We love building websites. Any successful business is going to have to be built on trust, and that’s one of our cornerstones. We keep the promises we make when it comes to developing and designing fast, responsive, and engaging websites. This, friends, is what trust is built upon.

For any business owner who wants to see long-term success, they need to start making their website more trustworthy. That way they can please both current and would-be customers. Here are some tips.

Tip 1: Hire us.

Yes, we’re serious. Our website development and design plans come complete with security features, routine maintenance and backups, and even content marketing and SEO plans—all in one complete package. We don’t meant to keep bragging about our company, but the fact of the matter is we are a trusted company—and our customers agree.

Tip 2: Beef Up Security

A website that is lacking security does not make customers feel at ease—especially when their credit card numbers are involved. Having a website possessing HTTPS in the URL, as well as having routine backups and maintenance performed, can all build trust between you and your customers. It will also affirm that you are protecting visitors from cyber threats, making them feel more confident that their personal information is not at risk when they visit your website.

Tip 3: Be Available to Customers

If you want to be trusted, being available is one of the best ways to gain that trust. You have to extend that sense of availability in all facets of your company—i.e. both offline and online. Make sure your website has a Contact page and that the ability to reach you is present throughout the site. If the contact info isn’t visible or it’s hidden, that’s hardly going to convince customers that you’re very trusting!

It’s also a good idea to respond to any comments, messages, questions, and even complaints on social media and in your e-mails. Doing so will show that you are in fact listening to your customers. If for any reason you need to travel abroad (for example if you were asked to be a guest speaker at an international conference), tell people—make an announcement on your social media if you must. Don’t just leave and then expect them to still be there when you return!

Tip 4: Choose Your Domain Wisely

No one, we repeat, no one is going to want to visit a website with a domain name that sounds spammy or untrustworthy. That means ignoring your impulse choice of ‘cheapandfreeproducts.com’ and going for something more professional such as your business name. Incidentally, the words “cheap” and “free” should be avoided in any piece of content you create for your website or domain names. They only attract the wrong kind of attention.

Tip 5: Show Your Stuff

If, for example, you are a doctor specializing in a certain field (i.e. you’re a chiropractor, or an ophthalmologist), or you specialize in finance or law, you absolutely need to show your credentials. This will help convince current customers of how long you’ve been practicing in your field as well as affirm to would-be customers that you have what it takes to ease their pain or help them get their eyesight back—or soothe any other pain points.

Tip 6: Make Things Easy

Your website should be responsive, fast, and easy to use. In addition, make it easy to find your site online. You can do so by both applying search engine optimization (SEO) to your site as well as position it as a resource for information your customers need. Your website has the potential to be more than a simple sales pitch for your product or service. For example, we feature a blog to not only provide marketing tips but also help others make their website better—including this very article! Adding a search bar to your site can also help out visitors who plan to follow through with making a purchase or receiving your services.

Tip 7: Show Your Testimonials

Be proud of the customers you have helped! Show off your most loyal and happiest customer testimonials to help would-be customers understand that your business is one they can trust. Some companies go so far as to create video formats of their testimonials, or show pictures of the very people who left a good review. However you decide to show your testimonials, they should build up your reputation in a positive way, thus building trust in the process.

Do you need a trustworthy website in the first place? Do you need assistance in improving your current site if trust is a hard thing to come by? Give us a call at V3 Media and we can help with just that! If you still want to discuss your site before making your decision, let us know during a one-on-one consultation.