Does Your Website Gain Trust in Time?

You have 1/20th of a second to make a first impression. In the blink of an eye, our brains are already processing what we’ve seen; it’s called the “blink test”.

Trust is fragile. It takes a long time to truly build, and just even one experience to lose. Does your online branding and presentation build trust with your clients? Your customers are judging you and deciding to stay or go.

Subconscious or not, we size up every website we visit based on how trustworthy it looks. We need to know we’re not wasting our time on fake information, bad products, of terrible advice. Think about it; if you’re like me you think, “there’s no way that’s true” or “that can’t possibly be the price, that’s so cheap!”

With trust, you’ll have customers for life. Here are 3 ways where you could be missing the mark when it comes to building customer trust because no one is going to buy from a person they don't trust:

Branding

Of all of our senses, sight is the one we rely on most. It takes less time to feel than it does to read. That’s why some of the world’s most iconic brands design everything from their product line to their website to their retail locations to create an experience that evokes a specific feeling in their customers. When your branding creates positive feelings, then you can inspire buyer trust.

‍Branding your charisma means that you focus on who you are and what makes you unique. If it looks like your brand is in the midst of an identity crisis, prospective clients may think they don’t know who your brand is after all, and that leads to feelings of mistrust.

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Negative User Experience Due to Slow Site Speed

According to a survey conducted by Nielsen Norman Group, 94% of respondents say that a slow loading site gives them a negative view of the company. On top of that, just a one-second delay in page response can result in a 7% reduction in conversions!

Today, half of web users expect a site to load in 2 seconds or less, and they tend to abandon a site that isn’t loaded within 3 seconds. Most consumers say that if they have trouble with web site performance then they won’t return to the site again and may even tell a friend if they had a poor experience with your website. That’s magnified distrust in your company. The end result is the loss of potential sales.

Time’s ticking when it comes to brand trust. For every second you shave off of your page load time, you can positively impact confidence and trust in your site. A positive customer experience increases the likelihood that clients may tell others about you. So a few seconds can make a big difference!

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Lacking Social Proof

At the end of the day, your customers trust their peers more than you; social proof is a fast way to gain brand trust. If you are going to have testimonials, I recommend that they be “above the fold” on the page so it’s hard for customers to miss at first glance.

If you’re an e-commerce site or people can book you online, it’s a good idea to have more reviews and positive testimonials right where people can book you so you reinforce their trust in you through your customer’s words and not your own. Remember to make sure that you have social proof online somewhere for people to see whether that’s on your site, a Google Business Listing, or Yelp page.

Having a truly successful business comes down to one thing: customer trust. Brands must cultivate customer trust every step of the way because every touch matters. Building trust takes time and a lot of hard work, but it starts the very first instant a prospect visits your site or store. Your buyers are quick to judge; it’s hardwired into each and every one of us.

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So think about it- and be honest with yourself-are you building trust in time?

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Tweet All About It:

Your buyers are quick to judge; you must cultivate customer trust every step of the way because every touch matters. #brandyourcharisma

Your clients trust their peers more than you. Testimonials should be near the top so it’s hard to miss at first glance. #brandyourcharisma