How can a brand marketer maximize the performance of a website? What’s the number one priority? Well, it isn’t dazzling visuals. Nor is it a page full of hot deals. No, the first order of business is building trust. Until credibility is established, commitments will be few; and conversions, even fewer.
How do brand marketers establish trust? Fortunately, they have a variety of trust-building tools at their disposal. Creating the right look and feel is a good place to start. Generally, a modern, user- friendly design works best and creates the all-important positive first impression. Don’t underestimate the value of this initial impact. Most people rely on first impressions to judge brand worthiness. Miss the mark in this department, and you’ll be struggling to gain a foothold.
Remember, consistency is a major factor when it comes to trust-building design. So is a certain amount of restraint in the area of color choice. Loud and gaudy hues won’t help your cause much. Much better to go with moderate tones.
What about stock photos? How do these affect trustworthiness? Surprisingly, they can be a major influencer – in the wrong direction. Generally, stock photos lower trust values – especially if they’re the ones seen a million times before. Avoid using these at all costs.
One visual always makes a solid impression – the security seal. A generous display of these seals can be a significant trust booster. Any website protected by the likes of VeriSign, Norton, and any of the others is way ahead of the game. These protections are particularly important on a page requesting user information. Understandably, people demand ample protection for their personal data. Displaying these seals helps satisfy that demand.
If you have questions or comments about building trust for your website, or about any other brand-related topic, feel free to send them our way.
You can connect with the Young Company team at 949-376-8404 #4033 or bart@youngcompany.com. And be sure to follow us for the latest brand marketing news and tips.