How to prove to your customers you run a legitimate online business in 2019
Winning the trust of your potential customers is one of the most important aspects of running a business online. People won’t pay you, if they don’t feel safe, as simple as that.
Here’s how to clearly show them that your online business is legitimate.
Focus on your website
We’ve seen countless poor websites that are trying to sell products or services. They have broken links, outdated designs, confusing navigation, and various other issues that will be noticed instantly by the potential customers.
You should provide a smooth user experience to every single person who reaches your website. It’s not that hard or expensive to achieve in 2019, so make sure to invest in a proper page that will leave a good impression to all visitors.
It’s the first thing they see and we all know the importance of the first impression.
Acquire all the important certificates and licenses
A lot of online industries require some sort of regulation and the customers know that. A good example is the gambling niche. The best online casinos and bookmakers on the internet all have a gambling license issued by a legitimate institution like the UK Gambling Commission or the Malta Gaming Authority.
The same applies to Forex trading platforms and pretty much every online business in which trust is the key to success and there is a lot of money involved.
Even if it’s not mandatory to acquire some sort of document, it’s always a good idea to add certificates and seals of approval by respected organizations in your niche. The customer will feel much safer, if your reputation is backed by a recognizable authority.
Provide polite and effective customer support service
Even if you provide exceptional service, some of your customers might run into various trouble. Often, it will even be their fault. Mistakes in the registration forms, declined transactions due to incorrect data, and other cases might be frustrating for the users and it’s important to solve them quickly.
Give them an easy way to contact the customer support team and make sure your employees will react accordingly. That will not only help you keep many customers, but also build your reputation.
The angry users will leave you bad reviews online and that’s one of the most certain ways to compromise your integrity.
Most people research on the web before spending nowadays and if there’s enough bad feedback, you will lose potential buyers.
Use popular payment providers
Most people prefer to use well-known banking methods for their online transactions. It’s not only convenient, but it also helps to establish trust. The likes of VISA, MasterCard, PayPal, and other mainstream payment providers have a solid legitimate reputation that works in your favor, if you implement them.
Your potential customers will know that their money is secure, if they can recognize the name of the provider and feel familiar with the whole procedure.
Don’t use small prints
A lot of online businesses add terms and conditions that use small prints. That’s one of the most certain ways to provoke negative feelings in your customers. If your service or product includes risks and unfavorable rules, the customer should know about them.
If you try to hide some inconvenient truths, your actions will backfire. The users that notice will immediately become suspicious and those who don’t will most likely beat the drum and ruin your business later on. Either way, it’s a shady practice that doesn’t look good, so simply avoid it.
Use SSL certificates and highlight it
One of the best ways to secure potential transfers of money or data is to use SSL certificates. They make sure no one will steal the information and even if someone does, it will be useless to him because of the encryptions.
You should most certainly use the latest SSL technologies out there to secure your online business, it’s standard practice. Once you do, you should put a badge on your page that highlights the fact. Many people know what the SSL provides and will feel safer with a legitimate site.
