6 foolproof ways your online store can build total trust

Trust – truly the cornerstone of any successful e-commerce store. But what makes customers place their faith in an online store? What reassures shoppers that an operation is legit and the products are as promised? There are several factors – so here’s a handy cheat sheet to help you make sure your online store is hitting the spots that customers care about.

1. First impressions really do count

The harsh reality is that it takes human beings only seven seconds to form an opinion about another person based purely on physical appearance – and the same logic applies to online shopping. Your website design should be beautiful, easy to navigate, and work seamlessly on both desktop and mobile. And don’t forget those page loading times – a slow loading page can have an unpleasant effect on a store’s credibility.

2. Keep your content consistent

Tone of voice, product categorization and information, product photos – keeping the same look and feel across your entire online store creates a seamless experience for your customers, with no nasty surprises lurking…all adding up to extra points for your e-commerce credibility levels.

3. Trust badges are the best

There are several types of trust badges out there. These are a great way to demonstrate your store’s trustworthiness to customers. You’ve probably seen that little SSL security lock icon a million times by now – it signals a site is secure, so it’s a no brainer that this is an essential badge for any e-commerce store. Same goes for secure payment icons.

4. Social proof: the ultimate credibility

The best way to gain your customers' trust? Through the voices of your previous customers. At its simplest, social proof can be harnessed through short text reviews and customer star ratings. But how about taking this one step further and utilizing UGC videos in your online store? After all, UGC videos on YouTube get 10x more views than branded content. For many customers, UGC videos are what makes the difference between consideration and conversion.

5. It’s good to talk

Not everything always goes to plan when shopping online – returns and refunds are sometimes necessary. So it's important that your customers can easily reach you. Make sure contact details are simple to find and that you communicate return and refund processes and policies clearly.

6. Nothing says validity like product video

E-commerce throws up both challenges and opportunities not faced by bricks and mortar stores. Once you’ve earned your customers’ trust through great design, good reviews, beautiful photos, and all the right trust badges, there’s still one hurdle left – how to really showcase your products in a way that gives shoppers the richest possible information. Customers are looking for a demonstration of a product’s value. And to make informed decisions, they need to see how a product looks in action.

This is where video content comes into its own. 96% of users watch explainer videos to learn more about a product or service. And of those, a huge 88% are persuaded to make a purchase. Remember what we were saying about great website design? You’ll want to integrate videos into your online store in as seamless a way as possible. And place them in a prime page position – often near the top of the page, next to the add-to-cart button. Videoly takes care of all that – from finding the right video for your product, through to quality control and video player embedding. Shoppers who view product demo videos are 1.81 times more likely to make a purchase than non-viewers, meaning that for online stores seeking both credibility and conversions, videos are a win-win.

Remember what we were saying about great website design? You’ll want to integrate videos into your online store in as seamless a way as possible. And place them in a prime page position – often near the top of the page, next to the add-to-cart button. Videoly takes care of all that – from finding the right video for your product, through to quality control and video player embedding. Shoppers who view product demo videos are 1.81 times more likely to make a purchase than non-viewers, meaning that for online stores seeking both credibility and conversions, videos are a win-win.