Online shoppers are wary of eCommerce sites and the products sold there. They want to know they can trust you, but how?
There are several ways to inspire trust from your customers, but the way you communicate with them through your website is of utmost importance.
With a few adjustments and some good communication, you can more than double ecommerce sales that come in overtime.
In this article, I'll talk about the challenges of building trust, how to inspire your customers to communicate openly and keep them coming back for more.
Whether you’re just starting an online business or have been running one for years, the first step in inspiring trust with your customers is to make sure you're honest about your delivery times.
The key to keeping customers happy is ensuring they are aware of all the terms and conditions of your business and what you can provide them.
For example, it's important to be clear about what shipping methods you have or how long it will take for an item to be delivered.
Truthfulness is a big part of building customer trust. Many companies believe that stretching the truth is okay but this isn't true at all.
When it comes down to building trust, telling the truth is always best because once you've lied to a customer, they won't likely go back again.
Customers are using review sites like Yelp and Google My Business, as well as social media websites like Facebook and Instagram to find out more information about you as a business so it is good practice to be honest with the customers from the start.
It’s also a good idea to encourage customers to leave their own personal reviews on your website after they buy and try out a product.
The next way to inspire trust in your customers is by having a delivery time that you stick with.
It's important that you set realistic expectations for your delivery times and that you don't end up disappointing the customer.
Review the different shipping options available to you and always opt for the fastest one available.
By setting realistic delivery times and sticking to them you can show your customers that you're reliable, dedicated, and open to their needs. Of course, this doesn't just apply to shipping methods but also the time it takes for an item to be created (if need be).
If you have a smaller business selling handmade items, your customer must know that they are buying something hand-made so it may take you longer than expected to get the item shipped off.
A lot of eCommerce stores end up losing sales because their customers don't know how their products will arrive at their homes or workplaces.
To prevent this from happening, you must let your customers know what shipping options are available to them and how long it will take for an item to be delivered.
When a customer is about to purchase on your site and they have several shipping options at their disposal, they'll feel empowered knowing that they have choices.
And when they opt for a faster option like a rush delivery or overnight shipping, this can build more trust in your business because you're showing them that you're willing to ensure they get their orders as soon as possible.
Being honest with your customers is even more important if you decide to dropship higher ticket items since customers have much higher expectations when it comes to these items.
As an eCommerce store owner you will have to deal with stock-outs at times. Customers may come to the site when they know a particular item is out of stock and this can sometimes make them leave for good, never to return.
To avoid having your customers leave you, you need to put up new stock as soon as possible.
This can be done by planning and keeping items in backstock that are likely to run low on stock or even by sourcing supplies from another supplier so that deliveries are quicker.
If a customer is wanting a product from your store, it's important to remove all barriers that may prevent them from making the purchase.
If you have an item in stock but delivery will take longer than expected, you can always offer an option to the customer with faster shipping options.
You can even offer up similar products at a discounted price so they don't have to wait for the original product and can make a purchase right away.
You may be a small business with only one or two employees but if you can invest in quality brand content, this can mean more traffic to your website.
Your customers will trust you when they're assured that the information they are reading is correct and that it's up-to-date.
Free tools like Google My Business help users find out more about you as a company and what kind of business you run so investing time into creating quality content for your website and social media pages is time well spent.
You can also consider creating additional content around your product, which might include items such as hosting your own podcast, creating videos showing customers how to use the product and anything else of value that you might think of.
When you use social media as a tool to build a community with your customers, it not only helps them feel more attached to your brand, but also allows them to give you feedback too.
Whenever customers are giving your business their thoughts on something or even just saying hello, this can help establish the conversation between you and your customer from the start - all things that go towards building trust.
Image Credit: http://digitalsparkmarketing.com
It's important that when using social media, you respond promptly and don't appear disinterested in what your customer has to say because if they feel like they're being ignored then there is no way for them to trust you.
If your customers need to get in touch with you and you're not available, they'll feel ignored which will make them lose trust and confidence.
For example, there could be a technical issue with the website which requires urgent attention if it's to be resolved but when no one answers their emails or someone responds days later, this can create negative feelings towards your company.
Customers want to know that they can reach you both online and offline so make sure your store has contact information - items such as an email address for inquiries along with a phone number for customer service purposes.
If the delivery status of an item doesn't show up on the tracking system or if there is some sort of discrepancy when trying to place an order online, then resolve it as soon as possible.
If you take longer than necessary to respond, your customers could start jumping to conclusions which could lead them away from your company even though there is a fixable problem with the website or service.
By always communicating with your customers and being present both online and offline, you can encourage more trust and customer loyalty because there is never a question about whether or not they can get in touch with you.
One of the best ways to get your name out into social media circles is by working with a social media manager that can get influencers on your side.
These influencers are ideally ones who are already talking about similar products and services on their channels.
When a customer sees someone they trust recommend you, it provides them with more reasons to do business with you.
These recommendations can be posted as YouTube videos, Instagram posts, or even on related blogs - so don't be afraid to keep tabs on what these influencers say so that you can address any concerns before anyone voices them online.
By using social media influencers to recommend your personal brand, you can make customers trust you more since they already have a connection with the other person.
As the times change, products are updated to keep up with what's popular and this is one of the best ways to show that your business cares about its customers.
For example, sunglasses were a pretty big hit in the past but now, there are more high tech versions that use Bluetooth technology so you can connect them to your phone and play music while still protecting your eyes from harmful UV rays.
If you take the time to see what’s trending now and update the listings on your website to reflect this, it makes it easier for customers to trust you because you’ve kept up with the current trends - which means that you also have their best interests at heart (along with yours).
If you're unsure of how to stay relevant within an industry or if you want ideas on how to build trust through new product development, look at similar brands that are doing exceptionally well (or even those that aren't - there are always lessons to be learned).
Another way to stay up-to-date with product development is when you're keeping track of consumer trends.
Look at what people are talking about online and start testing out similar products or ideas so that your customers can see how much you care about them.
It may seem like a no-brainer, but when you're trying to create trust you need to be held accountable for what is being said.
If you say that a customer can expect an item by a certain date, then make sure they get the right item on time or even early if possible.
If possible, also include tracking information so that customers can see where their items are at all times.
By sending the right product before the expected delivery date and including tracking details, you will encourage more trust from customers because they feel safe in knowing that everything's going as planned.
Alternatively, if something happens with an order, then you need to make sure that the customer is still getting what they want.
You could have a similar product delivered (but do let them know about this change) or offer them money back for their troubles.
This shows your customers that you're not just interested in profit, but also in keeping them satisfied - which builds even more trust since they know that they can rely on your business to keep their needs and wants in mind when making decisions.
Consumers look for warranty information to make sure that they can trust the products or services they have purchased.
If you haven't mentioned a warranty, then the customer won't know what's covered and what isn't, which could lead them to distrust your brand because of this oversight.
By including all of the necessary details such as how long it covers certain items, if there are any limits on when these warranties expire, who is eligible for it, and other relevant information, you will help build trust between your company and consumers.
This way, customers are aware of what to expect, which also means fewer complaints later on since everyone knows what to expect from one another.
Also, if something happens to a product or service, then you'll want to address it promptly to keep the customer satisfied.
For example, if they think that an item is defective, take the time to investigate their claim. If you verify this and realize that they are right, you could offer another product or even give their money back for their troubles.
This shows that you care about them as much as your company because what matters more than anything is keeping the customer happy and improving the experience which builds trust between yourself and your community of people.
Content marketing can be used as a way to build trust with customers especially since they know that you're invested in helping them learn more about your products and services - otherwise why would anyone bother creating any of this information?
If there's no reason behind it apart from making money – something that customers are more aware of than ever before – then they're less likely to trust you and what your company has to offer.
However, if the content is original, engaging, and helps address common questions or problems people have when using products or services like yours, it shows that these issues are important to your business which encourages trust.
When your customers realize that their voice matters, their trust in you increases.
One way that you can inspire trust from your customers is by being responsive on social media.
For example, check to see if there are questions or concerns posted about any of the items sold through your store so you can address them.
This shows that you're not afraid to take a customer's side even when they raise an issue with one of your products or services.
Another way to encourage trust is by responding to each inquiry quickly.
If someone has a problem with something, then you'll want to address it promptly so efforts can be made towards correcting the issue as soon as possible.
The key to keeping customers happy is ensuring they are aware of all the terms and conditions of your business and what you can provide them.
For example, it's important to be clear about what shipping methods you have or how long it will take for an item to be delivered.
Giving this information upfront means less buyer's remorse later on since everyone knows exactly what's involved before making a purchase.
Having a variety of payment providers on your website shows that your business is legitimate because there are many fraudulent operations out there that take advantage of unaware consumers - with this in mind, it's crucial to make sure you're above board with all the policies involved.
Plus, when you're dealing with sensitive payment information, having the right security measures in place (as well as securing your site using the right protocols), can help streamline this payment process.
This will allow customers to trust you when handing over their payment information, knowing that you’ll keep it safe.
Another way that eCommerce retailers can build more trust with their customers is by providing quality content that their customers can relate to and trust.
If a customer trusts the information they read on your website, then it's another reason why they'd want to continue working with you because they know that you're there to help them no matter what they need.
Having a verified site through the Better Business Bureau means everything to consumers who are wary of companies taking advantage of them without actually delivering any value in exchange.
They will check this organization's website to see if your business has been added there and if so, then it's one less thing separating you from earning their trust.
The key thing is making sure that you have a business phone number, email address, and physical address listed on your website so that you can get back to consumers quickly if they have any problems or concerns about their orders.
Over time, this builds trust by showing them how responsive you are because it's difficult for a business to lie about its location when someone can verify whether or not the organization is legitimate in real life.
In conclusion, it's important to inspire trust from consumers so that they feel safe buying products and services from your business.
The key thing is to make sure that you're honest with them about your delivery time and ensuring they are aware of all the terms and conditions of your business.
It's important to streamline this process by accepting different payment methods online for safety reasons while having a product that can be shipped quickly without sacrificing quality.
Moreover, building trust with your customers is not just a matter of getting them to order from you -- it’s also about making sure they feel like they're valued and can come back again in the future if they need any help.
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Author BioHanson Cheng is the founder of Freedom to Ascend. He empowers online entrepreneurs and business owners to 10x their business and become financially independent. You can connect with him here. |