Website security is the key element to generating traction online and making people want to consider the solutions you offer.
With information theft and data leak incidents happening around the globe, people have become more cautious and have started avoiding websites with security vulnerabilities.
So, cultivating trust is the key to generating quality leads and scoring more conversions through your website.
There are many things that fuel your impression the moment your visitors land on your website. The goal here is to impress the intended audience and make them see you as a secure platform that facilitates their needs.
Here are a few noteworthy things that lead visitors to doubt the security of your website:
1. Outdated Design
The design of your website plays a major role in helping you impress your target audience. The visual appeal matters and facilitates your first impression. So, lackluster work with the design may raise suspicion and make visitors want to bounce off your site.
A poorly designed website also provides a clunky user experience. It may lead its visitors to face problems navigating relevant content, struggle with high load times, and have difficulty accessing the information they need to make the right decisions.
This may deprive you of the ability to showcase your solutions and capture leads to generate more revenue.
2. Lack of an SSL Certificate
Having an SSL certificate is a must to protect your website from security risks and vulnerabilities that may be exploited by cyber-goons.
An SSL certificate helps you make a decent impression and convince your visitors that you care about their security.
People have been concerned about their security lately due to rampant identity theft and data breach incidents happening around the globe.
They have become more cautious about their information safety and only consider doing business with brands that are able to protect their data.
Installing an SSL certificate is one of the effective countermeasures that websites have in place to safeguard their visitors' information from data breaches. Leveraging an SSL certificate, websites can get all their data encrypted, providing them with an extra layer of security.
3. Poor Maintenance
Having an outdated website is one of the major red flags for your visitors. So, keeping your website up-to-date is the key to winning their hearts and standing out from other alternatives in your respective industry.
This does not necessarily mean uploading fresh and relevant content on a day-to-day basis. That is important too. However, we're talking about the maintenance of the platform itself.
For example, not keeping your content management system up-to-date may make you vulnerable to security exploits.
Let's say your website is powered by WordPress, just like 43% of websites around the globe. In this case, you should keep an eye out for system updates, especially the ones encompassing the platform's security.
The same goes for the plugins integrated with your website, as the outdated ones may cause bugs and glitches, causing suspicion among your visitors.
4. Collecting Excessive Information from Visitors
Businesses often collect information from people through web forms. They do this to stay connected with the intended audience.
People are less likely to make buying decisions when they've visited the website for the first time. They like exploring different solutions and do thorough research before making a purchase.
This is the reason why 55% of people seek reviews and recommendations from others online before making a buying decision.
However, anyone who visits your website has the potential to become your prospect. Thus, businesses collect their contact information and keep them engaged through their email marketing campaigns.
The only problem is that brands often go overboard when collecting data from people visiting their websites. And that may make your visitors uncomfortable and concerned about their security.
If your website demands too much data from your visitors, people may think you're invading their privacy and wonder why you need so much information about them. So, always be moderate when requesting information from your visitors.
5. Appearing Vague
Another thing that may lead visitors to doubt the security of your website is that you make limited information about yourself available.
Almost all websites you come across have about us and contact us pages. These pages make it possible for you to learn about the respective companies and provide you with the information to reach out to them.
Yet, many websites choose to remain a mystery to their visitors. They either prefer not to let people know more about themselves or do a lackluster job at disclosing important information about the brand.
This may lead people to doubt the security of a website. As a result, they may leave and likely never return.
6. Errors in Copy
Errors in your copy, such as grammatical and spelling mistakes, may seem like a miniscule problem that is often neglected by websites. However, such errors may have a devastating impact on your brand's image.
Such errors may make your website appear shady or like a platform designed by hackers to get their hands on visitors' information.
Therefore, it's important to avoid such mistakes at all costs and consider proofreading your copy before publishing it. The issue may appear small to you, but it can lead your visitors to doubt the security of your website.
7. Lack of Social Proof
Around 60% of people decide whether or not they should buy products or services from a particular business based on its reviews.
Reviews and recommendations from your customers are the key to building trust and attracting a relevant audience.
On the other hand, a lack of social proof may cultivate doubts and cause people to avoid visiting your website.
It's less likely for people to trust a website they haven't heard of. So, reviews and testimonials can be an efficient way to make your visitors stay and explore the information that you have made available.
Social proof helps you showcase that a certain number of people have already bought from you and are happy with their purchase, making you a secure platform for others to consider.
Final Words
There you have it: the seven things that may lead your visitors to doubt the security of your website. If you want to amplify your traffic and make people want to consider the solutions you offer with no doubts in their minds, the recommendations in this article may come in handy.
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