Site Credibility Essential for Buyer Confidence

Written by Strand Davis Monday, 09 May 2011 08:15

Anyone new to ecommerce and launching their first store may find that sales start off slowly unless they have spent the time and money to plan out a grand opening to funnel potential buyers to their site. Although there is no denying that buzz and promotion are great, these can be developed over time. It isn't necessary to start with a bang; you can, in fact, take a site from complete anonymity to web prominence if you follow a plan. One key aspect of that plan must be the cultivation of credibility. All too often we think of starting an ecommerce business on the fly because the basic concept is simple and elegant and neglect the issue of trust altogether.

Anyone new to ecommerce and launching their first store may find that sales start off slowly unless they have spent the time and money to plan out a grand opening to funnel potential buyers to their site. Although there is no denying that buzz and promotion are great, these can be developed over time. It isn't necessary to start with a bang; you can, in fact, take a site from complete anonymity to web prominence if you follow a plan. One key aspect of that plan must be the cultivation of credibility. All too often we think of starting an ecommerce business on the fly because the basic concept is simple and elegant and neglect the issue of trust altogether.

If you recall your own visits to fairly well established ecommerce sites, you may remember seeing one or more seals (images resembling a stamp-mark) guaranteeing the site's security. If you have not noticed this, take the time to visit a half a dozen well established ecommerce sites, and you see that without exception each has one or more third party credibility verification. Companies such Hacker Safe, TrustGuard, Truste, Verisign and BBB offer this trust verification, and most buying customers pay attention and look for this verification. However, what is important is not that you consider third party verification because other companies use these services but because buyers take this very seriously.

There are generally three categories of Credibility: security, privacy, and business identity. Security refers to how safe your site and server are. You are promising your visitors that they your site is free from hackers, viruses, and other sorts of malware or security intrusion. Privacy verification ensures potential customers that your privacy statement guarantees that their personal information is safe of illicit use. The business identity seal essentially guarantee that you are who you say you are. In other words, that your business identity is legitimate.

Another key to credibility is personal trust. In traditional, brick and mortar business, this is developed through personal contacts and relationships. In spite of what you may hear about the Internet and the incredible hype about social media and networking, personal relationships go a long way to building credibility. Joining the chamber of commerce, small business association, and your local, regional and state professional associations will help at the local level. And do not pooh pooh the power of local recognition. However, many people prefer the curtain of anonymity the Internet provides. To some degree, you can replace face-to-face networking with thoughtful social networking and establishing a business presence via sites like Facebook and forums devoted to your professional area. Use the power of local and regional newspaper press releases as well as online press release blasts.

As important as the elements above are, all the third-party verification and all the press releases in the world won't make much of a difference in the long run if you do not have good customer service. Consistent and excellent customer service will mean everything to your credibility. As an online business merchant, customers will know you by how well you live up to the promises made on your site. That means prompt acknowledgment of purchase and speedy delivery. This also means that you must respond to all communication quickly and address all concerns in a professional manner. I advise having your contact information out front where all visitors can see it, and make your terms of service easy to find, read and understand. Include a thorough list of frequently asked questions (FAQs), and I also suggest the use of a help desk or some other customer support utility when the time is right.

The final credibility building strategy I want to mention in this article concerns publishing. One method is to publish as a guest author on blogs in your business area and to make thoughtful comments of articles and posts on such blogs. People will read your posts and comments and follow the links back to your site. If your store includes a blog or some other publishing platform, you can seek out guest authors from other publishers in your ecommerce area as well as ask local business people to provide posts and articles. In exchange, you allow them to include links back to their own business sites. Publishing articles in article directories can also not only help establish your brand but also feed traffic to your site. To get the most out of this strategy, it is important to publish as many good quality articles as feasible for you over a long period of time. Quality + number of articles + time = significant boost in brand name recognition and traffic.