by Jeremy Woollen

• Show that the business is legitimate
  The website domain, email addresses and contact information should all serve to show that there is a legitimate business behind the website. The domain name should be unique, not tagged onto that of another company. Email addresses associated with the domain look far more professional than name@freemailaccount.com. Contact information should be clearly displayed on the website, and should include a business mailing address (not a P.O. Box), phone numbers and hours of operation (including the time zone).
• Present a human face
  People need to have a sense that they are dealing with real people; they need assurance that somebody is there to look after them in case of problems. As such, websites should not present an anonymous face, devoid of personality. Displaying photos and short biographies of staff members is one way of giving the site an identity. Customer service and contact information should be prominently displayed.
• Ensure that the website design is user-centric
  When people visit the site, they should be made to feel that their needs are being given top priority. Clear navigation conveys respect for the user and implies a good level of service. Difficult navigation communicates a disregard for the customer. The ease with which a user can find the information they are looking for conveys a sense that the website designers have anticipated the needs of the customer. If a user cannot find what they are looking for, they are left with a sense that their needs have not been considered, and they don’t “belong” at the site.
• Show integrity, honesty and sincerity
  The website should “speak” a message of honesty and integrity. This can be hard to pin down, but so many companies talk about themselves on their websites with such gushingly verbose marketing prose that the message simply does not ring true. Boasting about one’s own greatness is less likely to win people over than simplicity, honesty and sincerity. Websites that emphasize product features, typically using an advertorial writing style, tend to come across as self-indulgent, and disinterested in the needs of clients. Focusing on the benefits to the customer turns things around and puts the emphasis on the customers’ needs. This is a much better way to engage potential customers, and engender their trust. A writing style that insults users’ intelligence will not be effective.
• Look professional
  The visual design of the website can also help communicate trust. Users tend to favor sites that look professional and clean. However, it is worth noting that a slick looking website that speaks the wrong message is less effective than a simple design that communicates honesty. Some designs look too slick for their own good — they are superficially attractive, but they lack depth and integrity. Visitors to such sites might be given the impression that the quality of the company’s products and services are less impressive than the glossy veneer suggests.
• Write well
  All text displayed on a website should be well written. Website copy reflects the credibility and authority of the business, and on the quality of the product or service being promoted. Badly written copy typically is written by company employees without the help of a professional writer, and as such projects an amateurish image. Grammatical errors and typos communicate a sloppiness that is off-putting to many users – such sloppiness tends to be associated with the business as a whole.
• Update content regularly
  Content on the website should be updated regularly. A “News” section in which the most recently posted item is two years old tells users that the site is not maintained. Again, this reflects badly on the business.
• Be up-front and honest
  E-commerce websites should disclose up-front all information that the customer needs to proceed with the purchase. Shipping charges and delivery times should be shown as soon as possible in the transaction process. An up-front and honest attitude should be displayed in regards to all details – a website that explains what it is doing and why will garner a more favorable response among users.
• Remove broken links
  Ensure that there are no broken links on the website. Apart from being frustrating in themselves, these communicate a sense that the site is not well maintained.
• Validate information
  Writers of articles should always be identified, and biographies giving details of their expertise will add credibility to the site. Articles should be dated, particularly if they contain time-sensitive information. An article containing interesting facts and statistics is more or less rendered useless if undated – how is the reader to know if the information is relevant? This may sound obvious, but it is surprising how many articles appear on the Internet that are not dated or credited to an individual. Statistics or other forms of research results should be credited (with a link if possible) to the correct source.
• Display a Privacy Policy
  Where appropriate, websites should have a clear and comprehensive privacy policy. Providing guarantees will also add to the trustworthiness of the site.
• Provide testimonials
  Third-party recommendations, such as testimonials from happy clients, are a great way of promoting a great sense of trust on the site. ‘Rate the Seller’ is a great feature on Amazon that helps users determine whether or not a vendor should be trusted. People who purchase items from a third-party vendor through Amazon can rate that vendor, and post comments regarding their experience. If the comments are generally good, then the user feels that there is reasonable reason to trust the vendor.
• Demonstrate website security
  E-commerce websites need to demonstrate to users that they are secure – users will not purchase from an e-commerce website unless there is a visible sign that the site is secure. Secure Locket Layers (SSL) icons should be placed on relevant pages of the site for this purpose, with information assuring users that their transactions are as secure as possible.
• Ensure that download speeds are reasonable
  If pages load too slowly, not only will users abandon the site, but they are given the impression that the technology behind the site is less than adequate.
• Be sensitive when requesting personal information
  Use caution when asking for users’ personal information, especially their email address. Users are very reluctant to give out their email address because they fear getting endless spam. When capturing a user’s email address is necessary, a full disclosure of what the address will be used for should be provided. It is also necessary to give users the ability to control how much email they will be getting. For example, it should be possible for a user to place an order and be assured that the only email he or she will receive would be clarifications or confirmations of the order.