In online commerce, you can't talk to your consumers or look at them. Your can't read them, and they can't read you. So how can you make them thrust you enough to enter their personal information? And why is building your online credibility so important for the success of your site?
A study by shop.org and Forrester Research projects a 17% increase in online sales this year alone - leading to an expected $ 204 billion in Internet-based purchases in 2008. By 2010, online retail sales are expected to reach $ 329 billion.
That is a pretty big market for eCommerce that just keeps growing. If you want to take advantage of it, you have to understand that online, your consumers can't physically examine your products, interact with salespeople, or get a clear idea if your site is trustworthy. You could be anyone - and visitors know it.
That means you have to build and maintain online credibility. You have to make sure your online community trusts you so:
- They will regularly visit your site for a credibility source of information.
- They will feel comfortable giving you money.
According to an INternet trends report, 40 million Americans go online as their primary source of information. Than means in general, people turn to the Internet more than any other medium when they want learn about something - form global warming to the latest diet pill. If your site has inaccurate facts or old data, you'll train web users to go somewhere more credible.
On the other hand, if your website becomes a trusted resource, you'll be much more likely to draw Internet surfers to your site on a regular basis. Web business owners who are recognized as experts in their field enjoy considerably more success than their less accomplished peers.
But maintaining online credibility is about more than just getting people to your site. It's also about keeping them there and closing the sale. People simply will not buy something on your website if they think they might be taken advantage of. In a recent survey by People's Daily, 93 percent of American buyers give priority to credibility when making an online purchase.
And that makes sense, doesn't it? You wouldn't give out your proprietary information on a shady-looking site, so don't expect your clients to. Build a bond of trust with your online consumer base: Trust is the user's willingness to risk time, money, and personal data on your website.
You don't have the advantage of face-to-face interaction - your customers must feel your sincerity from just your website. They need to know that their private information won't be stolen by or sold to a third party. They need to be sure that they'll get what they paid for or find what they're looking for. And most importantly, they need to know that if anything goes wrong, you're there to help.
So now you know why your site has to be credible, but how do you build online credibility for your eCommerce site?
