How to convey trust through a website design

We’ve all been there when surfing the web and you stumble upon a website that makes you feel a little uncomfortable. Especially now conspiracy theorists are having a field day about targeted ads, cookie data and GDPR breaches we have experienced over the past decade, cybertrust is a contentious topic. It’s no wonder we might feel uneasy about the online world. Especially because most users don’t know very much about it. The internet is a complex environment that the majority of us probably care not to think about too much. As long as we can get our online next day delivery and stream our favourite shows, we’re good. 

But why do we trust some websites more than others? It works in a similar way to first impressions of people. It’s no secret that as humans we tend to judge things by how they look. In real day to day life it is normal for humans to question something or someone that doesn’t follow a certain expected behaviour or aesthetic. We like to feel as though we know what’s going on, and it’s no different when we enter the parallel world of the wide web. We want to feel like we trust the site we are browsing.

Here are just a couple of hints to ensure your website is considered trustworthy.

Clean upfront design 

If you were walking down a street lined with cafes you’re probably most likely to enter the one that looks clean, professional and well established. If you’re in a hurry to find that next cup of joe you may ignore the appearance, and go straight into order. You might get in the door, however take one swift look around at the cluttered tables, drab colours and confusing menu, and turn around without spending a penny. It’s the same with a website.

A user isn’t likely to stay on a website for more than a couple seconds if it doesn’t immediately look inviting. Do the colours match the intent? Is there plenty of ‘white space’ giving room for key messages and click points? Is the imagery of good quality and relevant? If the answer to these is no, then it sounds like you’re looking at a poor quality website… with a poor quality business behind it? Not necessarily, but remember your website is your first point of contact in the digital world – so make sure it’s a good one.

Accreditations

For health or care services in particular, affiliations or accreditations really matter. Think about the last time you seeked a self diagnosis online… A user is far more likely to trust websites that are endorsed by a recognisable organisation, like the NHS for example. If your online business, product, or blog is supported by a large & trusted organisation, people will have more confidence believing in you too. 

Imagery 

As briefly mentioned above, images are a crucial part to get right when it comes to keeping people’s attention. We are, first and foremost, a visual culture. So images that are clear, engaging and unique to your website are a sure way to gain trust from your audience. It’s also important to ensure that your images are fit for purpose. Say you owned a company that refurbished vintage watches. You’d want to reflect that directly through sharp, modern, real life photography to not only show the quality of what you do, but the credibility of your brand. 

No Spam!

Ads, pop ups, and spammy language in the copy is a sure way to put someone off looking at your website. Why? Mainly because it’s annoying and irrelevant to the user’s journey. We could probably all recall landing on a website that almost looks like an arcade. With so much going on how could anyone be expected to give it the time of day. 

Pushy Sign Ups

Another culprit that causes suspicion. Let users come to their own conclusion that they want to sign up for something. This can be done far more genuinely…by actually giving your audience something they want to invest their time in. There is nothing more off putting than being too eager. Humans hate that. 

When you work in digital marketing, these tropes become increasingly irritating and obvious as bad practice. But even to an untrained eye these qualities are a quick way to send a user away from your site. In industry this is called a ‘bounce rate.’ If your website has a high bounce rate you might want to consider a reskin!