As an interior designer, people need to be able to trust in your experience and impeccable taste. However, what many designers do not realize is that the process of building trust with prospective customers starts with their website. Your website will often be a prospective customer's first impression of your business, and if your website does not instill trust in your abilities as an interior designer, this will lead to high bounce rates as customers turn to your competitors.

Ultimately, interior designers need to have a well-designed website that instills confidence in potential customers. If your website is outdated, hard to use, or doesn't position you as a knowledgeable, trustworthy source of information, people who visit your website likely won't feel confident that you will be able to meet their interior design needs. 

If your website is not providing the conversion rates that you had hoped for and you are considering giving it an update, it is important that your new website is not only user-friendly and appealing to look at, but you must also ensure that you earn the trust of people who visit your website so that they will feel comfortable employing your services. To help ensure that your website effectively converts visitors to customers, here is a look at five website features that will build instant trust in your brand.

1. Highlight Testimonials

Perhaps one of the biggest things that you can do to create trust in your brand is to highlight testimonials from previous customers on your website. These days, people have come to rely on online reviews as much, if not more, than personal recommendations. In fact, countless studies have shown the importance people place on reviews when deciding whether to purchase a product or partner with a business. You should then consider approaching former clients and asking if they would be willing to write a testimonial that you can display on your website. Displaying these testimonials on your website instills trust in your brand by providing social proof that you have been able to meet the needs of clients similar to those visiting your website. If you can, you may find it helpful to include a picture with each testimonial, as this helps demonstrate that the testimonial is authentic.

2. Show Your Face

Another great way to build trust and improve conversions is to add photos of you and your team on your website. The fact is that people like to do business with someone who they can see and relate to, and it is often hard for customers to trust a faceless company. Adding a personal touch to your website by highlighting photos of you and your team, and by including information about each employee, allows customers to see who they would be working with and allows them to better judge whether they can trust you and your design team. In fact, studies have even shown that people are more likely to trust someone as an authority figure when presented with a picture of them. Adding photos of you and your team to your website can then make your website look more inviting while helping to instill trust in your brand.    

3. Include a Strong "About Us" Page

It is often easy for people to underestimate the power of a strong "about us" page, as there is a common misconception that people won't even look at this section of a website. However, the reality is that people want to make a connection with those they are going to do business with, and a strong "about us" page can go a long way in helping you to connect with potential customers. This is your chance to highlight your experience and show readers what your style is, what sets you apart from the competition, and why they should trust you. Many readers will use this section of your website to determine whether they can trust you to handle their project, so it is important that you use this opportunity to showcase your qualifications and experience in order to position yourself to readers as an approachable, trustworthy authority in the industry. 

4. Provide Value-Rich Content

It is likely that you have heard about the impact adding a blog to your website can have on search engine rankings. However, what you may not be aware of is the effect the type of content you post can have on bounce and conversion rates. The fact is that it is not enough to just create a blog; you need to be posting value-rich content that people visiting your website actually want to read.

If the content you post on your blog is overly salesy, this can turn readers off and actually have the opposite effect you wanted to achieve. Instead, you should be posting helpful content that provides a solution to a problem people visiting your website may have. Posting useful content such as tips, how-to guides, and style guides will not only demonstrate that you are knowledgeable in your field, but providing this content to readers for free will also help instill trust in your brand. Readers of your blog will then be more likely to employ your services the next time they are in need of an interior designer as they will already see you as a trustworthy interior design brand. Your blog provides you with an opportunity to establish yourself as an authority in the industry that readers can trust and come to for all of their interior design needs.   

5. Display Client and Media Logos

Of course, one of the biggest ways to build trust amongst prospective customers is by highlighting your past work history and achievements on your website. If you have a proven track record with local businesses you have worked with, displaying these companies' logos on your website speaks volumes about the quality of your work. If a prospective customer sees that a well-known business was satisfied with your work, this can go a long way in helping to build trust in your brand. Similarly, if you have been featured in any magazines or publications, or you have received any industry awards, adding these logos to your website can further boost your credibility and position your company as one people can turn to for all of their interior design needs. 

In order for your website to be effective in increasing traffic and conversion rates, it needs to position your brand as a trustworthy authority within the industry. Feel free to contact us to learn more about features that you should include in your website in order to build instant trust and rapport with readers.