Discover the actions you must take to ensure that your website projects a trustworthy image to the world.
The first step for your company or business to be on the Internet is to have a website, but the work does not end there. Your site or page is the image of your business to the world, that’s why you should pay special attention to build it as best as possible, looking for it to be attractive, clear and reliable. That is why today we are going to show you how to have a trustworthy website.
Having a trustworthy website gives you double benefits, because on the one hand your visitors and future customers value you more and come back to you to learn about new products or acquired them, and on the other hand, being a trustworthy website is an important value for the Google algorithm, so if the search engine values you as such, it will place you in better positions within the search results, which means more visibility, more visitors and faster positioning.
If you are convinced of the importance of being a trustworthy website, keep reading because in today’s post we will give you some tips to achieve that trust you need. Basically, you have to convince visitors in two aspects: that your business is real and that your website is not a fraud.
Become an HTTPS
Since 2017 Google Chrome announced that it would mark pages that were not https as not secure, many websites tried to transform as soon as possible, but maybe you are still not clear about the differences between http and https or how to transform your web into an https website.
Both acronyms refer to the text transfer protocol used by the web, i.e. the data transfer protocol between the server and the client over the Internet. The problem is that the data transmission was not secure and was susceptible to cyber-attacks and data theft by hackers.
That is why an extra layer of security was added for the data transmitted between client and server, which is basically encrypted information, thus the https protocol was born.
As you can imagine, the pages that are displayed with this padlock generate much more trust among those who visit them, especially if they have to deliver confidential information within it, for example emails or bank account information. Today the Internet user knows whether or not he or she is on a secure website if it has the icon of a closed padlock in green.
An extra advantage if you make this transformation is that you can position yourself better in the search results, since Google gives preferences to pages identified as secure against others that are not.
To obtain this certificate you have to get an SSL certificate provider, who is in charge of encrypting the information; most hosts offer this service at an additional cost.
Pay attention to the design
It may seem superficial, but an unprofessional or very simple design can also affect your credibility with your visitors. Remember that at the end of the day your website is often the first impression a customer has of you.
Some general recommendations to make your web look professional are: choose a serious and clear font in all characters, forget about using extravagant or not very serious fonts such as “comics sans” or “shadows into light”.
Use images with good resolution and that have a clear relationship with your content, it is even better if you try to create your own images. We have already talked about the importance of the content on your website, which must be creative, innovative and clear, of course without spelling mistakes.
Also, it is very important that your design is simple and that the different sections of the site are easy to access and are at a glance, avoid complicated designs in which the users have to enter one and another window to find what they want.
Keep your site updated
An important part of maintaining your website is to be aware of updates. Keeping your site updated also helps you to build trust among your visitors, as it can be very annoying for them if the page doesn’t load properly or sends error messages.
After updating the technical part of your site do not forget to update your content, especially contact information, features of services and products you offer and, of course, prices.
Extra security for online stores
Undoubtedly all types of websites need to demonstrate that they are secure and reliable sites, however for online stores and e-commerce online security is even more important.
If you have an online store don’t skimp on expenses for extra security. One of the extra seals that you should add are the security seals of purchase and anti-fraud, you can get them if you hire the services of antivirus companies, such as Norton, Google Trusted Store, Geo Trust or McAfee Secure that are highly valued by consumers because they guarantee that their payment data is safe.
Stay active on your social networks
An important part of building trust among visitors and consumers of our website is feedback and the best way to achieve this is through social networks. That’s why links to your profiles should be in a visible place on your website.
Even more important than pointing out the links is to keep active in social networks, making publications about offers, products or recommendations and very important answering comments on them. After all, it gives us all trust to know that behind the screen there is a human who can help us.
Clear and visible contact information
Along with your social media information, extra contact information, such as phone numbers and email, should be clearly visible. If possible, optimize your page with a live chat, which can solve the questions of your customers and visitors in real time. The site Econsultancy, after a study on trustworthiness, affirms that people trust more in a website with which they can communicate.
Incorporate a FAQ section
Almost every time we want to buy a product or a service on the Internet we have many doubts regarding its operation, price or delivery method and it is easier for us to trust a website that solves them in a clear way.
That is why it is best to identify the most common questions about your products, prices, rates, shipping and return policies. It is best that the answers to these questions are posted in a special section within your website. In this section you should be completely transparent.
Add a testimonials section
Also consider adding a testimonials section, either in written or video form, this helps a lot to gain trust among your potential customers, because there is nothing like hearing the recommendation of a real person.
As you can see, appearing as a trustworthy website before Google and the public is not a very complicated task; you just need to pay attention to details, invest to ensure security in data transmission and be transparent with the information.
Tell us, what did you think of this guide? Do you think that something else is needed to have a trustworthy website?