Welcome back to our newest blog series where we highlight various eCommerce marketing tactics that you can (and should) implement in order to turn site visitors into bonnified buyers…especially as we approach the busiest shopping time of the year.
This week, we’re going to focus on a tip that helps build trust to increase conversions.
Why you ask? Trust remains an incredibly fickle concept. It’s hard to define and even harder to gain. Worse, the illusive nature of building and maintaining trust makes it incredibly hard to provide a list of items that are guaranteed to work , especially with regards to the intangible nature of the eCommerce industry. Think about it. If you are not familiar with a website, you probably do not know their reputation, location, contact information, if the product will even reach you or the security of your transaction (like credit card and shipping address).
Still wondering why site trust is important? Trust impacts site visitors, conversions, customer reviews, social sharing of your products and repeat buyers. This why our partners at Redstage, a leading eCommerce solutions agency, shares their advice on how to use social proof to increase site trust and conversions.
Tip Two. Using Social Proof to Increase Trust and Conversions
Social proof is the science behind people making decisions when they’re not sure which decision to make. People often use the experiences and feelings of others like them to aid in making difficult decisions.
“…also known as informational social influence, is a psychological phenomenon where people assume the actions of others reflect correct behavior for a given situation. This effect is prominent in ambiguous social situations where people are unable to determine the appropriate mode of behavior, and is driven by the assumption that surrounding people possess more knowledge about the situation.”
Let’s get into some examples from Redstage on what they suggest to add to your site NOW!
Number Sold, Number Left, Number of Users
Adding in the number of products left not only adds a sense of urgency but the feeling that the product must be popular!
If there’s, “ONLY 4 Left in Stock!” then tons of people MUST have bought them. This instills a level of confidence in the product and aids in it being sold more frequently.
Also, adding in the number of users on a site or customers to date adds a sense of trust since other people have already had experiences on the site and it’s a real business.
Add in a line that says, “Over 10,000 happy customers!” or whatever your number is, once it’s impressive!
Customer Behavior Product Groups
Who Viewed Also Viewed – Using algorithmic grouping of products to showcase related products will help customers shop better. You can display these products on a single product page to relate them to other products based on the other products the customer viewed.
Who Bought Also Bought (Frequently Bought Together) – adding in this functionality increases average order value by intelligently grouping products that customers have bought at the same time.
Even labeling your related products section this way, will increase the number of these products added to cart since people will always think that they NEED these products since other people bought them within the same order!
Reviews are Important!
Of course product reviews are extremely important for social proof!
Someone saying directly – “this product is good” is a very powerful sales tool since it’s not coming from a manufacturer or store owner but someone who USED the product and had that experience. This proves the product is actually good in the mind of the user. Reviews are one of the most highly trafficked areas of a site and where many users go initially when landing on a product page. Make sure that the reviews are prominently displayed and easily accessible.
Testimonials
Testimonials are super important just like product reviews. Testimonials give the customer confidence in the company and not just the product. You could be buying an amazing product on a fairly new website. Having a quote saying, “The shipping was super fast!” or “My customer service experience was top notch!” will help people (subconsciously) feel more confident that they will get their product and their experience will be OK!
Social Media
Social media is a great way to get your name out there and get more social proof surrounding your brand. You can use social media to find new customers, help people who need your products and services and make people confident that there are caring people behind the graphics and code of the website.
Social Media is a quick way to waste time though so check your ROI around your efforts!
———
This content was originally posted on Redstage’s blog as part of their series on Conversion Tactics, Secrets and More. If you would like to get any more information on Redstage, call 888-335-2747 or contact them here!