews say?
These and many other questions will be in the minds of all new prospects. It's your job as the marketer to make sure to design a page that demonstrates proper trust. Don't just throw up a few reviews and think your job is done. You have to overcompensate for the built-in lack of trust your prospects will have. Here are some ways to build trust and increase your web page conversions. These are simply methods to build trust.
Creating a great footer is a fantastic way to establish trust. Besides the items listed below, what other elements might be important for a great footer?
When you have nothing but 5-star reviews, it can be perceived as fake. And data proves that when there are nothing but perfect reviews, customers lose trust in a business. When displaying reviews on a web page, throw in a few 4-star reviews for added "realness'. And include a variety of reviews that are written from the heart and are not necessarily glowing. You want reviews to seem as balanced as possible. And when you get a 3 or 4-star review, don't fret. As long as you have a majority of great reviews, these "sub par"
reviews can actually help build trust and conversions.
When writing copy, avoid sounding weak and your readers will trust and understand you more. These are two of the tenants a good CRO company understands. People have to believe you and trust you before they'll convert. Here are some examples of weak-sounding content. I see them almost every single day, usually multiple times per day:
To be honest: (this implies that you sometimes are not. Just be honest, no need to tell people you're being honest if you're always honest. Unless you're not honest all the time. In that case, always tell people that you're being honest so they know the difference between when you're lying or not )
I personally... (this is redundant)
I also want to say...(no need to say that you want to say something. Just say it.)
The fact is: (no need to state that you're stating a fact. Just state the fact.)
Literally: (if something is literal, it should be obvious. Don't use this word if that is the case. This word is way overused.)
Really: (just don't ever use this word unless you want to sound unintelligent)
Very: (same as above)
Stuff: (same as above above)
Always or Never: (almost nothing is always or never. When you exaggerate, you lose trust in your readers)
In my opinion: (it will go without saying that something is your opinion. Nobody think your word is God)
Added bonus: (this is just dumb. A bonus is by definition "added")
I'd like to ask a question: (just ask the question and stop sounding like you lack confidence.)
The majority of: (the word "most" works way better here)
In the event that: ("if" is more than suitable for this. Use it instead)
Increase trust and conversions by including Linked-in and other social profiles on "About", "Team" and "Contact" pages. There is also belief that this helps with rankings (as heard on SEO Fight Club).
The more you do to establish to strangers that you are a real organization, with real people who have real, aged, and active social profiles, the more likely you are to convert.
At some point in the conversion process, trust becomes the limiting factor. This usually happens after a website visitor becomes persuaded by the overall offering.
Enter the "Trust Trial".
The "Trust Trial" is composed of a series of touch-points that clearly demonstrate the trustworthiness of a particular business and its offerings. This is a crucial juncture that cannot be overlooked or "phoned in". In fact, depending on the industry, it may be necessary to overcompensate for a perceived lack of trust in the industry.
For example, attorneys are one of the least trusted of all professions. This means that in order to get a website visitor to convert, an overwhelming amount of evidence is necessary to overcompensate for that perceived lack of trust.
It is not enough to simply throw up a testimonial. The testimonial needs to be able to be quickly verified. Anybody can write whatever they want on their site. Without a quick way to validate the testimonial, it is meaningless.
Testimonials also need to sound and look genuine. Even more importantly, the testimonial needs to be relevant to the overall pitch of the page. So if the page is promising high profits on stock investments, the testimonial shouldn't just be about how nice the people at the company are. The testimonial should state that they received high profits from their investments.
It is absolutely crucial to demonstrate to a potential customer that the organization making an offering of services or products or both is reliable, legitimate, and safe to do business with.
Some of the obvious elements of a web page that can help instill trust in a website visitor are:
There are many other ways to build trust with your potential customers. What are some of your favorite techniques to make website visitors feel safe enough to make initial content or a purchase?
Robert Portillo is the founder of Nimbus Marketing. Nothing satisfies him more than expressing his thoughts well. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two sons. He can often be found at local farmer’s markets, hiking trails, and the beach.
