I have a new opal jewellery website and as it is new i have no previous customers to use for feedback.
Has anyone any ideas  about making future possible customers comfortable to  buy from an unknown new website.
                                      Jan.

You may get a good response to this question if you submit a site review request.

But, for now, lets look at trust, what trust is and why people trust websites

trust - the customer is under the impression that you will deliver a service as the customer believes you will, and not run off with their credit card details.

how - a professional design helps; but design is open to interpretation. Another point is how you actually process the payment. Using a checkout service like google or paypal means you don't have to actually handle the financial details of your customers.

Think about what makes you trust a website; and what makes you weary - then build your site accordingly

trpjan wrote:

I have a new opal jewellery website and as it is new i have no previous customers to use for feedback.
Has anyone any ideas  about making future possible customers comfortable to  buy from an unknown new website.
                                      Jan.

OK Jan...I have a few ideas to add to the mix.

A New Web Site Can Increase The Level Of Customer Trust By -

- providing legitimate testimonials with photos, full names and /or contact details (As your shop is already established you can ask your existing customers to write a few words)

- providing things of value, free, like an email newsletter with tips, product updates and hints etc (a great way to build up a mailing list) I have watched some big Internet marketers giving away high value information and watched as people then signed up in droves for their courses, products and seminars.

- adding a privacy policy to your site...(we never give, sell or trade your personal details, your privacy is assured and you can unsubscribe at any time)

- professional payment system with clear and easy instructions. (just like Northie suggested)

- offering a 100% money back guarantee (statistics show this to be a very worthwhile offer as most people, even if dissatisfied, will not bother to claim a refund - but it would also not be in your best interest to leave an unhappy customer out there either, because bad news tends to travel much faster than good)

- write relevant articles and post comments on your own blog that set you up as an expert in your field. Even if you don't feel you are, you can quote someone who is and write an entire article around it. Do research on what's happening in other areas of your industry and write about that. Write with confidence as if you do know what you are talking about, or get someone else to ghostwrite for you.

- interview people from your industry and post the transcripts or videos on your site etc (all these things add credibility and increase trust)

- present your web site in a professional manner, (get the spelling and grammar checked, make sure all links are working etc)

- provide a FAQ page and a special customer support number or email.

- include an attractive picture of the owner with some background information on the about us page so customers know there is a real person behind the website.

Phew...there's some ideas...I should write an article (actually, I will)...hope they help.

Elizabeth Richardson

While there are many ways to present yourself as “trustable”, the #1 item on most consumers list is a contact phone number. Even if they have no intention of calling you, it is a powerful tool for gaining consumer trust because they know they can call.

Here's a good article on  conveying trust with your design

do you buy anything online yourself? if so are there some sites you trust and some you wouldn't touch with a 100 foot cursor? Go checkout a few websites and take note of why you would give your credit card details to some and not to others

trust is going to be gained differenrtly through different visitors but a few things that come to mind for me could be...

> tel # and address (like WS said)

> seals like BBB online (altought many argue against that...it's their opinion)

> any recognitions you may have (were you featured in any magazines or other sites or?)

> a secured checkout process...for me personally i feel more comoftable going through PayPal because in most cases my the "insure" my purchases

> a clean look to your site- if its super gimicky i wont touch it

> also a profesional look- if you can't aford a profesional design i assume you don't do much bsiness and that scares me

> maybe a picture of you and your staff if oyu have any- something that says you are a "nice guy"

Nic wrote:

Here's a good article on http://www.site-reference.com/articles/General/Conveying-Trust-with-Your-Webstore-Design.htmlcoveying trust with your webstore design

link isn't working Nic.

Thanks everyone.

  Northie i have submitted my site for review and have had some very good sugjestion from members.

Elizabeth  your advice has made my life very busy lol and you definately should write that book .

Nic the link doesnt work .

I have phone numbers on the site but i guess i should make them more obvious and perhaps put them on other pages.
I have set up paypal as the payment system to use . But i have been wondering about other methods of payment also, to do that ill have to go do some more reading and learn how.

Once again you have given me something to think about.
                                 
                               jan.

Jan, here is a working link

http://www.site-reference.com/articles/ … esign.html

Thanks Waveshoppe  for the new link .  I will go have a look now.
                            Jan.

elizabethrichardson wrote:

link isn't working Nic.

fixed it...thanks

I do agree with others as I would have answered the same but I do think people like the personal touch particularly with online purchasing.   People like to know there is a real person at the receiving office and like to receive a proper "thankyou" message for their order - not an automated one.  When this is done its a great opportunity for a retailer to say thanks in a friendly manner, using first names and to offer some comment about the purchase - that it is a popular purchase or how other purchasers have responded to it or use it.  'Comfortable' is an unusual word when related to the internet but If an ecommerce retailer can make a customer feel that way, they are sure to come back for more!

Just published an article that i think makes several good points on this subject which is worth a read:

Ways to build trust

waveshoppe wrote:

While there are many ways to present yourself as “trustable”, the #1 item on most consumers list is a contact phone number. Even if they have no intention of calling you, it is a powerful tool for gaining consumer trust because they know they can call.

I never thought of that one - Good Call !! (no pun intended)

I think I should dabble in that area a bit to see what happens....

Yea as M said above...one problem with the web is it makes thing s very impersonal  (can’t think of the right term right now…just mean that the human interaction is not there) and people really like to know that there is a REAL person behind a website...someone there they can talk to in case they need it and not just a form taking their cash

People like to know WHO they are buying from just as much as WHAT they are buying

If you can make people feel that there is someone friendly and helpful there to offer assistance that goes a long way

Also with 800 numbers being so much cheaper these days it’s very affordable for a lot of businesses

And for those that target customers in different geographical locations think about getting some sort of VOIP to offer help to the different markets- for example if I lived in the US and wanted to sell to UK clients I could get a very inexpensive UK Skype In number- that way those UK customers could call a number in their own country (and having international numbers will also make you seem like a "bigger, more established" business)

Interesting about the VOIP - I used Skype in and got a US number (me being in AU) for my caricatures site. I thought this will break down some barriers and have people calling......after 6 months ONE call and that was from a past client calling to say Hi!

I also have live chat - 5 months in - NIL use

I'd say being contactable AND being prompt to reply are essential elements. I get lots of people commenting favourably on how quickly I get back to them and this helps in converting sales. If It is a bit more complex and they have a phone number provided (or i ask em for one) I'll call them no matter what country.

Service, service service!

Oh, most important - an online store is NOT just a database front end - the human element as mentioned before is critical