How to make customers trust your builders’ merchants website
Article topics
- Why trust is so important
- 10 ways to increase trust on your builders’ merchants website
- Xigen: The agency that builders’ merchants’ trust
What makes customers want to purchase products online?
It’s not always about offering the best deals or having the flashiest website. More often than not, giving shoppers a reason to trust your business is the best way to increase sales.
The big question – how do you prove to customers that your builders’ merchants website is credible and trustworthy?
Join us as we share ten ways you can boost trust in your eCommerce store.
Why trust is so important
When you run a builders’ merchant website, you’re selling high-value products which need to be precisely described and last a long time.
For example, let’s say someone is building a conservatory or summerhouse. They need to know that the products you sell are reliable and durable and that you’re available to offer support if there are any issues.
This is especially true if they’ve never bought from you before.
Nine out of ten people say they have abandoned an online purchase because they don’t trust a website, with the legitimacy of the business and security concerns being key issues.
Instilling a sense of trust in your website from the beginning will give customers the encouragement they need to buy from you, rather than from a competitor.
A trusted website is also more likely to rank well in the search engines.
Not only is a high-quality user experience (which a trusted website provides) a ranking factor, but E-E-A-T (expertise, experience, authoritativeness, and trust) is a key part of Google’s search quality guidelines.
By demonstrating your knowledge and credibility, you can potentially outrank your competitors.
10 ways to increase trust on your builders’ merchants website
So, how can you encourage customers to trust your online store?
Establishing trust doesn’t just come down to one key factor – it’s the result of multiple components working together to provide an assuring and reliable experience.
Here are ten things to bear in mind to build an eCommerce site that makes shoppers feel confident, safe, and ready to buy from.
1. Publicise reviews and ratings
Making reviews and ratings available on your website provides potential customers with the information they need to decide whether to buy from your business.
84% of customers trust product reviews from other customers, and 22% will not buy a product if there are no reviews available.
One of the best ways to get reviews is to ask. You can send emails and SMS messages to customers after they have made a purchase, asking for their feedback.
Don’t worry too much if you get a negative review. 68% of customers say they trust a business more when they see both good and bad reviews. Some customers are distrustful of businesses that only receive glowing five-star ratings.
You can respond to reviews (whether they’re positive or negative) to help customers with their purchases and show that you listen to feedback.
2. Provide contact details and an address
If you don’t have a lot of time and resources, but want to make your builders’ merchant site more trustworthy in the eyes of your customers, this is a quick win.
Adding your contact details and address to the footer of your website, so it’s visible on every page, shows customers that you’re a legitimate, transparent business that is easy to contact.
This can make customers more confident in your business and feel that they can reach out to you if they have any questions or queries.
44% of website visitors say they will leave a website if there’s no contact information available.
3. Prioritise your web design
How your website looks and functions has a significant impact on whether people trust it or not. According to a study by Stanford University, a website’s design is the number one factor people mention most frequently when they talk about trust online.
Consider two websites. Site A is clean and easy to navigate, while site B is cluttered and chaotic. If given a choice, chances are you’ll buy from site B as it comes across as more reliable.
Here are a few of our top tips for creating an eCommerce store that customers want to use:
- Use your brand colours and logo so your website aligns with your physical store’s branding
- Implement a consistent layout on every page so site visitors can find their way around
- Make it as easy as possible for site visitors to find what they need. As well as a main menu listing all your key categories, consider a search bar for visitors who know exactly what they’re looking for
- Space out your different elements to create a clean, easy-to-read layout
- Consider how your website looks on mobile – many of your customers will use a mobile phone to access your site, so it’s vital that it loads quickly and is easy to access
4. Showcase your expertise
As a builders’ merchant, you’ll be highly knowledgeable about a wide range of different services including building, plumbing, joinery, painting and decorating, and electrical work.
Demonstrating this expertise shows potential customers that you can solve their problems with a selection of high-quality, tried-and-tested products.
It can also be the unique selling point that makes you stand out from your competitors.
One of the best ways to show your experience and skills is through a resources section. You can offer how-to guides, news about the latest trends, and top tips for getting started on a project.
Alternatively, you can answer customer questions on your product pages or through live chat.
5. Offer detailed product descriptions
Detailed product descriptions give you another way to show your expertise and authority.
Plus, the more information prospective customers have to hand, the more likely they are to consider your business as a reliable place to buy from.
Well-written, comprehensive product descriptions can boost conversion rates by up to 78%.
As well as talking about the benefits of your product , the description should include:
- A product code (this can help customers find a specific product)
- Accurate specifications (for example, colour, dimensions, material composition)
- Clear product images (66% of people want to see at least three photos)
- Transparent pricing (it’s especially important to specify prices including and excluding VAT for your trade customers)
- Any relevant data sheets
- Customer ratings and reviews
Don’t forget to check your product descriptions for typos before you publish. 45% of Gen Z customers say spelling and grammar errors make a website appear less trustworthy.
Want to know more about what you should add to your product pages? Check out this guide to trust signals.
6. Promote any guarantees you offer
People want to know that the products they buy from your online store are long-lasting and won’t let them down.
According to Loop, 93% of customers are more likely to purchase from retailers who offer quality guarantees or warranties.
You can showcase this information through icons and images, or text.
7. Ensure your website is secure
With nearly one in five UK adults experiencing credit or debit card fraud, it’s vital that your builders’ merchants website is secure.
If not, prospective customers may not be willing to hand over their payment details.
There have been a lot of horror stories recently about major UK eCommerce retailers like Marks & Spencer and Harrods being hit by cyberattacks. Three-quarters of shoppers say they would be willing to part ways with a retailer compromised by cyberattackers.
You can ensure your website is as safe and reliable as possible by:
- Regularly updating security patches and software updates
- Implementing HTTPS (this is especially important if you sell online)
- Using 2-factor authentication to secure your site
- Generating strong passwords
- Frequently backing up your site so you can quickly restore it
As well as making your site safe, it’s crucial to show visitors how secure your website is. You can do this by using trust seals, which show that you’re protected from external threats.
8. Think about your off-site presence
While your website does a lot of the heavy lifting when it comes to establishing trust in your business, other factors play a part too.
Some customers like to do due diligence and research an eCommerce store before buying, so they can see what other people have to say.
By considering your other marketing channels and other sites you may have a presence on, you can create a curated experience that encourages customers to trust your business.
A good place to start is reviews on external websites like Trustpilot, Reviews.io, and Which? See what customers are saying, and if necessary, create an account so you can respond to reviews.
Another quick win is to create a Google Business Profile. As well as monitoring reviews, you can provide Google with additional context about your business, helping you rank higher for relevant search queries.
Also, think about how you appear on social media. Over half of customers say they are more likely to purchase from an online retailer if they have a solid, constant social media presence.
9. Highlight your delivery and returns policies
Customers want to know that their product will arrive safely and in a timely manner, and that they can return it if there are any issues.
Putting clear, easy-to-find delivery and returns policies on your builders’ merchants website gives customers the confidence to commit to a purchase.
84% of shoppers say they always check a website’s returns policy before buying.
Add a link to your delivery and returns policies in your website footer, as well as on your product pages. Avoid adding these policies as downloadable documents, as they’re not always accessible and can be hard to read on mobile devices.
10. Limit your use of AI-generated content
Artificial intelligence (AI) is great for carrying out small tasks, meaning you have more time to focus on marketing your business.
However, it’s not always the right choice for creating trustworthy content for your builders’ merchants website.
According to Hootsuite, 62% of people say they are less likely to engage with and trust content if they know an AI application created it.
While you can create AI-generated images, product descriptions, articles, and other website content quickly, these can come across as inauthentic and bland. There’s even the risk that you create similar content to that of your competitors.
It’s always better to create content manually, using your experience and expertise to provide customers with high-quality, trustworthy, and relevant information.
If you do use AI to create your website content, review and edit it afterwards to make it more personal and relatable.
Xigen: The agency that builders’ merchants’ trust
Running an eCommerce store isn’t just about the number of transactions you receive – it’s about forging strong customer relationships.
Customers who trust you are more likely to buy from you, have a better working relationship with you, and recommend you to other people.
Let us leave you with one final tip for boosting trust on your builders’ merchants website – show your human side through articles, behind-the-scenes content, and photos and videos.
This shows site visitors that you’re authentic and relatable, increasing engagement and allowing you to build connections with potential customers.
Need a little extra help generating trust in your business?
We have over two decades of experience working with builders’ merchants. We can create an eCommerce website that your customers love, as well as a digital marketing strategy that shows shoppers why they should care about your business.
Trust us, we’re the digital marketing agency to beat!
Back
