When I purchase something from a web site I first check who
is behind this site. If there is no contact information or
anything about the owner of the site or his/her company I
move on.

Unfortunately the Internet attracts some people who are
dishonest and prey upon unsuspecting people to make quick
money for themselves.

Therefore your web site must put your visitor immediately
at ease and convey honesty and integrity about it.

Here are 7 essential ways of building customers' trust:

1. Provide contact information – visitors will easily become
frustrated if they have a question to resolve but can't
contact you. At least place an email address or contact
form on your web site. Some people prefer to talk to a real
person rather than use electronic communication so provide
a telephone number and even a real address not a P.O. Box
number. Answering one or 2 customer questions may be enough
to win his or her trust before purchasing from your
site.

2. Create an "About Us" page – here you can tell a little
about yourself and/or your company. Another nice touch is
to include a photo of yourself. The more you can establish
a personal bond with your potential buyer, the greater your
chances of success.

3. Include Testimonials - testimonials is a wonderful way to
showcase your product, establish credibility, and improve
sales. It takes some work to get them but it is well worth
it in the long run.

Here's how to get a testimonial from your customers:

a) If you have a service oriented business, then ask for a
testimonial after you have completed the work for them.
This is because you are still fresh in their minds and they
still have a desire to thank you for the excellent work you
completed.

b) If you are selling a product i.e. e-book or software,
ask for a testimonial after they have paid for the product.
Send a reminder to them 1 or 2 weeks later.

You may even provide an extra incentive by giving away a
copy of your product in return for a testimonial.

c) Make sure the testimonial is verifiable - ask them to
include their contact information such as an email address
or web site address. You may even ask for a small photo to
go along with what they have written. Don't just make up a
testimonial as this will look false and unprofessional.

d) Testing- try different ways to introduce your
testimonials. Sprinkle them throughout your web site
content as shown on http://www.isitebuild.com then link to
the rest of them on another page. You may also want to
strategically place them in your sales letters
(http://www.isitebuild.com/web-site-promotion), emails or
promotional materials associated with your business.

4. Be courteous – often customers can't communicate exactly
what they have in mind because they don't have your
expertise. Try to clarify what your product or service will
do for them to make their life easier. If you put their
fears at ease you will have a happy customer.

5. Use secure transactions - someone sending you his or her
credit card number, home address, or other personal
information should be able to do so through a secure link
from his or her browser to your server. Make sure you use
Secure Socket Links or 3rd Party Verification in all
information transactions that involve sensitive data.

6. Accept refunds - always accept reasonable return and
refund requests. Deal with them promptly and
professionally, no matter how the customer acts towards you
during the process. It may be a hassle, but this instills a
lot of trust. A customer's biggest fear is that he/she may
not receive what he wants or may not be able to return it.

7. Provide a guarantee – if you provide a guarantee for your
product or service it will place your customer's mind at
ease. The longer the guarantee the better. If you have a
service oriented business, you might include a statement
such as:

"We will work with you until you are satisfied"

If selling a product you may say something like:

"If for any reason you are not satisfied with this product,
I will offer you a 90 day money-back guarantee".

Conclusion:
Online transactions and communication can be
impersonal because you don't meet your customers face to
face. If you follow the points mentioned above, it will
quell their fears and allow you to make more sales based on
the credibility and trust you have established from your
web site.

About the Author
Herman Drost is the Certified Internet Webmaster (CIW)
owner and author of http://www.iSiteBuild.com. Affordable
Web Site Design and Web Hosting. Subscribe to his
"Marketing Tips" newsletter for more original articles.
mailto:subscribe@isitebuild.com. Read more of his
in-depth articles at: http://www.isitebuild.com/articles