[intro]Trust Signals are elements and details that you need to add to various parts of your EKM online shop to encourage new visitors to purchase from you, as they demonstrate your authenticity and add a level of trust, which is essential for those who have not visited before. [/intro]

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What are Trust Signals?

In the most basic sense, Trust Signals are elements of your online presence which encourage visitors that your brand is trustworthy. Without Trust Signals, you won’t have customers - people subconsciously look for and recognise information and details they need to make purchases. Without this information, they may not purchase from you. Even if you’re just starting out, remember that smaller companies can offer more expertise and knowledge on their websites than larger sellers - having Trust Signals on your EKM online shop will encourage visitors to take the plunge and shop with you. 

Before you begin

  • Make sure you have a domain name on your EKM online shop and your SSL certificate has been applied;
  • Ensure that you have an email address set up on your primary domain and this is the Shop Email Address for your EKM online shop - not a free email address, such as @gmail, @yahoo, @BTintenet, etc. 
  • Your contact details should be displayed prominently on your online shop. This includes your physical address, contact email and telephone number so customers are aware of how to contact you if there have been any issues with their order. Click here to get a free 03 phone number if you do not want to use your own landline.
  • Make sure that you are only displaying quality content - good images, quality text, and no spelling mistakes. Anything less can make your online shop look unfinished!
  • Consistent branding - when a customer clicks to visit your Facebook Page, Instagram, Blog or Pinterest, you need to make sure that the branding and design are uniform and consistent across all platforms. 
  • Attach a Blog to your online shop and make sure that it is regularly updated. This demonstrates to visitors that you’re an expert in your field and gives them a reason to return again in the future.

Using Logos

As well as the content on your online shop, you also need to take a look at the visible logos on there too. Familiar logos offer recognition-based trust, so it’s essential that you display these on your online shop. The most common logos are ones related to payment methods, such as Visa, Electron, PayPal or Mastercard. With this in mind, make sure that you have installed the Card Logos feature and configured this to match the Payment Methods set up on your EKM online shop. 

Other logos you may want to consider using depends on what industry and product lines you’re carrying on your EKM online shop. If you’re a member of an industry body or you have received qualifications or accreditations which are recognised, then you should display these. Examples include:

  • ROHS and WEEE logos if your online shop retails electrical goods;
  • CHAS accreditation for online shops which sell building supplies or provide building services;
  • If you are the licensed stockist for a brand, such as GHD or Nike for example, you should be provided with the relevant graphic to add your online shop;
  • If you’re a member of your local Chamber of Commerce, you will be able to display a logo for this too;
  • If you have previously provided goods or services for a council or school, ask for their permission to add their logo to your website;
  • Equally, if your products or services have been featured on TV or radio, it’s worth using the appropriate logos too.

[remember]You don’t have to add all of your logos onto the Homepage, as this can negatively impact the design of your online shop. A good rule of thumb to follow is to add accreditation and membership logos on a dedicated ‘About Us’ page and add any payment method and official stockist logos to your Homepage.[/remember]

Webpages

The more of these Webpages you have which have been populated, the more trustworthy your online shop becomes. As a bare minimum, you need to make sure that you have:

  • Privacy Policy;
  • Terms & Conditions;
  • Returns Policy;
  • Shipping Information;
  • Sizing information - for not just clothing and footwear, but also if you sell larger items like furniture, for example;
  • Loyalty Scheme - if you offer Loyalty Points on your EKM online shop, be sure that this is detailed on a dedicated Webpage;
  • Email Marketing - if you offer regular newsletters, detail the benefits of them and a sign-up form on a Webpage;
  • Customer Login - if you offer your customers the ability to make accounts on your shop, make sure that this is detailed on a Webpage too.

Social Proof

This is generated on social media - when a customer leaves a review for one of your products on social media, that is social proof, sometimes called ‘social trust’. The vast majority of online shops should ideally have social media as a means of self-promotion and to provide an extra platform for customers to contact you if need be. Social proof can be recommendations, product or service reviews. Customer reviews are also a form of social trust. Customers can leave:

  • Reviews on your EKM online shop (if you have the Customer Reviews feature installed);
  • Reviews on a dedicated reviews platform (such as TrustPilot or Reviews.io);
  • Recommendations and shares on social media platforms;
  • Reviews on social media, such as in Facebook, Instagram or blog posts. 

You’ll need to open an account on each of the review platforms to claim your business and to be able to respond to any comments and reviews you get. 

[tips]Don’t forget to ensure that your branding on social media and on review platforms is consistent and linked to your online shop. You could even run a promotion to offer customers a discount code if they leave you with a review after their order has been completed. [/tips]

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[contact] If you need our help with your EKM online shop, contact your Ecommerce Expert or the Customer Support Team, who will be able to point you in the right direction. We're open from 8am-6pm weekdays and 9am-5.30pm weekends. If you'd like to suggest a feature or an upgrade on any of the EKM platforms, please let us know on the EKM Suggestions Board. If you have a non-account-specific question to ask the EKM Team, join us in the EKM Community. [/contact]