Improve Conversion Rate by Improving Trust

Recent research (TNS Research, 2006) exposed an online commerce process that needed help. With at least 65% of consumers abandoning an online shopping session at one point or another, our perception of conversion rates was radically altered. Our shoppers weren’t often making the purchase. In fact, only about 1 in 4 was!

That, of course, begs the question, “what can an e-tailer do to improve conversion rates?” Thankfully, TNS Research answered that. According to their research, online shoppers really only purchase from stores that they trust. Of course, trust is a difficult attribute to define. To some consumers, it may be just the security of the site. To others, it may be the help provided by live agents available during the shopping process. What is clear, though, is that trust is critical to improving conversion rates.

So how can you improve the trust your shoppers have in your online store? One simple, yet very effective, way is to give them something to trust in. VeriSupport’s E-commerce Support Ranking Program provides a visible certificate that communicates your commitment to establishing trust with your customers through three major components:

  • Security—part of your VeriSupport Support Ranking (SR) score is an assessment of how secure your site is.
  • Support—VeriSupport’s agents will manually test your email contact forms, your support phone numbers, and live chat
  • Feedback—with VeriSupport’s integrated customer-survey mechanism, your users will be able to provide feedback during their shopping experience.

The combination of those three elements makes up your Support Rank (SR) score that is immediately visible on your VeriSupport E-commerce Support Ranking Certificate. In addition, users can click on the certificate to get detailed information about the elements that make up your score.

VeriSupport’s program isn’t the silver bullet for converting more shoppers into purchasers in your store. But, it clearly communicates your commitment to improving several of the key factors that can contribute to increased trust between you and your shoppers.