The Trust Foundation Understanding trust issues in the digital era.

I found this article on e-consultancy.com. The blog has a lot of resources for information on how to establish trust with clients as a consultant. The following blog post outlines 5 things that will enhance online customer trust and 5 things that will make customers skeptical of your online services or resources.

"Reports of online fraud are often enough to make customers think twice about shopping on the internet, so how can you reassure them?
There are a number of things that retailers can do to make customers feel safe about shopping online, as well as mistakes that can damage trust in an e-commerce website."

A couple of my favorite "do's" in this blog post are
- Make contact details easy to find - this not only helps establish your online credibility but will help potential clients easily find you! When people cannot find contact information easily on a site, they can get frustrated and move to another site.
- Provide trustmarks (or third party certification) - as much as you can show that others find you and your employees credible, the better!

My Favorite "don'ts"
- Have slow loading checkout/ trasaction pages - customers not only will think your website is "amateur" but will also get them thinking whether or not their payment has been processed, and potentially drive them to leaving the site. If you've gotten them to commit to paying for your services, don't get them to abandon their efforts! More time waiting may mean more time second guessing.
- Give customers any surprises at the checkout - it is important to be honest and upfront with your customers from the beginning about what you offer and what its going to cost them. Adding in extra delivery or processing charges at the end can frustrate any consumer.

Read the full story or find out other information regarding online trust here.