There will be very few, if any, people reading this that have not made an online purchase. In fact, in the UK over 80% of the population make e-commerce purchases. In 2024, the value of internet sales as a percentage of total retail in the UK is over 25%.
These are huge numbers, and to stay ahead of competitors, online stores and business need to inspire confidence among prospective buyers. If your website doesn’t do this, it is likely that a competitor will – meaning they are the business that the buyer chooses to make their purchase.
So, if you think your e-commerce store could give a little more confidence to prospective buyers, read on and we will show you a few proven ways to do this.
Product Reviews
There is nothing that potential customers like to see more than real-life, real-time product reviews. Positive reviews from real people are probably the clearest way to demonstrate that what your business is selling is worth buying.
They are also a great way to keep your standards as high as possible, because if negative reviews start rolling in, you know that something needs to change.
Make sure reviews are current and dated, so users know they are reading something that has been written recently.
FAQs
Having a frequently asked questions page carries a whole host of benefits and is another proven way to inspire confidence from potential buyers on your business’s website.
As well as improving the general customer experience, FAQs also:
• Provide instant access and quick information to help customers make purchasing decisions
• Help to reduce the amount of time that you or your employees spend answering simple questions
• Can help to boost overall sales due to the information being readily available
• Increase SEO and online visibility on Google and other search engines
• Help to establish your business as an expert, which in turn inspires even more confidence in your brand.
Images & Descriptions
Nothing screams ‘untrustworthy’ like poorly taken, grainy images, or stock images. Having original and well taken pictures of your products, your team and your self is a good way to help customers know what to expect.
Likewise, accurate product descriptions are a must. If prospective buyers can read a well-written description of what they are thinking about purchasing, they are more likely to buy it there and then. It will also save your team time because they won’t be answering questions about the products.
Fresh Content
Building on content from the last point, making sure all content is fresh and up to date is vital. Blogs are a great way to keep your site current, and they can address questions or thoughts that you may have had around your business or your products.
Also, keeping product descriptions, images, contact information, and social media feeds up to date helps inform potential customers that your business is functioning well and helps reassure buyers that they are buying from a popular source.
Contact
If a buyer needs to contact your business and cannot, it is highly likely that they will make their purchase elsewhere. Not only is it frustrating for the buyer, but it can also create anxiety that the seller isn’t real or reliable.
There are certain pre-purchase questions that may not be covered in FAQs, so somebody needs to be on hand to answer these – a friendly response is a surefire way to inspire confidence.
Often, these questions are around deliveries. Once purchased, delivery times can create anxiety for buyers. So, if you want a repeat purchase, make sure the customer can contact and speak to somebody.
Despite the modern age and all that we have, good customer service is still a key element to a successful business, and this starts with being able to speak to somebody when it is needed.
Don’t Hesitate to Ask
If you are worried that your website or e-commerce shop doesn’t inspire buyer confidence in your brand, don’t wait a few months and see – you could be losing out on multiple purchases.
Our team of experts can help analyse your business’s website and create something that will inspire more confidence to prospective buyers when they visit your shop.
Make sure your e-commerce website inspires confidence for buyers by talking to our team
