15 Ways to Build Trust Online

15 WAYSTO BUILD TRUST ONLINE

@LeeCarnihan

Photo by Graeme Maclean https://www.flickr.com/photos/gee01/871781364/

IN SHORT...

MAKE IT QUICK

Photo by anvay nakade https://www.flickr.com/photos/anvancy/2930282653/

MAKE IT EASY

Photo by Steve Snodgrass https://www.flickr.com/photos/stevensnodgrass/3990957354/

MAKE IT SAFE

Photo by Habeebee https://www.flickr.com/photos/almodozo/4502672422/in/photostream/

AND ALWAYS...

EASE OUR FEARS

Photo by Max Sparber, https://www.flickr.com/photos/ventriloblog/

IT’S THAT SIMPLE in concept but it’s not so

easy to achieve in reality. Trust means different

things to different people of course and there’s

no one-size-fits-all solution. But! There is a list

of 15 things common to us all.

HERE THEY ARE...

Prior Experience Counts

1. Do I recognise your brand and have a good

association with it? Do my friends, family and peers?

2. Have I bought from you before and what was that

experience like? Has anyone else I know?

Understanding your Offer

3. How quickly and easily can I find and understand your offer and compare

it to similar offers, either from you or your competitors?

4. Will I gain any public / private kudos from buying from you in particular?

5. Will your offer actually solve my problem and pain? How quickly and

easily will it do that?

6. How much are you asking me to risk in time, effort, money and status?

7. Are you offering any incentives to lessen the risk or sweeten the deal?

Understanding your Offer Continued...

8. How quickly and easily can I get a question answered about the offer?

9. Will I be locked into any kind of contract or subscription? Will I have to

remember to cancel it?

10. How quickly and easily can I get the goods, or return them and get a

refund, repair, exchange or replacement?

11. How quickly and easily can I find out who you are and where you’re

from? Will you abide by the social customs and laws of my culture and

country?

The Actual Buying

12. How secure, quick and easy is it for me to pay? Do I have to create an

account or can I buy as a guest? How quickly and easily can I do that?

Will I get confirmation you received my money?

13. What are you going to do with my data? Are you going to sell it to

mysterious “third parties”? Are you going to bug me with lots of

marketing messages after I pay?

14. Am I going to have to log in to “manage my communication

preferences” or can I just unsubscribe with one click?

15. Who do I contact with questions and how quickly will I get an answer?

REMEMBER...

TRUST IS NOT EARNED OVERNIGHT

Photo by Dobi, https://www.flickr.com/photos/dobs/

WHICH MEANS YOU NEED TO MEET YOUR CUSTOMERS AT

LEAST HALF WAY AND MAKE IT...

QUICK, EASY & SAFE FOR THEM TO BUY INTO YOU

AND FROM YOU

AND IF YOU DON’T, THEY CAN ALWAYS CLICK OFF, AND ONTO

YOUR COMPETITOR’S SITE.

IT’S UP TO YOU

Photo by Kathleen Conklin, https://www.flickr.com/photos/ktylerconk/

I’m Lee. I love digital. What do you love?

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