How to Earn Customer Trust At Zero Sales?

Congratulations on starting with a brand new online Shopify store. You must be looking forward to making your first sales and many more after that, isn't it? But before that you need to earn customer trust. Think of your own purchasing habit. We all are the same and think likewise.

So how to establish your ecommerce website credibility with no sales yet? You have no followers, no one knows your brand, no social proof how will you instil confidence in customers who visit you for the first time. Would you purchase from a store without any credibility?

When prospective customers come across your web page, they know nothing about you. Who are you? Why should they believe in what you say? Why should they make a purchase at your store?

Unlike brick and mortar stores in an online store they can't see you face to face and form an immediate impression. However, the reality is that building customer trust in any business should be the number one priority, even before any sale.

Luckily, you can win customer trust using different strategies that can help you start growing your ecommerce business. Here we have a list of 9 checkpoints that will help you earn customer trust before they decide to purchase from you.

1. Showcase the human side to the customers

You want to have trust with your customers. And the consumers need to feel it for your brand to spend their money. Show the human side of your brand to build an emotional connection with your audience. To do that, showcase the human side of your brand and create trust. On the About Us page of your site introduce yourself and tell meaningful stories.

People always like to engage with other people, and not brands. When they know the person behind the business it adds authenticity and credibility to your brand. This helps them feel better about purchasing from your store.

2. Build relationships with customers through content

As you can't just talk to your ecommerce website users, content is a great way to build your relationship with them. Tell the new users who you are without being pushy.

Start blogging, as it shows that you are invested in your business. Put in your efforts to reply to them as soon as possible so they feel connected. Create regular content that adds value to those who read it. This way your potential customers will get a chance to know you, like you, and trust you.

You can also demonstrate your expertise through content marketing. They believe you when you show that you really know your stuff.

3. Make your customers feel that you care for their security

Your virtual storefront leaves the first impression on the customers. Hence ensure that your site conveys trustworthiness and they feel you care about their security.

You are yet to make your first sales, hence the chances are high that few people have heard of you. It is natural for a consumer to be skeptical about your service. So it's normal that they get worried about making online transactions using credit card details.

So as an ecommerce business owner, what should you do?

Address their worries. One of the best ways to generate trust is to add trust badges (like the Shopify Secure badge) to your Shopify website. Security badge protects user information.

In a survey it was found, "61% of shoppers didn't finish their purchase because trust logos were missing". (Ref: Ecommerce statistics )

Give your customers the choice of multiple payment options on your store. There are shoppers who prefer to make payments using a certain method only. For example, offering PayPal, that many customers prefer to use. It is a secure and most trusted financial gateway.

4. Have a clear and concise return policy on your products

A good return policy creates a sense of security in consumers. A return policy makes them believe that the product is backed by the retailer and hence guaranteed to be what it is represented to be. In the absence of a good return policy they become suspicious and do not buy the product.

It shows how much trust and confidence you have on your product that you are selling. It also shows that you give priority and value the customer experience

According to the 2017 UPS Pulse of the Online Shopper survey, 68% of shoppers view returns policies before making a purchase. (Ref: Ecommerce returns 2018 stats trends )

5. Be available to answer your customers' inquiries

Be available to your customers and give them a scope to interact with you. Customers often have questions, and if you are not available to answer their queries or you dont care to respond in a timely manner you could miss out on earning their trust. Value their time and show instant gratification. Try to answer their inquiries as fast and thoroughly possible.

Make yourself available to your customers using some practical ways. Include the site's contact form, social media profile, email, live chat (like Shopify Messenger channel) on your site, etc.

6. Provide your customers detailed product information

Be transparent about the product information on your product page. When the customers know about what they are about to buy, it is more likely that they end up making a purchase. Reduce uncertainties by providing detailed product information on your store. Upload the image that must present the product as accurately as possible. When the product can be seen clearly, the chances are greater that the consumers will believe in your product. Product photography can add value to your store.

" For 88% of customers detailed product pages influence their purchasing decision". (Ref: Online shopping statistics )

7. Consider sampling to earn consumer confidence

It can be challenging to find those first few customers to buy your product or service. But sampling is a sure-fire way through which your products can reach your customers' hands. This helps customers to use your product or service which is unknown to them until now. When you create a scope for your customers to understand and experience your product or service you earn consumer confidence first. It helps in gaining traction by making them your paying customers afterwards.

Here are some different ways you adopt to do sampling that can help you yield real results.

• Give away samples to a set number of people and in return ask them for a review. You can use these reviews on your ecommerce site to build credibility. This is a great way to collect social proofs for your site.
• Send your free samples to influencers or bloggers that may be interested in featuring your products to their followers.
• Sampling distribution through pop-ups to bring in the interested crowd.

It is a great way to build trust in the targeted customers, but to be effective make sure that it reaches out to the right people.

8. Address buying concerns of the customers on FAQ page

A strong FAQ page has a lot of power to build trust equations.

Customers want to know your brand and your products. Answer the questions that help customers, give information on your products, demonstrate your expertise and how you work. Customers when they are more informed are likely to trust you more.

They become familiar with your brand putting them in a more comfortable zone to make a purchase from you.

9. Fix every little thing that may erode trust

Last, but not the least, look at your homepage to checkout pages from the consumer's perspective. Check any small mistakes and comb your Shopify website. Ask your friends and colleagues to visit your site and give feedback and share their experience.

There are countless options in the market just a click away from the customers. Every businessman starts from the bottom. With no sales and no social proof these strategies can help you instil trust to make your first few sales. Trust is a requisite for sales.

Do let us know if you need our services to help you get the customers to your ecommerce store. We at StorePlace are focused on helping Shopify store owners with our services to help them scale. For more info, you can contact us at <STOREPLACE.COM>.