The concept of “trust” means different things to different people. But when it comes to trusting a business to deliver what it promises, customers are first drawn to the company’s visual design—its colors, logos, images, and lettering font.
Customers tend to trust professionally created designs and presentations that portray companies as leaders and innovators in the business of … anything.
Here are some ways that business designs encourage customers to trust your company.
Digital Beginnings
First impressions do matter.
Just about everything these days starts with searching the internet. Most brands are found online, either with a website, Instagram account, X (Twitter), Facebook page, eBay, Etsy, or digital advertisement—just to name a few.
Digital presence tells customers your business is available to satisfy their needs. Customers are more apt to trust digital transmissions that are created by design, public relations, and writing professionals. (You may be a great plumber or HVAC technician with your own business, but if you can’t spell or write correctly, your potential customer base will look for a company with more “professional” presence).
Consistency
Consistency isn’t boring — in fact, it’s just the opposite. Setting up a website with consistent designs, colors, images, and a well-written layout shows professionalism, and that’s what customers want to see.
Websites and written materials that are laid out haphazardly, have misspelled words, or improper grammar elicit negative reactions and responses from would-be customers. The way you present your businesses is just as important –– if not more — than the actual work you do.
In today’s “online scam” society, customers are aware of what sketchy sites look like, and those often include misspellings and awkward designs. That’s why creating a unique, consistent design scheme with continuity from page to page, and no errors in content is essential to earning customers’ trust and making them feel comfortable with your sales pitch.
Consistency also equates to ease-of-use. Designing a website for easy scanning helps customers find the important information they need without having to dig too much.
Tip: Create a “consistency audit” to take note of web pages, written content, page features, branding, colors, and images. Determine if there is any incongruity, and if so, make the changes.
Openness and Transparency
In all advertising, companies want to stress their positives, of course. But hiding the (possible) negatives so that would-be buyers have to dig for the information isn’t a way to make them happy or to gain your trust.
People want to know the specifics of what they’re getting and how much it will cost them. Transparent information includes exact pricing, timely scheduling, and customer service before, during, and after the sale.
For example, if you’re trying to start an eco-friendly lawn care business, be specific on what exactly “eco-friendly” means. Hard-to-find information makes people apprehensive about your business, as if you really don’t know what you’re doing at all. The harder it is to find basic info, the more distrust comes into play.
Eye-Friendly
Sharp colors and easy-to-read fonts bring eyes to websites and printed materials. Clarity in communications helps people comprehend what they’re seeing. Choose strong block-oriented branding fonts (like Arial, Calibri, Rockwell, and Times New Roman, for example) that bring out the letters thickly so they are easy to read. Dark letters against a dark background may be difficult to see. Ensure contrast by choosing colors that complement each other, so they’re easy to read.
Emotional responses are inconsistent and hard to gauge. People perceive “ugly” in various ways, and you never really know how someone will react to a website or printed materials. But a “good looking” website makes people happy and more apt to overlook minor issues if the site doesn’t work as well as it should. In any case, design logos, pictures, colors, and fonts can either draw customers in or make them keep surfing.
Security
The security of your website is the biggest factor in determining customer trust. Online security threats are a big concern, especially when it comes to customers paying with credit cards, debit cards, and bank accounts. Information breaches seem to happen often, and malware–malicious software—is likely to be inadvertently downloaded onto residential and business computers.
Using third-party trusted payment processors, like PayPal or ApplePay, is a way for customers to use companies they already know and trust to pay you. It makes you appear even more reputable and trustworthy when they see you have partnered with a well-known brand. Customers need to be sure their money is safe with you.
Telling customers exactly how your site protects their personal and financial data is encouraging to them when they’re considering using your business. Backing up your promise is an absolute must. Contact your technical support team for ways to ensure secure transactions.
Importance of Customer Trust
Having your customers trust your business is important, especially when they tell their neighbors about their experiences. From social media to neighborhood websites to review sites (like Yelp and Reddit), to one-on-one emails, people talk to each other about services and products they buy. Online customer reviews provide necessary information about everything. Reviews have both a positive and negative influence on others who are considering buying products and hiring companies for services.
Loyalty isn’t just about whether a customer will hire you again. It’s what they say to someone else, whether in a casual chat, on a Facebook page, review site, or through personal emails. People talk, and when they talk about your business, give them good reasons to do so. Designing your sales pieces is the first step to creating a calm, attractive connection from business to customer. Digital content marketing is the start to a trusting business-client relationship.
