Remember the grocery Store your parents always used to go to? It was their favorite. Sometimes, the prices of other stores were competitive, but they went to that particular store only.

Surely you must have asked them to try other stores as well. Did they come up with stories of how the store owner treated them with respect and how he helped them in an hour of need?

Not surprisingly, the store owner might have sometimes waived charges or didn’t charge that “extra” which he was charging others. They trusted that store completely.

We have surely come a long way from brick and mortar stores to Ecommerce but, trust remains an unchanged aspect of building the brand. If you already have or want to create an Ecommerce Store online,

Here are some strategies to build trust with your customers.

1. Product Information

The most important requirement of an eCommerce store is accurate and detailed product information. Customers visit your website when they are looking for certain products.

The description of the product is what compels them to make a purchase. Your product description should exactly be what your product is like. Also, the average visitor spends only 15 seconds on your product page so the description should be precise. Start off with a good product description from the time of the launch of your store.

Read Must Watch Out for Before Opening an Ecommerce Store.

According to a study led by Shotfarm, the customer’s decision to make a purchase is more influenced by the detailed description than by the reviews and price.

2. Reviews and Testimonials

Positive reviews and testimonials attract customers who are looking for stable products and services. They are convinced if others have already used what you are selling and look happy with their purchase.

If you select the filter for “reviews 3 star and up” while shopping online, you understand the importance of flaunting positive reviews and testimonials very well.  Encourage your customers to leave reviews after the purchase.

Sometimes, the positive reviews are not only from the customers but also from a magazine feature, critic, etc. Even better.

It is a very good marketing opportunity where others market your products leaving a trail of trust on the way.

3. Cybersecurity

People take cybersecurity very seriously these days. Customers are aware of the security breaches and the vulnerability of their personal data shared with the websites.

According to research, 59% of the customers believe their personal information is vulnerable to a security breach.

To assure your customers about the security of your b2b eCommerce store, display the security and compliance certificates on b2b eCommerce platform. 

Use secure and popular payment methods. It helps to overcome the concerns of your customers about their data.

Some stores display “payment 100% secure” at the time of checkout.

Adopt methods that show your customers that you take their security concerns seriously.

4. Return Policy

An easy and transparent return policy establishes the trust of the customer towards the brand. Make sure that you deliver the return services that you have promised.

A lot of sites cover the important points of their return policy in the fine print. Our suggestion is to display the terms and conditions of your return policy in detail and in a manner that is loud and clear to your customers.

An annoyed customer never comes back. If you have mentioned your policy as a 10-day return, just leave it like that. Do not complicate it further by writing like, “inform within 24hrs.of receiving the goods” in the fine print. Customers who purchase online may not read so much between the lines.

Make clear statements and deliver what you promise.

5. Marketing

Marketing is the face of your brand. Create content that builds trust. Adopt a marketing strategy that brings you closer to your customers.

Engage influencers, brand ambassadors, models who have a good public image. The customer is going to trust you only when the people who are associated with your brand have good credentials.

Marketing can make or break the image of your brand.

Create your marketing campaign in a way that involves them.

When they see themselves as part of the brand, trust comes naturally.

6. Personal Touch

Give your ecommerce store a personal touch. Tell your customers about yourself in a manner that they can relate to you. Explore innovative “About Us” content, send a personal note of thanks to them with the delivery of your product, chat with your customers using chatbots.

With AI and automation taking over the entire eCommerce industry by a storm, there is still room for that human touch that indicates that there is a compassionate person on the other side of the sale.

7. Customer Service

Remember, the name of Customer Service appears only in case of any issues. So, with your effective customer service skills and technology, you are supposed to resolve your client’s issues, simple.

Agreed, it is not as simple as it seems at times. But, you need to build your brand as a trustworthy name so, be helpful, be courteous. Empower your customer care with the technology that readily connects your customer to customer care.

Make it available 24×7. Answer their questions to the best of your ability. Invest time on creating FAQs for your products as a ready guide to answer their questions.

After-sales service creates a deep impact, it is a happy customer who comes back.

8. Encourage Loyalty

Think more about the customers who already trust your brand. Launch loyalty programs to enrich their shopping experience.

Be ready to wave off that extra fee, shipping cost, etc. for the customers who keep coming back. Let your bond be stronger with them.

Don’t let these clients run from pillar to post for a small refund just because of some strict policy. Make your rules flexible for such customers. Give them their refund happily. Did you mess up with their delivery? Add a gift card to their wallet for the next purchase.

Offer them better pricing.

Read Increase Online Sales with these E-commerce Pricing Strategies.

Keep your loyal customers happy. These are the clients who bring profits and more customers with word of mouth publicity.

9. Nitty Gritty

Apart from the aspects mentioned above, there are a lot of other features that are easy to ignore but should not be neglected.

These features can change the overall perception of the customer about your store.

If you do not want to leave any stone unturned to create a trustworthy impact on your clients, here is a list of a few factors that you should adopt or avoid.

Things to proudly flaunt when you sell online products:-

• Compliance certifications
• Service quality score
• Money-back guarantee
• Endorsements
• Offers
• Achievements
• Works towards society

Things to avoid in your b2b eCommerce store:-

• Poor quality images
• Spellings and Grammatical errors in content
• Untidy Design
• Confusing terms and conditions
• Tech problems
• Vagueness in additional taxes, shipping costs, etc.

The Takeaway

You have started your online eCommerce business to make money. If your work style is visibly into profit-making, you will lose the trust of customers very soon. Such an approach doesn’t go a long way. A wise business holder keeps the trust of the customers before everything else. Invest in building a trustworthy brand. Revenues follow automatically.

The post 9 Ways to Improve the Trustworthiness of the Online Store appeared first on VAR Sales Management Blog: News, Tips & Many More By VARStreet.