10 ways to build trust with your website

Scam products, fake news, clickbait, paid influencers, and fake reviews. We’ve seen it all and are tired of it. How do we get back to what is true and trustworthy? Google uses human reviewers to look at your website for signals of expertise, authority, and trust. Here are 10 ways to build trust with your website… imagining that your website is a person and we’re meeting for the first time:

1. Be yourself.

It’s the plot of every coming of age movie and the advice we hear given out all the time. It applies to websites too. When you go to a site and it’s full of superlatives, sensational claims, heavily impersonal, or yelling at you, it’s like a bad first date. Being authentic online is both easy and hard. Write in your own voice. Be how you would be if you were with me in person and explaining your business to me. Anything else feels fake and offputting. Talk normally. Be human. 

2. Don’t hide who you are.

Make it easy for me to find out your full name, company address, contact phone number, and email address. A photo helps too. It makes me feel I can trust you with my information when you openly give me yours first.

3. Tell me who your friends are.

Show me testimonials with full names and their company. That way, I can ask them for their opinion of you too and check out what you’re saying is really true. I’m suspicious when you have anonymous quotes or none at all. I wonder how long you’ve been in business.

4. Show me your work.

I want to be able to check it out for myself on my own schedule. Don’t make me contact you to see samples, portfolio, or case studies. Why hide it if you’re proud of it? Why make me work hard to find out when I just met you?

5. Read my mind.

Answer all the questions I have on your website so I feel like you really understand where I’m coming from, and that I will be safe in your hands when we work together.

6. Don’t confuse me.

I’m tired and overwhelmed. Don’t scare me with jargon and terminology I don’t understand. Please make it easy to do business with you.

7. Care about me.

Tell me all the types of personal support you offer. How long do you take to help if I need you? Do I have to pay more or is support included? Will I be dealing with real humans or put into an automated ticketed system?

8. Dress appropriately.

A tired, dated, worn, broken website gives off a bad impression. As does an avant-garde one for many occasions.

9. Keep it current.

When all the latest news you have to tell me is two years old, I’ll walk away wondering if you’re still in business and if you know anything about the latest innovations.

10. Show me you take my privacy and security seriously.

Have a valid security certificate, privacy policy, and don’t ask me for more information than you really need.