For many business owners, transitioning to the online market can be a bit of a challenge. You may think that getting your customers to visit your website in the first place might be the hardest part of creating an online store for your business, but that is only half the battle. Once you have lured them to your business site and hooked them into purchasing your products or services, the next step is to reel them into your net and close the deal through conversion.
The skepticism and reluctance that many people feel about using the Internet to make payments can easily become a seemingly impassable roadblock for many business owners of online markets. However, there are several steps that you can take as a business owner in order to build their trust in your company so they won’t hesitate to put products in their shopping cart and take the steps to complete their purchases.
Add Credit Card Logos
Adding the logos of the major credit card companies may seem insignificant and an absolute waste of valuable space on your webpage, however, studies have shown that presenting major credit card logos on your website, and within your online shopping cart especially, can go a long way toward building a trusting relationship between you and your customers, according to KISS Metrics. A simple drop-down list of credit card issuers is not enough; the visual recognition customers experience when they see a Visa or MasterCard logo (for example) cannot be duplicated with text on a drop-down list. People tend to trust companies that they are familiar with; by associating with the major credit card companies, you are gaining your customers’ trust by association.
Reflect Security with Seals and Icons
In addition to providing visual recognition for major credit card issuers, you also need to provide the same thing when it comes to the security measures you’ve taken on your site in general to accept online payments on your web shopping cart. Any pertinent information reflecting the security of your website needs to be placed in plain sight within your layout. Avoid placing this information in small, fine print that is hardly ever noticed by the average consumer, because doing so would defeat the purpose. You don’t want your customers having to search through your site to find information about your security practices. If they are unable to easily find your companies online security practices, they are more than likely going to head to another site, which could very well turn out to be your competition.
Even if you simply place familiar icons of security suppliers on your shopping cart and other key pages throughout your website, you can still increase the value of the average online purchase by 16 percent. This is because by doing so you allow your customers to relax and feel safer about making purchases when they know their credit information and identities are kept secure, according to Inc.
Require Advanced Authentication Steps
It may seem as if your customers will become frustrated by being required to complete several different authentication steps when finalizing their online orders. This is why many companies make the mistake of removing these steps from the equation all together. However, several reports confirm that the exact opposite is the case.
When asked for their credit card verification number (CVV or CVC), most customers will actually feel safer simply by knowing you are taking the extra steps to ensure they are the actual owners of that card. Simply verifying an address might be good enough for the merchant processing the payments, but will more than likely not be enough for the people actually making them.
Be Ready to Offer Assistance When Necessary
Along with seeing credit card logos, security seals and advanced authentication, your consumers simply want to know you are there for them as well. One of the biggest ways you can make your customers feel safe when making payments through your shopping cart is to focus on making yourself available to them. A standard “Contact Us” form on your website with a 24-hour turnaround is not enough.
Reflect the transparency of your company by providing a dedicated customer service hotline, email address, fax number and maybe even a live chat connection for added convenience. Being able to hear the voice of a caring person when they call could very well be all that they need to finalize the deal. The key, though, is to make sure you are actively searching for even more ways to build and boost your customers’ trust in your company so they won’t hesitate to return to your website in the future.
Your customers don’t have to visit your site or purchase your products or services. However, if you do everything you can to make their visit pleasant and ensure their information is secure you will be able to gain their trust. Customers that trust a company tend to refer that company to their friends and family, bringing more business to your site. Take the time to make sure that you are doing everything possible to make your site a safe and secure experience for your customers and they will reward you in return.
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