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Step 1
Allow access to other forms of contact. Consumers have quickly learned that a "blind website" with no backing information behind it is a mine field; few will input their credit card numbers, and selling anything is virtually impossible. The more contact phone numbers are included, the better.
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Step 2
Add legitimate certification icons. Process companies like Six Sigma and others rely on a particular vetting method to ensure that your site has quality. Other certifications come from credit card companies and financial organizations. Make sure the customer sees all possible proofs of legitimacy up front when they access the site, or while they are buying.
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Step 3
Make follow-up calls on large sales. As much as possible, rely on phone contact to reinforce the customer's feeling that your company and site are credible. Get personalized messages to your customers that will prove the company is not simply blanketing a community or spamming customers.
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Step 4
Add consumer-enabling features to your site. Experts have used studies to show that allowing customers to choose from options, even simple ones, enhances consumer confidence. Letting customers build their own products on the site is something companies have begun to do to stay competitive online. Brainstorm ways to put the keys in the hand of the online customer, and your traffic will show the reward.
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Step 5
Add forums and on-site feedback. Including a feedback process on your site lets customers see where others have gone before them, and takes away the eerie feeling they may have while navigating the buying process of being alone on the web. One radical method would be to show how many customers are online at any particular time with a specialized traffic counter.
