Many buyers arrive with a bad memory and a fear of repeating it. Your website can answer both, starting with being upfront about the things they've learned to doubt.
A short clip we shared this week showed a steaming cup of coffee and one idea: happiness means clearing out two things, the fear of a bad future and the memory of a bad past. It's a line about life. It also describes a lot of people visiting your website.
The homeowner who was left with half a roof. The owner whose last agency disappeared with the logins. The buyer who paid a deposit and spent months chasing a refund. They're not comparing you with your competitors yet. They're asking whether this is about to happen again.
Most business websites answer a question that person isn't asking. They say how good the company is. A nervous buyer needs something more specific: proof that the thing that went wrong last time won't go wrong here.
Nielsen Norman Group, which studies how people use websites, names four things that build credibility online: design quality, up-front disclosure, comprehensive and current content, and connection to the rest of the web. Its 2016 article says people appreciate sites that are upfront with all information relating to the customer experience, including any additional fees or charges. The study doesn't address past bad experiences directly, so the rest of this is our reading of how those findings apply to a buyer who's been let down.
| What they're thinking | What the page should do |
|---|---|
| "They'll disappear after I pay" | Show how you stay in touch and who they'll deal with |
| "The price will change" | Explain what affects the price and when it's confirmed |
| "It'll drag on forever" | Lay out the steps, and what you need from them |
| "Nobody will fix it if it's wrong" | State your real policy for problems, in plain words |
| "They all say the same thing" | Use specific projects, photos and customer words |
The strongest thing you can say is true and specific. If you have a warranty, explain what it covers. If you don't, don't invent one to sound safer, because a burned customer reads the fine print and has been disappointed by big promises before. Only state a policy you'll honor every time.
Openness helps here. Nielsen Norman Group found people were distrustful of sites and services that weren't recommended by friends or family, and that they've learned to trust outside sources over company-sponsored content. So let other voices do some of the work: reviews that describe what went wrong and how it got fixed are often more convincing than five stars with no words.
You can name the worry without attacking anyone. A line such as "If you've been let down by a contractor before, here's how we work" tells the reader you understand, and it doesn't drag down your competitors. Stick to what you do, and let them draw the comparison.
How WebKing runs this
We write pages around the questions your customers are nervous about, using what they actually ask you before they buy.
Answer their specific worry on the page: who they'll deal with, what affects the price, what the steps are and what happens if something goes wrong. Specific answers do more than general claims.
Nielsen Norman Group names four factors: design quality, up-front disclosure, comprehensive and current content, and connection to the rest of the web.
Nielsen Norman Group found people appreciate sites that are upfront about costs, including extra fees. If your price varies, explain what affects it and when it's confirmed.
Name the worry, not the competitor. Say you know some customers have been let down, explain how you work, and let the reader draw the comparison.
Sources
The Lab is original analysis by WebKing. We summarize and interpret developments from the sources above for industrial, commercial, and small business owners. Figures are reported as published by their sources.
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