So where do you start when building trust into your Website?  The good news is most of the actions you need to do are small, the bad news is there are a lot of them.  The more you do, the greater the comfort level and chance for a conversion to a sale.

So here are some simple steps to building trust into your website:

1. Make sure your first impression is a good one.  Have a professional and relevant website with intuitive navigation.  If they can’t find what they are looking for quickly they will move on to another website.  Make sure you are using good grammar and spelling.  Avoid the impression of sloppiness or carelessness.
2. Use language that is appropriate to the audience.  Do not talk over the buyers head.  Remember you do this for a living, they do not.  Unless you are selling to a technician, avoid technical terms, abbreviations and acronyms.  Keep the text at a high school level or lower.
3. Seriously consider creating a short video with you or someone else talking about your product or service.  This will go a long way in making a personal connection with the buyer and really give you a chance to sell the great benefits or your product or service.
4. Never talk bad about a competitor.  If your product has legitimate advantages or beneficial features talk about them in a positive way.  Bad mouthing a competitor is a sure way to look petty and scare away customers even if what you are saying is true.
5. Publish real testimonials, case studies and third party endorsements.  Typed text is great, but a 30 second video from several people would be significantly better.  Let them know how your product has helped people just like them.
6. If there are recognized trade associations or certifications then join them or get them and proudly display them.
7. Focus on building your long-term reputation, not on making a quick sale.  Reputations can take years to build and seconds to destroy.  Never lie or stretch the truth to make money.  It will come back in the long run.  Keep your promises.
8. Write and publish a Privacy Policy, Security Policy, Return Policy, Refund Policy and any Guarantees.  Use the statements “Secure Website” and “We take your privacy and security very seriously”
9. If you are selling a subscription or something that requires repeat billing, offer a low cost or free trial period.  This is a great way to reduce the buyers feeling of risk.
10. Make pricing transparent.  If additional fees are going to add significantly to the price, make sure you are disclosing this up front.  A $10 item should not cost $20 after tax, shipping and handling.
11. If you take credit cards put images of the cards accepted on each page of the order process.  Never send Credit Card information over the internet unencrypted.  Tell your customer that their data will be encrypted.
12. Have a forum on your site and respond quickly to questions. Have the attitude that you are happy to help others without receiving immediate reward. As the old saying goes, ‘Givers always gain.’ Allow people to comment on articles. Interactivity and an exchange of views build community and a sense of involvement.  If people provide constructive criticism or comments in the forum, don’t delete them, but respond with your point of view.
13. Make your ‘About Us’ page personal and comprehensive.  Publish photos or you and your staff and their roles.  Clearly identify who is behind the site.  Make sure they know they are dealing with real people.
14. On the ‘Contact Us’ page make sure you provide make sure you provide phone number, fax, and company address.  Make sure the phone number is a number people can call and speak with a real person.
15. Stay in touch with your customers.  After a sale, follow-up within 24-48 hours to thank them for their business and see if they have any questions.  Ask their permission to stay in touch with them long term.  If they like your product let them know you will give a discount on the next purchase if they will provide a testimonial about your product.
16. Regularly add new, relevant content to the website or blog.  This shows the business is alive and kicking (it helps with search engines as well !!!).

Building trust into your website is about giving your buyer or customer a sense of honesty, legitimacy and stability.  People have needs, if you get them to feel safe on your website the chance for a transaction goes up dramatically.