5 easy steps for building trust online
More and more of us are doing business without ever meeting our service providers face-to-face. There’s one common stumbling block that can hinder any deal, and that’s the issue of trust.
Since launching this blog in October 2006 I’ve been able to increase the number of overseas clients that I’m proud to do business with, and that wouldn’t be possible without first building trust. I ask all clients for a 50% downpayment, so it’s vital to portray a reliable image.
Here are five simple steps that have helped me to build trust online.
1/ Be accessible
People need to be able to contact you, quickly, and easily. Show a link to your contact page above the fold i.e. without your reader having to scroll down your web page. The quicker someone can find your contact details the better, because many people will visit your site for the sole purpose of sending a message.
2/ Use client testimonials
Include client testimonials for your products or services. It’s important to link to your client website or to provide their contact information. So many people fake their testimonials but it’s usually easy to spot (no link, no photograph, no contact details).
3/ Publish a blog
A professional blog can do wonders for building trust, especially if the topics you write about are related to the product or service you offer. Your personality comes out in the language you use, and first-time visitors get to know you by reading your conversations with commentators. This is where your blog comment threads play a vital role.
4/ A face to the name
By including a photograph online (it might only be on your contact page), you help build rapport between you and your prospective customer.
5/ Don’t overdo the advertising
If you show advertising on your website, don’t let it overpower your own content. There are few things more off-putting than a site riddled with AdSense or flashing banners. If you do monetize your site, keep it relevant. Showing three relevant ads is much less discouraging that just one that’s totally unrelated.
Further trust-building resources
- How to Build Trust Online, by Eoghan McCabe
- Business Blogging Strategy: Build Trust and Rapport, by Greg Balanko-Dickson
What are you doing to improve your online reliability?
Related posts on David Airey dot com
48 appreciated comments on “5 easy steps for building trust online”
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Once you’ve delivered the project/service/product whatever it maybe, follow up a couple of days later to ask how they are getting on with the solution you provided. Don’t let the first phone called from the client be when something has broken or not what they expected.
Jamie
I think you do a fine PR job with this blog. If I was looking for a freelance designer I’d certainly consider you.
How effective has this blog been in generating real business for you? And has the business this blog generated come mainly from contacts whom you’ve build up a relationship with – ie regular readers who have had a certain level of conversation with you already – or complete strangers who have just found your site and liked what they’ve seen?
These tips are a good first step but are not always appropriate. For example if you blog solely to earn money via advertising then using Adsense is a good first step. Personally I would always use Adsense, if only as filler content when I’ve run out of paid ads.
Also client testimonials on a video game blog are a bit pointless, but client testimonials on a video game store would be a good idea (and something I really should add :) )
I’ve recently added my photo to Binary Joy (see game blog above) and am going to be adding it to Binary Moon some time in the next month or so. I like the fact it makes the site more personal and approachable.
Jamie,
You add a great pointer for follow-up. After sales support deserves an article all on its own (a good idea actually).
Aaron,
Thanks for that. It’s always appreciated when someone lets me know I’m not shooting myself in the foot with my writing. It’s a big compliment to know you’d consider me.
My blog has been a hundred times more effective than my static website for generating business, both via word-of-mouth from courteous readers and also people visiting my site from searches.
The power of keeping an up-to-date blog does wonders for visibility, and I’m witnessing the benefits of my keyword terms for Edinburgh prospects. Just yesterday I had a 30 minute conversation with an Edinburgh entrepreneur asking for a detailed proposal, and they found me via Google. That would never have happened before I launched my blog.
Ben,
You make interesting points, and I’m writing from the perspective of a service provider, online purchaser and relative novice to the power of online publishing.
It’s my opinion that I wouldn’t have picked up as many new readers if their first visit to my site showed a raft of AdSense advertising.
You seem to be making a success of your online advertising, so I’d love to get your thoughts on my online efforts. If you were in my position, would you place a little more emphasis on monetization?
I’ve just ordered Blogging Tips, from Lorelle on WordPress, and know that she advocates forgetting about advertising until you’ve been a blog author for at least a year. I can see where she’s coming from.
I’ve found that blogging has exposed my company name in Edinburgh with other businesses that blog and also given our domain (terinea.co.uk) alot more Google juice, we are now on the front page for our keywords.
I couldn’t agree more about direct selling on a blog. Also if it’s a business blog i.e. you make money from other revenue streams, don’t put sponsors/ad’s on it!
Really great tips here David – thanks!
This may be a little side-tracked, but as a service provider for the photoblogging community, one thing I have learned in building trust in a community is admitting when you mess up. Be honest when you do something wrong (or something happens like a server outage that is out of your hands, but you are still held accountable), apologise for it and let folks know how you have learned from it (generally what you’ll do so it doesn’t happen again). As a web designer as well, I think this works to your advantage too. Don’t pretend to be some infallible know-it-all who can do no wrong. People are smarter than that and see through it. Being human builds trust.
And here’s a tip for myself: proof read, especially when you are this tired, before commenting on anyones site. Sloppy typing isn’t going to build trust at all!
I agree with that entirely. It took me a long time to decide to start using Advertising, and on my personal blog I keep it very subtle. Binary Joy was designed specifically to make me money whereas Binary Moon is where I just waffle.
I’m not going to pretend to be an expert either – like most people on the web I’m still learning :)
I have actually been thinking about writing a post on my adventures in earning money with advertising. Maybe I will put some time aside and make it a reality.
Well done on reaching the first pages for your search terms, Jamie.
I’ve also been able to network with fellow business-people in Edinburgh through my blog (Beer 2.0 being a great result). Next time we’ll chat and I’ll not walk past you in an ignoring fashion. If you’d have published a photo on your site I would’ve certainly remembered to say hello. ;)
Lorissa,
Great point about admitting mistakes. I’m the first to put my hands up if I know I’ve done something wrong.
Proper grammar and spelling helps too, as you rightly point out. Especially being a graphic designer where acute details can really make a difference.
Ben,
That proposed article on your money-making adventures is one I’d certainly want to read. Go for it!
Great points there! The Advertising one drives me nuts. It’s one thing to have advertising, but it’s another to have a MFA site, lol. Anymore if I stumble across a site with nothing but ads, I leave.
Nothing worse either than having a so called “business” site, only to have google ads everywhere.
First, thanks for the link to my post about building trust! I appreciate it. . .and it leads me to one more idea about trust building–showcase others (not just people, companies, or products where you earn money of course). Linking out and referencing others’ work does two things that elevate the trust factor:
1. It shows you’re not merely some self-serving person. People see you as helpful and generous.
2. People to whom you link or make reference feel valued and have a positive vibe about you (if you’re respectful in your referencing, that is). They may then refer others to you or even consider working with you in some way themselves.
I look forward to learning more from you and hope you’ll be back to my site too. :-)
Wow, your rss subscribers have gone up loads! Well done!
good articles.thanks lotz :)
Good tips. I have sold a couple paintings via the internet without even trying, and I’ve wondered what makes the customers trust me in such a distant relationship. Turns out I’m already doing a lot of things right, and I’m going to use your tips to tweak things a bit. Thanks!
Very helpful tips, David. I was mentally ticking off every point you made and comparing it with the way you’ve accomplished it on your blog. Like Aaron said, you’re doing a great PR job with your blog. I personally didn’t even notice at first any advertising on your blog, until I realized that the Featured Sites pay to be featured here ;-)
Shonnie,
You’re very welcome for the link to your trust article. Thanks for publishing it.
You make an excellent point about diverting the spotlight to others. I’ve come across so many people who have taught me valuable lessons these past few months, and I’m all for sharing the knowledge by promoting their great work.
Jul,
That’s great that you’re already building trust with your customers. Glad this article prompts a few tweaks here and there.
Vivien,
Thanks for the compliment! The ‘featured site’ section doesn’t bring in much, but it covers the hosting costs and every little helps. Here’s hoping the next public Google page rank update boosts the income somewhat. The cost of a Text Link Ad seems to rely solely on a website’s Alexa rank and Google page rank.
iBrands are growing stronger everyday. This a very relevant post. Great read.
-I despise the look of adsense all together. And when you’ve succeeded in minimizing their visual impact, you’ve negated their reason. I wonder when we’ll see third-party ad traffickers for bloggers to sell space themselves. Seems like a viable option for a new business. Perhaps WordPress could add a widget for monitoring spaces.
Nice post.
trust is the basis of any good relationship, be it romantic or friendship or business…great post!
You have great tips here, especially for those of us who are just getting involved with blogs and attempting to increase traffic – whether or not we’re selling product.
I’ve found all your article really easy to read and the advice easy to put into practice. I’ve been going over your tips and updating my blog as I go.
Many thanks for all your help
cheers
TrishA
You can add another tip – which you are already doing – interacting and communicating. By responding to your supporters’ comments at your blog and visiting other blogs to share your thoughts, you are building credibility and gaining trust. All these help you to establish a personal brand
Marc,
Glad you liked the post. You make a very relevant point regarding AdSense. People take the time to make the ads blend with their own content, thinking that people are more likely to click-through. Won’t that lead to surprise when the reader finds themselves on a third party site?
Trish,
I appreciate you letting me know that you’ve updated your blog as a result of my articles. Even if I help one person out in some way I think it’s worth the time it takes to write.
Vivienne,
It’s the interaction that keeps me motivated. Nice addition. If it weren’t for the comments you and others have been leaving I’m not sure I’d be so consistent with my blog posts.
Hey David great points in your article.
I was guilty of too much advertising and then I decided to drop it as it became a distraction.
Thanks for the link to my site and article I wrote on Lorelle’s blog.
Good of you to visit, Greg.
I enjoyed your article on Lorelle’s blog, so it was my pleasure linking to it.
Great tips. Probably the biggest mistake I see in new bloggers who are blogging for business is an over-emphasis on selling their audience. A blog’s audience is generally NOT looking to be sold. They’re looking for information. Take care of that and they’ll sell themselves.
I’m not entirely sure what you mean, Ed, by selling their audience, but I do completely agree about providing information first and foremost.
It’s what I aim to do here.
Hi, these are very true facts. But now-a-days, all trustworthy and non trustworthy are following the same tactics , so its pretty hard to make space and give space for trust.
The points are logical. Yet, fundamentally, I don’t think its up to us to build trust in other people. Rather, its up to them to discern that our business practices, services, and other initiatives merit their trust and attention. We can only ever change ourselves. This begins with intent.
Liara,
Of course, we can’t tell other people to trust us. The decision is always going to be theirs. That’s not to say we don’t influence their decision, however, through our actions, how we communicate, what we say etc.
Hi David
I am interested in purchasing a monthly text link on your blog
Can you let me know the cost and availability
I look forward to your reply
Cheers
Ewan
Hi Ewan,
At this time I’m not running ads on my site, but I appreciate you enquiring.
David, ever since I launched my blog back in December 2005, it has opened up a world of opportunities for me. My customers like to read what I have to say and discover my voice before hiring me for projects. So far, my photograph hasn’t scared too many people away!
Matt Keegan’s last blog post..Is It Time To Review Your Freelance Writing Rates?
Hello Matt,
Great to know your blog has opened new business avenues for you. I’ve found exactly the same thing.
It is like more you will tell to people more they will trust on you and as Lorissa mentioned – building trust in a community is admitting when you mess up. Be honest when you do something wrong, apologise for it and let folks know how you have learned from it . Great tip.
arun’s last blog post..12 link building secrets by 12 experts – but some are very complex
did this, done that. just about displaying my own picture on my blog; well, at some point it make me embarassed; but i’ll fight the feeling…!!
Great post here David! I think I am on the right track for the steps you’ve laid out here. My only disadvantage right now is I don’t have many client testimonials because I’ve only done a handfull of projects on my own so far, but I am confident that will change fairly soon. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this!
Arun,
Being honest when a mistake is made can be ‘make or break’. If you know you’ve done something wrong, my advice is to act fast and do all you can to rectify the situation. Don’t let it dwell.
Nugroho,
Showing your picture isn’t for everyone, but if your site is for business purposes, it can certainly help.
Daniel,
Glad you liked the post, thanks. I’m also confident that you’ll soon have more client testimonials to display. :)
I found this via your contact page. Internal linking is an absolute must, and congratulations for making good use of it.
I have a small point about the picture thing. I think pictures of authors are great for the most part, but it’s also important to use one that really makes you seem open and welcoming.
Those of us who work online sometimes forget that people make dozens of judgements about us immediately upon seeing how we look, so while a picture is great, make sure it’s not doing more harm than good.
If like me, you have a face that scares small children, think twice about the picture :)
Milorad,
Thanks for letting me know how you found this article, and good point about the photos. The last thing you want to do is have potential customers hiding under bed-sheets at the sight of you (though I’m sure you’re exaggerating). ;)
Thanks for such an interesting article!
I’ve found all your article really very interesting and easy to read. The advice easy to put into practice. I’ve been going over your tips and updating my blog as I go.
” It’s my opinion that I wouldn’t have picked up as many new readers if their first visit to my site showed a raft of AdSense advertising. ”
I agree with that entirely. It took me a long time to decide to start using Advertising, and on my personal blog I keep it very subtle.
Very helpful tips, David.
Bob, Velion,
Thanks for the kind comments, and sorry it took so long to acknowledge you both.
That you for sharing this and I know this post is a little old, but trust has no date or expiration. As a local business owner, the shift to geo-targeted search is empowering and allows me to compete on a very targeted level with accountability and tracking vs. print. Thanks for this post and I believe trust, accountability and ROI will determine the winners from the old media dogs.
I’ve just spent over 5 hours browsing around here, learned and realized a bunch of important things, which means a lot for me, as a beginning designer. Sharing your ideas, steps, techniques, hints etc. has a really enormous effect in trust building.
Thank you very, very much.
Jack,
I’m right there with you, and I’m glad you found some use here.
Yannis,
Five hours?! That’s a compliment alright. No need to thank me. Thank you for stopping by.
Fantastic advise David. Trust me about three lines into it I had to grab my sketchpad to jot down some ideas for my blog. I found the most helpful part of your article being about improving general client interaction, such as having a clear and unobstructed way of reaching you. Your client testimonial and questionnaire pages are pretty brilliant, I can’t wait to give it a try!
I’m just diving into the Blog-o-sphere (actually went live just a few months ago) and also putting a lot into improving my online presence as a freelance logo designer and brand consultant and your blog is always the first place I turn for tips :)
I’ve noticed your blog has a section devoted to your portfolio, do you think that it’s important your blog and portfolio are a part of the same universe or should they be separate entities(with different addresses, layouts and voices)? I am of course talking about professional blogs with a direct relation to your industry.
Take Care,
Avery
Hi Avery,
I think it’s important to show some consistency between your blog and portfolio, so having them at the same address makes sense. That wasn’t always the way for me, and you’ll find more info about how I used to do things here:
30 month portfolio evolution
I suppose it all depends on how visible you want the blog to be. If it’s entirely work-related, then having it near your portfolio is a good idea (though I prefer work blogs to show at least a little personal content).
Nice, succinct article with good writing and a tone of credibility.