8 eshop elements are checked by customers before they trust you.

1. Opinions

Opinions are the factor that will decide the purchase. Reliable options from real customers will work in a similar way to recommendations of friends, i.e., the buyer will be more likely to trust the company. Customers can look for opinions about the company on a search engine, on social media, on price comparison websites, or websites that collect customer ratings. The search can also take place in various forms and thematic groups – that is why it is worth using media monitoring tools.

An element that can strengthen your credibility is customer opinions about specific products. So, the buyer who views a specific item can immediately view the ratings and opinions of other people who have previously purchased the product. Further, it diversifies the subpage and attracts additional traffic from people who are looking for a recommendation. 

2. Appearance and UX

First impressions matter because we buy online with our eyes. If the shop’s website looks unfinished, there are errors on it, no graphics and photos are displayed, or overall, it looks unprofessional, then the customer may be discouraged. There are also situations when fraudsters build ecommerce websites that look identical to another well-known store. Thus, they want to take advantage of the attention of potential customers who will not notice that the store is impersonating a different brand. The appearance of the website in line with current trends, consistency and adapting to be as useful as possible for the recipient is nowadays an indispensable element of building credibility. It is worth using tools such as Google Analytics or Hotjar.

The usefulness of the content is equally important as it translates into the UX of the entire store. Write briefly and use simple language. Remember about the text layout, font size and type. The colour of the text in relation to the page background is also important – the contrast will facilitate the reception of the text. The easier the website is for the customer, the greater the chance of persuading him to buy.

3. Professional descriptions

The written word in ecommerce matters. The text and photos are the foundations of sales that affect the credibility and image of the store. The fact that descriptions and content on your website cannot contain errors and should be written correctly is obvious. Linguistic accuracy proves your professionalism and is the basis that builds customer trust in your brand. It’s also worth considering search engine optimization for both product descriptions and category descriptions. The category descriptions are very valuable in terms of driving traffic from Google.

4. Regulations

It is a mandatory element that regulates and describes the detailed rules for concluding an online purchase contract. The regulations should contain information on the rules of purchase, payment methods, terms of withdrawal from the contract, as well as regulate the issues of complaints and returns. The provisions on the protection of personal data are very important and their transparency is a key element proving the credibility of the e-shop. Consumer rights are the basis for the construction of the regulations. It also cannot be a copy from another online store. If a consumer has doubts about any of the regulations, he can verify it at any time in the register of prohibited clauses kept by the consumer protection office. All small prints, unclear and suspicious entries are the basis not to trust such a website. Therefore, it is worth taking the time to prepare such a document and make sure it is displayed in the right place on the page so that the customer does not have to waste time finding it.

5. All safety-related elements

When making purchases, customers leave their details at your store. By deciding to take this step, they already place some trust in the brand. You have to take care of every aspect of the process so that the buyer feels absolutely safe. Requiring too much data (which in practice is not necessary to complete the transaction) can deter and discourage the consumer. Even if you ask for a date of birth in order to, for example, send a birthday greeting to a client in the future, put yourself in his shoes – it would undoubtedly raise your suspicions as well.

An extremely important element is also an SSL certificate that provides encryption of the connection. For customers, it is visible in the browser’s address bar in the form of a padlock, where, after clicking, it is displayed that the connection is secure. More and more Internet users pay attention to the warning that the domain is unsecured. In addition to building trust in the eyes of the client, the certificate has a good effect on the positioning of the website on the search engine. In fact, in the current market realities, it is privacy and a sense of security that are one of the most important factors influencing the degree of trust in an e-shop.

6. Payment

Payments in e-shops are the most critical point. A variety of payment methods is a sign for the customer that the company is trustworthy. When the customer only sees the possibility of paying for purchases by bank transfer, a warning lamp should light up in his head. Traditional transfer, although simple, is the least secure form. The online store should offer the most convenient solutions for the customer, which are also recognizable in the minds of Internet users. The ability to pay by card, pay-by links or payment on delivery will definitely increase the trust in your ecommerce store. Remember that the customer’s convenience and his free choice may make the final purchase decision.

7. Company’s contact details

Transparency and showing the client that he can contact you wherever it is most convenient for him is another step to strengthen trust. A website where the customer will not find contact or registration details will raise serious doubts. In the appropriate tab, you should provide the name of the company that runs the e-shop, address, contact numbers, e-mail address or other options for contacting you. It is not uncommon for the customer to verify the credibility of the store by phone or email. Therefore, it is also worth taking care of service in these channels, e.g., by unifying e-mails through a dedicated template consistent with the identification of your website.

8. Social media presence

Today, it is difficult to find a business that does not have a corporate page on Facebook. It is a place where a brand can shape its image, show a human face, inform about promotions or events of the company, and also sell and serve as one of the contact methods. Customers often visit the Facebook of a given store or company before making a purchase. Even if this channel is not your priority, consistent and careful communication will definitely pay off in the eyes of the client. The active community that contributes in the comments under the brand’s posts is the best proof that it is worth trusting such a company. Also, efficient replies in private messages definitely contribute to credibility and professionalism. Quick response means that the customer does not have to wait and will not give up buying from you.

Find out about the reasons why customers like to buy online, but more importantly – see why some customers choose not to buy online. For several years, studies have listed facts where either the product is too valuable to order online or there is a lack of trust in online transactions. Research also shows that opinions about the online store, the option of paying on delivery and clear information about the return and complaint policy are very high in building trust in the online seller. Remember that the process of building trust in an online store is long-lasting, but it is worthwhile because, in the long run, you can increase not only the customer’s loyalty to the brand but also the value of his shopping cart.