Build Trust

In an age where fake news is rampant, almost half of Amazon reviews are unreliable (AdAge), and when anybody, anywhere can create an online shop, instilling trust is a key component to making sales. This is especially true for smaller brands that consumers might not have heard of. Some website elements can help us build trust include

• testimonials and reviews,
• client logos,
• numbers (such as number of clients, downloads, or sales),
• awards and accolades, and
• media mentions.

Most of these elements are considered social proofs. Originally, social proof related to the idea that we copy others, especially in situations of uncertainty (fun fact: organizations do the same thing, a concept called mimetic isomorphism). Online, this translates into proving to visitors that something is noteworthy or trustworthy because it has been adopted by others.

Here are a couple of tricks provided by Unbounce when creating testimonials:

• Use a headshot to indicate that the testimonials come from a real person.
• Use that person’s full name, because using names like ‘Andre H.’ might raise doubts as to whether Andre is real.
• Highlight some key feature of your product or software in the testimonial.
• Use multiple testimonials.

And, importantly, use some of the principles we just covered to have social proofing stand out so that it is easier for visitors to quickly grasp that other people already believe in the brand.