Building a credible and trustworthy reputation for your business, products, and services is essential for generating conversions, sales, and long-term success. And if you're not entirely convinced that trust plays a role in helping organizations thrive, check out the latest research.
According to the PWC annual Trust in US Business Survey:
- 73% of CEOs consider that trust drives customer loyalty (which equals a higher customer lifetime value)
- 58% believe trust is a core aspect of building a positive brand reputation
- 57% see trust as a driver of revenue growth
So if you're looking for strategies that will allow you to build trust, you might want to invest in design tactics that will achieve the desired results.
Everyone knows about trust-building design strategies like using social proof or creating product galleries. But, if you wish to maximize your brand's credibility, you must take a more advanced approach to developing product pages in a way that will effectively communicate dependability and expertise.
So, if you're ready to go the extra mile with trust-inspiring design, the following tactics will help you generate maximum product credibility.
Upgrade from Basic Instances of Social Proof
Using reviews and testimonials is a great way to build trust and credibility. After all, research shows that, in 2021, more than 76% of consumers read between 1 and 9 reviews before making a purchasing decision, while 14.6% of buyers read more than 10 product reviews.
But if you can, you should look for design strategies to push this trust-generating tactic to the next level.
Video Testimonials
One of the easiest ways to take reviews from zero to hero is to present product page testimonials in video format. According to survey data collected by Wyzowl:
- 79% of people watch video testimonials to learn about companies and their products.
- 2 out of 3 people would be more likely to buy after watching a video testimonial. And;
- 77% of consumers say that watching video testimonials inspired them to convert.
In other words, data confirms that presenting information in video format allows a more efficient way to get your message across to your audience. There are a couple of ways you can make video a part of your product page designs.
On the one hand, you could allow your clients to upload their product feedback in video format. Lifestyle brands like Nomad tend to do this on their product pages. This strategy is easy to implement and requires almost no involvement from you (once the initial design changes have been made). Moreover, it will continue to inspire next-level social proof by encouraging happy buyers to show off their latest purchases.
Source: nomadgoods.com
On the other hand, you could collaborate with your customers to create compelling video stories to be shown on your website. For instance, if you check out the Podio site, you'll see that it features visually stunning customer testimonial videos, the likes of which you can recreate even on a tight budget. These allow satisfied clients to describe their customer experience (in their own words) and inspire prospects in the bottom stages of the buyer's journey to convert.
Source: podio.com
User-Generated Content in Product Reviews
A slightly more budget-friendly design tactic for generating product credibility is incorporating non-video UGC in the reviews section of your product pages.
Remember, the fact that a non-video format requires fewer resources to implement doesn't take away from its effectiveness at boosting brand trust. In fact, data from TINT suggests that UGC is the most credible content type brands can use in 2023, making it a must for most businesses trying to get people to convert.
Salomon uses UGC beautifully on its product pages, showcasing social media posts tagged with the #tomorrowisyours hashtag. The embedded posts are even more than an outstanding example of user-submitted content. They're an excellent way for the brand to display the versatility of its running shoes, proving that they're not just suitable for sports but can be fashionable as well.
Source: salomon.com
Case Studies
Lastly, don't forget that, sometimes, the easiest way to prove the effectiveness of your solution is to intelligently position and highlight a convincing piece of social proof.
Case studies are a great format of trust-building content to highlight on product pages. They provide potential buyers with specific insights into how your solution works and what it can accomplish.
For instance, if you check out the Attentive Messaging product page, you'll see that the spotlighted case study isn't just presented in an attention-grabbing manner. More importantly, the preview includes measurable data about the brand's client's achieved results, making it far more likely that a potential lead will click on the "See Case Study" CTA and, hopefully, be inspired to convert.
Source: attentive.com
Showcase Your Product in Action
In addition to going the extra mile with social proof, you could also use product page design techniques to educate your audience about how your products work. This will not only boost product understanding but also help you convince prospects that your product works and is the right choice for them.
Something as elementary as showcasing your product in action can be an excellent way to maximize product credibility.
For example, the Bay Alarm Medical product page features several sections describing how the brand's solution works:
- At the top of the page is a three-step process explanation. It combines images with copy to help potential buyers understand the medical alert system.
- Below that, the design incorporates a video of a trustworthy expert explaining how medical alert systems work.
- Finally, the brand's design team drives the message home by showcasing a medical alert call. It gives web visitors a real-life example of the product in action and demonstrates how helpful the brand's solution can be in an emergency.
Source: bayalarmmedical.com
Another excellent instance of a business demonstrating the capabilities of its product comes from NARS. The cosmetics brand ensures that each product page includes a detailed set of photos, descriptions, and how-to-use instructions. All this serves to help buyers envision the effects they'll achieve by using the make-up items. But even more, each product page is designed to include an instructional video on how to get a specific visual effect, as well as a gallery featuring stunning customer-created looks that showcase the potential of NARS' eyeshadow palettes.
Source: narscosmetics.com
Make Realistic, Measurable Claims
One of the issues with trying to build brand trust is that most people aren't ready to put their confidence in organizations in 2023.
According to GWI, organizational trust decreased by 7% across the board, with major brands and corporations being amongst the biggest "losers," along with news organizations and social media companies. Moreover, the same report showed that people don't trust online resources as much as they used to, with 5% fewer people finding product reviews believable.
So if you want to design a site that will generate product credibility, you have to ensure that you make claims that aren't just abstract promises.
By basing your value propositions on measurable data, you can efficiently build credibility for your products while managing your prospects' expectations regarding what they can (realistically) expect when they invest in your solution.
The B2B sector does this type of trust-building design phenomenally. To see a great example, check out the Braze website. The Data & Analytics product page mentions three main advantages users can unlock by employing the brand's solution (based on which they can measure the product's effectiveness in the future). These include several segmentation filters, a statistic about the average increase in email engagement accomplished by using the platform, and the expected conversion rate boost potential buyers can expect.
Source: braze.com
Or, for a B2C example of this design tactic in action, you could also check out some of the well-established brands in the skincare industry. For instance, the Clinique website shows that each product page includes a list of effects buyers can expect. What's particularly great about this brand's strategy is that each advertised result is based on clinical trials and research.
Source: clinique.com
Associate Your Product with Highly Credible Insight
When it comes to next-level design strategies you can employ to generate product credibility, one of the most effective things you can do is associate your product (and your brand) with valuable insights.
One way to do this is to enrich product pages with testimonials from industry experts. This is particularly important when trying to encourage young consumers to trust your brand. After all, research shows that the authority figures Gen Z finds the most trustworthy include doctors, scientists, and educators. That's why brands like Heights include a "Meet the Brains Behind It" section on their product pages.
Source: yourheights.com
But, if you check out the Drift product page, you'll see that you don't necessarily have to rely on science-backed research to prove the credibility of your solutions. Knowing that its target audience consists of entrepreneurs and sales teams, this brand highlights feedback from a relevant industry expert. In this case, the trust-building design element consists of a statement from SAP Concur's Director of Digital Experience explaining how Drift's solution has helped the business meet its goals. It's more than enough to boost product credibility.
Source: drift.com
However, there are better (and less expected) ways to use product page design to associate your product with expertise. For example, if you look at the Creatine HMB product page on the Transparent Labs website, you'll notice it includes a "Related Articles" section. Here, the brand's expert content writers explain everything there is to know about creatine supplements. Plus, the section links to several long-form articles that go into a ton of detail (and include references to scientific studies) about getting the most out of this type of product.
Source: transparentlabs.com
Show Your Customers How to Get the Most Out of Your Product
Sometimes, the best way to design for trust isn't to show off social proof or merely highlight your team's experience. It's to shift the focus from your brand or team onto your audience's needs and approach the product page design process in a way that prioritizes customer experience.
According to research, consumers associate a good CX with speed, convenience, and knowledgeable help. So, if you can create product pages that cover all three of these elements, you'll have a far easier time generating maximum product credibility.
For example, by using design to transform traditional product pages into useful educational resources, you can accomplish several things at once:
- You can get potential buyers inhabiting the early stages of the buyer's journey to discover your product pages via Google search. Then, you can address their pain points and provide relevant insights to encourage prospects to automatically associate your solution with the answer to their needs.
- You can prove your brand's expertise and the credibility of your product by going into a lot of detail (and providing examples) about what the solution does, how it works, and how it can be used.
- Finally, by showing customers how to get more out of your product, you'll boost the CX and position your brand as a customer-oriented organization that people will trust to have their best interests in mind.
For example, if you look at a business like MarketBeat, you'll see that they sell an information product, which comes in the form of access to a market report. Now, if the brand approached its product page design in a traditional manner, it would have to rely on potential customers to figure out the complex investment industry and recognize the value of the brand's product by themselves. This would prevent MarketBeat from capitalizing on the opportunity to position themselves as experts. And it would significantly diminish the product's credibility.
What's interesting about this brand's approach to showing authority is that it chose to enhance its penny stocks page with a detailed, highly accessible primer. It is chock-full of helpful infographics and links to articles. More importantly, it's an in-depth investing resource that shows that MarketBeat has its audience's best interest in mind. The result is an instant boost in trust, product credibility, and, consequently, conversions.
Source: marketbeat.com
Highlight Third-Party Reviews
Lastly, don't forget to explore ways to show that your product is recognized for its quality on relevant platforms.
You could, naturally, do this by including trust badges, certifications, and awards on your product pages. Take a look at how Animaker did it.
Source: animaker.com
But you could also do something more traditional and emphasize Google, Facebook, or Trustpilot reviews. To see an example of what you could try, check out the Daylio website. You'll see that the brand heavily relies on third-party reviews to prove product credibility, pointing out its Google Play and App Store rating and highlighting several impressive media mentions.
Source: daylio.net
In Closing
Emphasizing your product's effectiveness, reliability, and convenience is essential for boosting brand trust, product credibility, and conversion rates. And the great thing is that you can easily do it with just a few design tweaks, like showing off product reviews or trust badges.
But, if you're looking to take designing for trust to the next level, you'll find that you'll have to do a bit more with your website design. The strategies discussed above are all excellent options to get you the results you're after. And whether you choose to implement one or all of them, you can rest assured that they'll lead to noticeable increases in all the key metrics that determine your brand's (short-term and long-term) success.
