Though SearchWorks works with major conglomerates, a handy majority of our clients belong to the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise (MSME) category. It’s not because we seek out MSMEs but because they’re statistically the ones most likely to need digital marketing services.
If you don’t already know the numbers, you’d be surprised at just how prevalent they are in any economy. In the Philippines, a whopping 99.59% of all locally-registered businesses are classified as MSMEs. A similar pattern can be found in the US, with these types of businesses accounting for about 99.9% of all businesses.
Yet, out of the dozens of MSMEs you interact with each week, you’d be hard-pressed to name three that have their own website. If an MSME is in consumer retail, chances are the majority of its business will be conducted over third-party platforms, like Facebook or Shopee. If they do have a website, chances are that it follows either a standard e-commerce template or functions like a seldom-updated online bulletin board.
Do third-party e-commerce platforms drive sales? Absolutely. However, the lack of a well-designed website means that a business is forgoing a valuable opportunity to develop their brand and gain the trust of their customers. Without a well-designed and properly optimized website, an MSME will have a significantly tougher time building trust in the current digital marketing age.
Why Is Trust so Important?
Trust is the main predictor of whether or not someone ultimately buys from you. What you may not fully realize is that trust is not entirely based on logic. Logically, factors like business size or celebrity endorsements should not affect trust but the data will tell you that it does. It doesn’t matter if you’re catering to regular consumers or multinational businesses. So long as there is a human decision-maker in the mix, trust and other emotions will always be at play.
Cultivating trust is important because most customers fear making the wrong decision. Customers want to feel confident that they are making the right choice, especially when spending money that’s hard-earned. For MSMEs, a well-designed website can help assuage the uncertainty of buying from a lesser-known brand by making them appear professional and competent. This translates into a stronger emotional appeal that can be crucial in pushing buyers towards making a purchase.
Elements of Trust in Web Design
Web design services are often sold as a way to increase conversions, and that’s a fair way to look at it. However, web design actually facilitates conversions in a few ways.
Once a customer has made the decision to buy, good web design makes it easier for them to complete the whole buying journey by removing all the navigational friction that gets in their way. Web design also helps with the emotional argument that makes customers purchase something in the first place. Most importantly, it also helps make the case for buying again, setting the path for what some marketers describe as “brand love”.
Let’s examine some standard web design elements that contribute to trust in the business:
- Professional Appearance. A clean, modern design instantly communicates professionalism, removing fears that your business is somehow untrustworthy. Attention to detail in the layout, typography, and imagery demonstrates that business cares about the small things, which visitors may take as evidence of meticulously crafted products and services.
- Transparency. A lot of MSME business owners think they’re being clever by making potential customers jump through hoops to find the prices of their offers. Instead, what they’re actually doing is being annoying and potentially illegal. Being upfront about what your offers cost and what needs to be done to deliver them may not win you immediate sales but you will more than make up for it in improved credibility and future loyalty.
- High-Quality Content. Relevant, well-written content is also a key web element for building trust. Blog posts, product descriptions, and even microcontent should always meet customer expectations and demonstrate your competence.
- Testimonials. Displaying customer testimonials and reviews provides social proof and shows that you are confident in what you have to offer. Seeing positive feedback from others reassures potential customers that they are making a good choice. Provided that you maintain a high proportion of positive feedback, displaying negative feedback also shows that you stand by your business.
- Security Features. Features like SSL certificates, privacy policies, and secure payment options indicate that your business takes customer security seriously. These elements are essential for building trust in an e-commerce context.
- Consistent Branding. A cohesive brand identity across all your online and offline channels can signal recognition and reliability, both of which will translate to trust, with time.
- High-Quality Visuals. High-quality images and videos can make a big difference. Investing in this area of web design not only helps garner attention but also conveys professionalism.
- Accolades. Sections that show off certifications or milestones your business has achieved may provide credibility and demonstrate your reliability to visitors.
Trust Is in the Details
To be clear, web design is just one of the many factors you have to consider when building trust. Your products and services must also fit your value proposition and, above all, you must be able to consistently do right by all your different stakeholders.
However, you have to recall that trust is not a logical thing. You can do everything else right but still fail to earn a potential customer’s trust simply because you lack a website or because your website doesn’t convey attention to detail. Fortunately, even if you do make some mistakes, consistently focusing on the elements above should eventually help your business gain the reputation it’s aiming for.
Revamping your website? Contact us to discuss web design solutions that build trust, increase conversions, and maximize your online search visibility.
