Online sales over the Christmas period have continued the year on year upward trend for ecommerce, with 96 million UK internet visits being made to retail websites in December. This marks a whopping 19.5% increase from last year’s figures – with British consumers spending 13 million hours shopping on Boxing Day (Experian Hitwise).
A key component for winning some of this new business will be to address one of the most important questions online shoppers want answered when looking to spend their well earned – and somewhat tighter – budgets in 2012; that is ‘can I trust this website?’
One of the best ways to help earn that trust is through a well crafted About Us page. The About Us page is often over-looked with seemingly more important tasks take precedence, such as ongoing marketing activities or the all important customer care. A relatively short amount of time updating your About Us page however, can go a long way to winning the trust of new customers.
Here are a few ideas for improving your website’s trust-worthiness from your About Us page.
Where Have You Come From
Share your story, how did you start, what needs are you fulfilling. This is an opportunity to share some personality and connect on a more personal level – at the same time demonstrating your trust worthiness by showing you have nothing to hide.
Where Are You Going
Don’t be shy to share your company’s ethos and unique selling proposition. If you have plans to become the next John Lewis, then don’t be afraid to say so. Stating your ambition will not only differentiate you from a ‘fly-by-night’ outfit, it will also show you intend to look after existing customers.
Who Is Getting You There
Provide some detail regarding key members of your team. Consider using a picture if appropriate to show that you are a friendly and approachable online retailer – a face, or faces behind what otherwise might be considered an impersonal customer care experience.
Who Already Trusts You
Sharing a selection of customer testimonials can help reinforce your trust worthiness. A small selection of testimonials on your About Us page can also link off to your blog perhaps to read more comments and encourage further engagement.
Displaying awards, accreditations and associations – as well as clear links to your returns and shipping policies can also help demonstrate your trust worthiness.
How To Get In Touch
Providing your business and contact details goes a long way to earning customers’ trust. As it addresses one of the shopper’s most relevant fears; ‘who do I contact if it all goes pear shaped’? Consider providing a number of contact options, including your social media profiles and even an instant messaging system.
Put yourself in your customer’s place, and then use your About Us page to help address any concerns. It’s the natural place for shoppers to look when ‘checking you out’ before making their first purchase from your website. If you would like to learn more, or need help improving your ecommerce website, contact us here.
