17 Jun The Local Business Website Trust Check: 10 Things Customers Look For Before They Contact You
Did you know that 90% of consumers will look up a business online before deciding whether to call, book, visit, or request a quote?
That makes it vital that your website communicates that you’re a legitimate, professional, and reliable business from the very first moment a new visitor lands on your site.
And how do you do that, we hear you ask? It’s all about demonstrating those all-important website trust signals that modern consumers subconsciously look for when they land on a new website.
We’ve put together a list of ten details that signal that you’re a trustworthy business. Make sure your site has them all, and you’ll be gently increasing the chances that potential customers get in touch.
Contact Details
Including your NAP (Name, Address, Phone Number) on every page doesn’t just give your visitors the contact details they need. It also immediately communicates that there’s a real, reachable team behind the website. It gives confidence immediately.
An easily accessible contact page can also include more extensive contact information, such as:
- Business name
- Physical address
- Phone number
- Email address (plus professional ‘@[yourbusinessname].com’ handle)
- Contact form
- Opening hours
Mobile-Friendly Design
Some 60 – 65% of all internet traffic comes from mobile devices, and that figure is even higher for local searches. As such, the majority of your small business website visitors will be accessing the site via a smartphone.
Providing a fully-functional, easy-to-use, well-designed mobile website is an easy way to deliver a great experience to your potential customers.
Also: it’s not just your potential customers that like mobile-friendly website design — Google does too. It’s an easy way to give your SEO a boost and improve online visibility.
Fast, Error-Free Web Pages
An error-laden website rightly creates doubts that the business isn’t as well managed as it should be.
Running a well-maintained, error-free, speedy website tells your visitors that your business is well taken care of both online and offline.
Real, Original Photos
Anyone can create a website using stock photos. Only your business can create a unique website featuring original photos of your staff, products, and working processes.
It also helps build an immediate connection between you and your visitors, who will be more likely to feel that they know your business even before they’ve got in touch.
Social Proof
Social proof is one of the fastest ways for businesses to earn the trust of potential customers, especially local businesses.
Publishing testimonials, case studies, before/after photographs, and reviews on your website can give your potential customers confidence that they’re in safe hands.
About Page
Having an about page on your website is a great way to share your brand’s story and tell your potential customers who you are, your values, and why you do what you do. It works because customers want to know who they’ll be working with.
Service Pages
Detailed service pages work to build trust with customers because they demonstrate expertise, tell the customer what they can expect, and communicate that the business cares about the customer’s pain points.
Services can demystify the working process, providing an additional dose of clarity that can be the nudge a customer needs to get in touch.
Local Signals
Customers like supporting local businesses. Indeed, the fact that a business is local can serve as a trust signal. Local businesses tend to rely on having a good standing in the community to be successful.
Including the towns/cities/neighbourhoods you service, as well as any community projects you’re involved in, is an easy way to quickly communicate that you’re locally-based, and can also be excellent for enhancing your website’s local SEO.
Secure, Updated Website
Outdated websites can communicate that the business has been neglected — and can even make customers wonder if the business is still in operation at all. Periodically refreshing the content, publishing blog posts, and even small things like keeping the copyright year up-to-date can signal that the business is alive and kicking.
Website security matters too. If the customer receives a security warning because of a problem with the SSL certificate, they’ll leave the site before they get a chance to see what you have to offer.
A Clear Next Step
A clear call to action is a subtly powerful way to communicate trust to customers, because it demonstrates that the business is ready for them. Even a single well-placed call to action, such as a ‘book an appointment’ button, can remove friction and be the final push that a visitor needs to become a customer.
How many of the above trust signals do you have on your website? If you need any help enhancing your business website’s trustworthiness, local SEO, or other digital marketing aspects, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.
