How to build a trustworthy webshop
When it comes to online shopping, trust is essential for consumers. Read this blog and learn how to build a trustworthy webshop.
According to the leading provider of market and consumer data Statista, the global e-commerce market size is predicted to hit 4 trillion in 2020 - and the money spent online continues to increase. If you want a slice of the cake, it’s important that your webshop should be trustworthy, since many consumers will abandon an online purchase due to a lack of trust in the webshop.
However, concurrently with increasing online shopping, consumers have become more confident inthe concept, which is due, among other things, to Trustpilot, GDPR and the new EU PSD2 and SCA requirements. At the same time, the covid-19 situation has changed the everyday lives of many, and consumers are now resorting to online shopping for the first time as a consequence of social distancing. So, this blog focuses on how to build trust in your webshop and avoid having potential customers leave your shop while the basket is still full of goods.
Read about how to optimize your checkout and increase your sales.
Create trust through website design
Did you know that consumers spend an average of 30 seconds assessing whether your webshop is trustworthy or not? It’s not a long time, and it means you need to get off to a good start with a clean, presentable and professional design, so that potential customers don’t lose all trust when viewing your webshop.
The following is an example of a webshop that has started off well with a great first impression:
In the example, Fitfashion succeeds in communicating its message in very little space and without noise. All the webshop’s product categories are visible and, moreover, four key information and customer benefits are highlighted at the top of the webshop - fast delivery time, free shipping, free exchange and the webshop’s good score on Trustpilot - which is of great importance in determining whether consumers want to shop here or not.
Transparency on your webshop
As part of the initial impression, your webshop must be transparent, in order to get consumers to enter their credit card information there. The idea is to show them that you have nothing to hide. This means easily accessible trading conditions, information about returns and clear contact information. Just like Fitfashion, you can place this information in your webshop’s footer:
Create credibility on your webshop
Perception is everything and you can remove consumers’ doubts by displaying trustmarks and some of your collaborators’ logos on your webshop.
The return policy and process
Your return policy and return procedure are essential elements when creating credibility. Returns and exchanges are an important part of the purchasing process, so consumers have high expectations when it comes to returns. For this reason, you must have easy-to-understand and clear information and an easy return process, and remember to follow up on the return.
With Shipmondo’s Return Portal, you can make it easy for your customers to pay for return shipping, download return slips and send their purchased items back to you.
… and see for your self.
Show testimonials and customer reviews
Nothing builds trust as much as positive customer reviews, so it’s an advantage if you can show these off. You can download the statements from, for example, Trustpilot and make them visible on your webshop, as Trendhim has done:
Prioritise security
Another great way of showing credibility and gaining trust is to install an SSL certificate on your webshop. SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer, and an SSL certificate is something that any webshop should have in order to secure both itself and its customers. It’s a way to assure your customers that they can shop safely with you.
SSL is an encryption protocol that ensures that the information shared between you and your customers remains private. It can be seen on your webshop the fact that the URL switches from http to https, and there will also be a lock icon displayed in the browser:
GDPR and data protection
GDPR is an abbreviation for the General Data Protection Regulation, which applies to the entire EU. The law aims to give citizens more control over the information they share when they shop online, surf social media or log on to online banking. In addition, the law also means that you as a webshop must be aware of how you process and store customers’ personal information - and this must also be stated in your terms and conditions. In general, it is essential that your trading conditions should be up to the mark, as a lack of information can make consumers feel insecure.
Show your team’s face
It is easier for consumers to trust your webshop if they can see who is behind it, so you need to make the people behind your webshop visible. You do this first and foremost by creating an ‘About us’ page that describes who you are and your passion. Moreover, it’s a good idea to show a picture of yourself or your team.
An example of Christmas Sweaters’ About us page: 
Clear communication and good customer service
If you want to retain customers and ensure that they return to your webshop, you must communicate clearly and provide good customer service - which are another two important parameters when assessing whether your webshop is a safe place to shop.
Providing a lot of information leads to confident and satisfied customers who come back again and again. So, it’s a good idea to keep your customers [updated on the delivery process] (/blog/information-during-the-delivery-process/) with personal messages that, for example, let them know when the order has been received, prepared and sent - and you can do this easily and automatically with a free Shipmondo account.
