pop-up ads, gotten lost in a clutter of banner ads, had things
flash and go boom? And have you ever visited a site that was
informative, easy to navigate and generally pleasant to peruse?
Which site gained your trust? Which site would you revisit? The
more user-friendly building tools you use on your site, the more
trust will be developed with your viewers. With this in mind,
here are expert tips for making your online store trustworthy...
Purchase an appropriate domain name Paying for your own domain
name builds trust and is professional looking. Your own domain
name will be - free of all advertisements (except products you
sell or recommend). You want to sell your visitors on the
content of your site - not the products of other advertisers.
Use domain name email addresses When searching for a host for
your site, look for packages that include POP3 accounts
(preferred) and alias accounts (second in line). This will
enable you to send email from your site (you@yourbusiness.com)
which looks much more professional than you@freeemailaccount.com
It is easier to trust someone who has evidently made an
investment in their business.
Include contact information Provide phone numbers, hours of
operation (including time zone), a business mailing address and
an email address. PO Boxes are not considered addresses. Many
companies won't deliver to PO Boxes, and many visitors won't
purchase from you if you use one. Work from home? Add a suite or
building number to your home/apartment. Or use a mail forwarding
service for a real address.
Add contact links Place at least one way for your visitors to
contact you on each page and place your Webmaster's contact
information on at least the bottom of the front page. This way
your visitors can request information from you, and if there is
a problem with your site, they can write to the Webmaster. Even
if you and the Webmaster are the same person, place the
Webmaster's email address on the site.
Keep your content updated To be current, the content of your
site must be no more than 6 months old. The pages must include
an up-to-date "Last Updated _________". Even if you don't change
the site information (because it is completely correct and
updated) do keep the date updated.
Include a personal touch Provide an "About Me/Us" page. Provide
the names of the owner, president, executives, and staff on the
contact page. Include individual and group pictures, small
biographies if relevant, and email addresses where they can be
quickly contacted. Don't make it look as though your site's
owners want to be anonymous, which obviously generates
suspicions.
Avoid enter pages and splash screens Do you have an "Enter page"
or splash screen on the front of your site? If so, delete it
now! You will lose visitors who want information quickly because
they'll go to a rival site instead. Worse than an enter page is
an enter page that forces someone to download a program such as
Flash. If you want to use the option of Flash pages, fancy
pointers etc., give visitors the option of viewing them. Don't
force them to download any programs.
Cater to everyone Include tags with your images to assist those
with sight disabilities and the hundreds of thousands of people
all over the world who use library-based text-only computer
software and Web browsers.
Make it quick Ensure that a majority of your pages load in less
then 20 seconds with a 56K modem. Most visitors will not have
the patience to stick around much longer than that and will
simply move on. A site that loads quickly and is neatly
designed, will show that you are a professional company. It will
also boost confidence in your potential buyers.
Request recommendations Ask your clients for testimonials and
permission to use their whole name on your Web site. If they
don't feel comfortable doing so, find others who will.
Link it Make sure that links within your site work. Ask your Web
designer to design an interesting "error" page that will allow
your visitors to get back on track if a page they bookmarked no
longer exists. Make sure that links to sites outside your
website work. Download a links checker and use it monthly.
Sometimes you'll find that you've linked within your site to a
page you've moved or removed. Other times you'll find that pages
outside your site have disappeared or are changed.
Spell it right If you want your site to be as professional as it
could be, put each page though a spell checker or hire an
excellent proofreader. Don't underestimate the value of a
properly spelled site.
Provide guarantees If you have a money back guarantee on your
service or product, say so. If you don't, say so. Do guarantees
include or exclude returning the shipping or handling fees? How
about a privacy policy for your newsletter emailing list or code
of ethics? Clearly place any type of guarantee on your site.
Secure purchases When you purchase from the best sites, the site
owner will provide you with the most secure purchase program
available. This includes a secure server, secure gateway, and
information that informs you that your purchase is as secure as
is currently possible. When you are taken to another website to
make your purchase, notice if the new site mentions that it's
been secured. If it doesn't say so, go find the product on a
site that does.