You're on oasislamps.com ready to buy a specially designed lamp that promises to transform your living environment into a veritable sanctuary of relaxation.
It's exactly what you've been looking for. For months. You. Want. It. Now.
You're about to enter your credit card information, but then your spidey senses kick in. You suddenly notice there's no ratings on the product. Or guarantee. Or refund policy. Or security badge.
Now you're struggling between desire and the real possibility that the lamp is a piece of poop. Or worse—that someone could steal your information.
Crap-a-doos.
Your fear wins out. You disappointingly close the tab and begin a new search.
Where did this business go wrong?
They completely neglected to establish trust signals for their web visitors.

Trust. One of the Most Important Factors in a Buying Decision.
According to a 2021 Edelman study, trust was one of the most important factors in buying decisions.
In fact, they discovered that, "Highly trusted brands are seven times more likely to be purchased. "
Trust signals do a number of things:
They help a web visitor decide if they should stay on your site.
They help a visitor decide if they should engage with your site.
They help a visitor decide if they should take action.
They help a visitor decide if you're worthy of sharing with their friends.
Did you notice the repeated statement? Trust signals help a web visitor make a decision! If your trust signals (or lack of) are leading to a no, you've got some work to do.
So let's get to it.
I'm going to answer three questions you might be thinking:
What is a Trust Signal?
You probably picked up on what trust signals are.
But, just to be sure, trust signals are elements, either written or visual, that help to put your web visitor's mind at ease by showing them that you're trustworthy.
Remember—you website is your silent sales partner. It's doing the talking for you 24/7.
So let's tell your website what to say.
What are the Different Types of Trust Signals?
There are a number of trust signals. Here are a few to get started that you should consider for your website:
Customer Testimonials: Pretty self explanatory. Be sure your testimonials say good things about you and your product or service. This article gets into the nitty-gritty of what a great testimonial looks like 'cuz not any ol' one will do.
Customer reviews: Google reviews are an excellent way of building trust—on the condition that you have high ratings.
Client logos: Adding a section to your website that features clients you've worked with is another fantastic way of building trust with your web visitors.
Security badges: Got an e-commerce site? Include a badge that indicates the check-out is secure.
Guarantees: 30-day money back guarantees or 100% refund can go a long way to helping web visitors trust you.
Education badges: You might have seen StoryBrand Guide and 10X Web Copy logos on my site—those are examples of education badges. If you have any, include them!
Case studies: Had massive success with your clients? Create a downloadable PDF that talks about their problem, your solution, and their transformation.
Endorsements from well-known personalities: If you're lucky enough to have influencers in your corner that are willing to endorse your product or services—gold!
Content that demonstrates your authority: Build out your blog content that shows you're a thought leader—someone who, because of your extensive experience, is the go-to leader within your area of expertise.
How Do You Use Trust Signals on a Website?
Where you place your trust signals is almost as important as having them.
Some ideas of where to place your trust signals and why:
At points of friction where a web visitor might hesitate to take the next step. For example, you might want to place testimonials around a Schedule a Call button, or guarantees and security badges around a Buy button.
Most frequently visited pages that new visitors tend to check out, like the Home and About pages. For example, on your Home page you could have customer reviews and client logos. On your About page you could have your education badges.
On Service pages where you need to demonstrate your expertise and credibility. Consider using testimonials and endorsements to help them take the next step on these pages.
The point is, don't slap trust signals willy-nilly on your website. Be strategic. Ensure that where you place them has a purpose. Remember—an abundance of trust signals help your web visitors say YES!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

As a published children's author, StoryBrand Certified Guide, copywriter and marketing strategist, Sandra Beatty helps service-based business owners convert web visitors into leads by implementing a website and marketing strategy and getting clear on their messaging.
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