How Brands Earn Consumers’ Trust as E-Commerce Soars
The e-commerce business is soaring to great heights and will scale to exponential levels in the years to come. A brand that is not online has already lost a huge amount of business. E-commerce sites are a respite to the shoppers.
Real life success story of trust that propels growth
All this points to the huge potential that the e-commerce business has to offer. Before you read about how brands can earn trust as the e-commerce business soars, let us look into a real-life story of an e-commerce business that successfully captured a huge market base.
Airbnb
Airbnb, a site that is 100% about serving customers has no product if not for its consumers. The online marketplace that lets homeowners and travelers meet used a smart strategy to promote their business to build consumer trust. Instead of telling their story themselves, they let their customers tell their stories which worked in their favor to gain market trust.
It clearly shows that an e-commerce business can only flourish if it can capture its customers' trust.Are you wondering how to go about it? We have you covered.
How to establish trust in your e-commerce store
It is the trust that makes customers make a purchase from you and keep coming back to you. While digital marketing, online advertising, and the search engine does work to create brand awareness, you need more than that to earn your consumers' trust as the competition in the e-commerce field grows. Here is how brands earn customer trust.
Organized and professional looking site
Your site should be able to capture the viewers’ attention at the first go. It should look professional and legitimate. Make sure that the website design is organized with proper site navigation, product categories, and menu options. The website should also have a consistent color scheme. All this will build the customers' confidence in your e-commerce brand since they know where they will be led to when they click on any link. On the other hand, if your website confuses visitors, then they will bounce off your page. The more user-friendly your website is, the higher are the chances that they will have become your repeat customers.
Security of your site
If you see a lock icon next to the URL, this indicates an SSL or a secure socket layer. It is an advanced security measure that handles sensitive information. Customers look to shop with such websites only because they are confident that the content is secure and all their information shared on the site will be encrypted. Customers know what to look for, so make sure to check with your hosting provider to get SSL or HTTPS encryption as a part of your hosting package.
Client reviews and testimonials
Online reviews are taken seriously by shoppers. Most of them rely on these testimonials to proceed with the purchase. Take your customer reviews seriously, be it online or a word-of-mouth review. The client testimonials give credibility to your website. Ask for customer reviews upfront and adhere to them.
Product guarantee
Product guarantee and return policies are something that consumers look at closely before they shop with any e-commerce business. A store that offers products with the proper guarantee and offers refund policies is trusted. Be it a product or a service-based company, a warranty helps customers build trust in your brand.
Offer promotional offers
We all like to be treated well and with your e-commerce site step ahead to offer coupon codes and special discounts to customers that can keep them happy. It shows that you are concerned which in turn builds on the clients’ belief in your site.
Customer help desk
A 24/7 chat support or a customer help desk makes your consumers confident that they always have help on hand when they shop through your site. It also helps to increase sales. This feature enhances consumers' online experience. It is also an added advantage if consumers can escalate the matter to the e-commerce brand manager.
Filters and search feature
Your site should be well laid out letting your customers get especially what they are looking for within seconds. The search feature is a good way to go about it. You can put filters on your home page for the popular and featured products, products on sale, and the best- reviewed products or based on price. Go creative and narrow down the choices as much as you can. It will let the customers to easily find the product that they are looking for. It, in turn. enhances their experience of buying on your website.
No hidden cost
When you are upfront about your handling, shipping, and delivery costs, then the customers are in the know. It makes it less likely for them to abandon their cart during checkout. If there is a cost waiver on the purchase of a certain amount, then make sure to specify the same. Create a link for the return and shipping policies on the checkout page so that everything is disclosed to the consumer.
Share buttons
Share buttons on e-commerce sites are a must. It lets customers share their potential purchases with their spouse or family members before they take any decision.
Conclusion
The e-commerce business is soaring to great heights and will scale to exponential levels in the years to come. A brand that is not online has already lost a huge amount of business. E-commerce sites are a respite to the shoppers.However, as per the E-commerce brand analytics, for a brand to survive in this industry is not easy. It takes seconds for customers to switch from you to your competitor. E-commerce customer loyalty does not exist. You are as good as the time you can hold the customer’s attention for. With e-commerce soaring to huge heights and all brands venturing into this space, it is only through innovation and trust that your brand can earn consumer confidence. This can be driven by innovative industry tools like Wersel Workdesk Tool, Counterfeit, Product Recommendations, and Price Intelligence products. They will provide real time insights about products and target shoppers better. It, in turn, will let you survive and sustain in this business for long.
No one wants to partner with a company that they do not trust inherently. Use the techniques listed above if you wish to boost the credibility of your e-commerce site. It will build belief which in turn will translate to more sales and revenue for your e-commerce store.
