Building Trust: How design dictates what your customers think of you

Seth Godin posted some interesting thoughts regarding two different ways to build trust. It’s really a story about website design.

He recently made purchases from two different websites. One site had a clean and polished look to it, and projected a sense of credibility and professionalism. The other site wasn’t as polished and as he put it “was clearly a family run business.” But the site achieved a level of authenticity that made it feel trustworthy. Seemingly two opposite ends of the spectrum, and yet these different approaches worked for both of them.

The way your website, or your logo, or your marketing materials look all have a big impact on the impression that potential customers have of your business. It is important that you do your best to think about the way your business is being portrayed. Regardless of which approach you use, if you don’t come across as trustworthy and credible, , it won’t matter how good your idea or product is.