Online Sales: Passing the Credibility Test
Posted by Yvette | Under Online Marketing Tuesday Nov 17, 2009
People love to buy things online primarily because of how convenient it is. They can see the product they’d like to purchase being advertised at ten different stores without ever having to get in their car. Just as online shopping has become a common part of our culture, so has a lack of trust for online retailers. Most people have at least one horror story detailing an online purchase gone awry. To keep themselves from getting taken advantage of, many online consumers will look closely at a couple of critical areas to determine a website’s credibility.
- Can they reach you? If you’re selling something online, it’s critical that you have an 800 number that appears prominently on your website. If consumers have to hunt all over your site to find your phone number, they very well may believe that you don’t want to be reached. What company doesn’t want their consumers to call them? A company that sells junk products.
- Do you have a customer friendly return policy? Savvy consumers will read your return policy before they buy from you. While no company wants to have consumers returning products that are old, banged up, and can’t be resold, you should still think of your return policy as a way to win their business. If it’s clear that your return policy was written to protect you and not to serve the consumer, buyers will be wary. Depending on the product, give a reasonable amount of time for consumers to make returns.
- Don’t go overboard with fees. Requiring consumers to pay for their return shipping is only fair. Charging 30% of the value of the original sale to put the product back on the shelf may be a little extreme.
- Security and online sales go hand in hand. Consumers want to know that when they make a purchase on your website their credit card isn’t going to be used to finance a stranger’s European dream vacation. Having a secure website is fantastic. Advertising your website’s security is even better.
Even if a consumer will never meet you personally, they still need to know that they can trust you. While they’ll definitely be paying attention to the claims you make about your product or service, they’ll also be assessing these four basic areas before they decide to do business with you. If you follow these simple steps you won’t only gain the consumer’s trust, you’re also likely to win their business.
Related posts:
