Looking to boost your business's conversion rates? The best tools may surprise you. While expert marketing, sleek website design, and compelling content may appeal to customers, they're probably not the deciding factor in your customer's path to purchase.
One of the most important factors in customers' purchase decisions is trust. A first-time buyer wants to feel confident purchasing from your business. To convey your trustworthiness, you should employ elements called trust signals.
Ready to learn more about trust signals? Read on to learn all about these powerful elements, why they work, how to use them effectively, and more.
Trust signals can improve a prospective customer's trust in your company. They may include icons and images on your e-commerce website, such as a 5-star rating badge from a local review site or membership in a professional organization.
Trust signals may also include nitty-gritty information, like your privacy policy, return policy, data encryption technology, and more. These all indicate to your customers that your business is trustworthy.
Trust signals may seem insignificant, but they play a big role in converting potential buyers into repeat customers of your business. They can give your small business a leg up over other well-known brands.
When used strategically, trust signals can push your potential buyer along the path to conversion.
The science behind trust signals and consumer behavior
When it comes to the efficacy of trust signals, a number of psychological factors are at play. These include:
Zero-risk bias
People are drawn to decisions that seem to involve little risk. When buyers see trust signals, like a "money-back guarantee" badge, that indicate less risk associated with purchasing from a new company, they'll feel more secure in their purchase.
The higher your prices, the more customers will look to zero-risk indicators to support their purchase.
Social proof
People are also more likely to trust the opinions of their peers, who they perceive to be unbiased. Star ratings from review sites and customer testimonials are powerful trust signals.
Plus, everyone is driven to fit in with social norms. If a person's peers are all purchasing from your company, they're more likely to do so. Include these to boost credibility and make customers feel more secure.
Authority
Certifications and badges from trusted trade organizations like the Better Business Bureau or other professional organizations indicate to customers that a person of authority has deemed your business trustworthy. Therefore, they should, too.
The more well-known your professional organization is among your customer base, the more impact a trust badge has.
The world of trust signals is vast. Depending on your company's products, industry, and specific niche, your trust signals may vary.
For instance, trust signals for an SAAS company may differ greatly from those for e-commerce. Let's review the major categories of trust signals that may effectively improve your business's conversion rates.
Social proof
This includes many types of customer feedback, such as ratings, customer reviews, and testimonials from other customers. It may also include customer case studies and success stories, as long as they are perceived as authentic.
According to one study, 86% of respondents stated that five star ratings and positive reviews on a business's homepage were the most likely trust signal to drive customers to purchase from a new company.
Security and privacy indicators
Online privacy and data security are at the top of prospective customers' minds today.
Security and privacy indicators are trust signals that indicate to a customer that they're also top of mind for your business. Customers may be reluctant to provide your company credit card details if they aren't sure your purchase process is secure.
These may include elements like:
- SSL certificates indicating encrypted purchases
- Secure payment methods that protect sensitive credit card information
- Third-party security badges from trusted data security companies
- Data protection policies that explain how data is securely handled
Professional credentials and certifications
Potential customers look to their peers for indicators of trust, as well as to experts. Industry certifications and awards can make customers feel more secure purchasing from your company. Even simply being affiliated with a trusted professional organization like the Better Business Bureau can build trust.
User-generated content
Another type of proof that has become a powerful part of the decision-making process is user-generated content (UGC).
UGC may include photos or videos that another customer has shared on their social media profile and other social channels, social media mentions, and other authentic conversations about your company on social channels. Creatively integrate UGC into your website by including it in your product images, on your homepage, and more.
Transparency and authenticity
Transparency is another tool for converting prospective customers into satisfied customers. No one wants to feel like they're being duped.
The more clear, upfront information you can include about your company's pricing, return policies, and other business practices, the more honest and trustworthy you'll appear. While these trust signals aren't official badges or attention-grabbing videos, they're just as important as any other.
How to use trust signals effectively on your website
It's clear that trust signals are a compelling factor in building consumer trust—but that doesn't mean you should wallpaper your website with them. To appear authentic, it's important to use trust signals wisely. Here's how:
Place trust signals according to your buyer's journey
Think carefully about where different types of trust signals will be most effective. For instance, trust badges that indicate professional affiliations may be most effective on your homepage, whereas customer reviews of products from social media accounts can be powerful on product pages.
Your return policy and social media links should be clearly linked in the footer of your site so it can be found on every page. Your checkout page is a great place to include security and privacy indicators.
Balance content and trust signals
Think of trust signals as the supporting characters for your company. Your products and content should still be the stars. Including too many trust badges, social proof, and more may come across as inauthentic rather than building trust.
Trust signals aren't only an important tool for converting website visitors into prospective buyers. They're also a great way to turn occasional buyers into loyal customers.
Generally speaking, the more positive experiences a customer has with your brand, the more loyal they're likely to be. But every once in a while a lapsed customer needs a reminder of why your business is great. Consider these tools for using trust to build customer loyalty:
- Be consistent: Build trust with your customers over time using consistent messaging.
- Don't forget emails: Include trust signals in email communication with existing customers to remind them of your sterling reputation.
- Continue to utilize social proof: Interested in upselling? Revealing a new product? Social proof can be a great tool to encourage repeat purchases.
Measuring the impact of trust signals on conversions
The work isn't over once you've incorporated trust signals into your website. Like any other tactics to improve conversion, testing, measuring, and refining your trust signals is important to be as effective as possible.
Look to these metrics and methods to measure the impact of your trust signals:
Analyze user behavior
Analyze user behavior by looking to key performance indicators (KPIs) like bounce rate, time on page, page paths, and on-page behavior. Tools like heat maps can give you a clear image of where users linger on your pages and what elements they quickly scroll past.
Conduct A/B testing
Ensure you're using trust signals with the most impact by putting similar signals head-to-head. Create A/B tests with different trust badges and arrangements to see which performs best.
Solicit customer feedback
Some of the best feedback comes straight from the source: your customer. Conduct customer surveys to ask about your customers' purchasing decisions and what drove them. Ask about the impact of different types of trust signals.
How trust signals drive conversions and build lasting relationships
Trust signals play a significant role in converting new customers into loyal purchasers. Using them strategically may build customer trust and increase your conversion rates. Use these strategies to create a strong foundation for your business.
Interested in other ways you can improve customer relationships? Meet Mailchimp, a perfect tool for fostering relationships and building customer loyalty.
Key Takeaways
- Trust signals are icons, badges, customer reviews, social proof, and other elements that build trust with prospective customers and push them further along on the path to conversion.
- According to a survey, social proof is the most compelling trust signal for customers, with 86% of customers reporting that it is most likely to drive their purchase.
- To use trust signals most effectively, it's important to think strategically. Use relevant trust signals on different website pages according to your customers' journey.
- It's vital to continuously measure the impact of your trust signals and refine accordingly for the best possible outcome.