| People,
business, the Web, and trust
The cornerstone to business
is trust. When cultivated
over time that trust can turn
into a loyal relationship,
which is what every business
seeks to establish with its
customers. This very principle
applies not only in the brick
and mortar world, but even
more so in the online environment,
since you often do business
without meeting face to face.
The foremost concern the structure
and design of a website should
address is: "What will
earn the trust of the users
to lead them to find out about
services and products, to
transact on the site, and
most importantly, keep them
coming back?"
Subsequently,
the expert Web designer must
answer the question: "What
does trust look like?"
This tutorial discusses design
from a conceptual standpoint
and will approach its critical
communicative function from
three angles: the end users,
the company, and interactive
design. Trust on the Web involves
a sender, a receiver, and
the interface that facilitates
their interaction. The flow
of communication between these
three is your conduit to building
this trust.
Providing
users with trust-building
visual cues
Users are more than right.
They can’t be wrong.
Understanding their expectations
and their behaviors is one
of the foundational elements
to designing effective web
sites. Users have primarily
two concerns entering a site:
1. Will I easily find what
I am looking for?
2. Is there a solution provided
if I experience any difficulties?
Your
home page must be clear as
to what you do
These two points are visually
addressed by clearly communicating
what the company is offering
and what benefit it provides.
The homepage must immediately
convey, "This is why
you are here, and this is
what you should do next"
because contrary to TV and
print advertising, users expect
to take action within the
next 10 seconds.
Countless times, users stare
at the homepage befuddled,
not knowing what they are
supposed to do because the
site’s purpose isn’t
clear to them even if they
do know the brand name.
Stop now and do this: Go
to your own home page and
without scrolling, ask yourself
"Is the purpose of this
site ENTIRELY, PERFECTLY clear?
Is it pretty-darned evident
to me within 5 seconds?"
Adequate space in the page
layout provides the necessary
room to clarify the purpose
of the site, what the company
is offering, and what relevant
path users should follow.
Instead of an after-thought,
it should look like a warm
welcome in meeting online
visitors. The following sites
are prime examples of successfully
accomplishing this.
http://www.veriostore.com/
http://www.kinkos.com/
http://www.omnisky.com/
Don’t
assume users know what you
do
Some recognizable brand names
assume users should know all
about them. Try to figure
out what these sites are offering.
http://www.saatchi-saatchi.com/
http://www.office.com/
Because it is so easy to manufacture
a business front on the Internet,
customers will look for visual
cues that indicate the legitimacy
of the company and its business,
particularly when it comes
to purchasing products online
and providing personal information.
Make
sure the customer is clear
about your support policy
The one reassurance online
shoppers want is for any possible
problem to be quickly taken
care of. They will be looking
for a conspicuous customer
service section, clear communication
channels, and protocols to
solving their problems. This
needs to first be addressed
in the information architecture
of the site, then the navigation,
and finally the design.
The following examples show
what it means to handle customer
service, help, and support
with proper attention:
http://www.tidalwire.com/
http://www.eddiebauer.com/
http://www.timberland.com/
From the customer’s perspective,
it simply boils down to being
reassured that the service
provider will take good care
of them.
Winning
trust through strong corporate
design
Your ability to build trust
and a rapport with your customer
is contingent upon all levels
of the customers experience
at your site.
The Web designer’s role
extends beyond prioritizing
buttons in the navigation.
Regardless of the size of
the corporation, it is to
create a strong brand identity
and visuals that depict the
philosophy behind the way
a company does business.
A company seeks to earn prospects’
trust by demonstrating the
attention they give to the
delivery of their services
and the care they give to
their customers. The Web designer
communicates this by:
- Structuring
the layout areas according
to the company’s priorities
and objectives.
- Organizing
the navigation according
to the end users understanding
and interest.
- Highlighting
procedural steps the user
must follow to complete
a task.
- Treating
the corporate identity according
to style guide directives.
- Adding
illustrations that communicate
the corporate culture and
its offering.
- Adding
imagery or diagrams that
clarify and enhance services
and products.
The building of trust online
is a fragile development that
requires the design of the
user interface to anticipate
customers’ concerns and
accurately translate a company’s
intent at the same time.
More than the sum of trust-building
visual elements it’s
rather their organization,
placement and balance that
create the desired effect
- trustbuilding. The most
important visual ingredient
that ties the design together
is the overall concept that
both the company and its customers
relate to.
Developing
trust through interaction
The level of interaction and
functionality that the Web
has reached today has created
depth to the Internet that
far exceeds merely accessing
information. As online relationships
have been built and nurtured
over the last five years,
online experiences have been
created, digital brands have
emerged, and loyalty has been
developed based on the trust
that has been forged primarily
through the graphical user
interface.
The trust factor in Web design
is undeniable and must be
given a prominent place in
the objective the creative
process seeks to reach. The
very approach (and execution
of that approach) a designer
takes ultimately determines
the users’ confidence
level.
To effectively design solutions
that produce the desired effect
the following points serve
as a practical guideline:
- End
users seek to accomplish
useful tasks according to
precise objectives.
- Businesses
want users to understand
the benefits their services
and products provide.
- End
users feel confident to
proceed when they identify
where they are going.
- Businesses
want users to follow through
with the full sequence of
a task.
- End
users are satisfied when
they can easily find and
access information.
- Businesses
seek to give their customers
autonomy through the functions
of their site.
When both these intents and
expectations are met, a relationship
of mutual satisfaction, and
trust, is developed.
The conclusions you draw from
this comparative study are
the very principles that will
guide you in designing your
next website, and in building
a foundation of trust between
you and your clients.
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Compare
the design of the following
sites where trust is paramount
to the business of these companies.
Evaluate which site makes
you feel most at ease and
figure out why:
http://www.amazon.com/
http://www.us.buy.com/
http://www.kaiserpermanente.org/
http://www.bluecross.com/
http://www.bankofamerica.com/
http://www.wellsfargo.com/
http://www.wamu.com/
http://www.charlesschwab.com
http://www.etrade.com
http://www.datek.com/
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