By Zachary Paruch
The internet is filled with anonymity, as anyone can start a website and post content or sell things. New websites and online stores pop up every single day, but there is no one that can verify their legitimacy or their claims.
Trust is a scarce—but extremely valuable—commodity. Your favorite brands are just that because they have earned your trust. No one really questions whether to provide personal or payment information to Google, Amazon, or Apple. You don’t even think twice. Of course, these are extreme examples, but they continue to be successful because they have your trust.
So how do you build this kind of trust in your website?
1. Make a good first impression
The old adage advises against judging a book by its cover, but that’s exactly what visitors to your website are doing. It’s said that you have seven seconds to make a first impression—that applies to your website, too. In those seven seconds, your visitors won’t have enough time to get into your content—however great it may be. They will see what you have above the fold:
Ads—One thing that absolutely kills trust in websites is the presence of big or excessive advertisements. If you must have ads on your website, keep them to a minimum. Small, tasteful ads in the sidebar, or generally away from the areas of focus are okay, but don’t get carried away.
Layout—Your website should look clean, with a logical, easy-to-navigate layout. Too many websites these days are overly reliant on aesthetics—they look great, but it’s hard to determine what they are actually about and users don’t know exactly where to go to get the information they want.
The website should also not divide attention. There should be a purposeful layout that directs visitors’ focus. If there is too much going on, users will be confused and thus, less trusting of your site.
Colors—Believe it or not, the colors of your website affect the level of trust users have in it. Stick with mostly neutral colors like black, gray, and blue, along with a white background. The color blue has been shown to elicit trust and security in websites.
RELATED: 10 of the Best-Kept Web Design Secrets
Media—Having media like images and videos on your site is great, as it looks professional and gives your site personality. However, having too much can be a problem as it affects the load time of your site. Users will become impatient and leave, without you ever having the chance to gain their support.
Stock images are often a problem as well. People don’t want to see the same stock photos on every site they visit. They can make a site feel very corporate, and thus, untrustworthy. Take your own photos and include employees from your company in them. This will show your visitors that you’re not hiding behind the anonymity of the internet, and that you’re willing to put your face behind your product.
Videos are another great tool you can use to draw in visitors and build trust. However, you can immediately destroy that trust by having those videos set to autoplay.