Saurabh Gupta
Imagine Tanvi, an aspiring artist, scrolling through an online gallery, contemplating whether to purchase a piece that speaks to her soul. Her hesitation isn’t about the artwork’s aesthetic appeal or its price, but rather about the platform’s credibility. Is her personal information safe? Will her financial details remain secure? Can she trust that the artwork will be delivered intact and true to its digital representation?
Across the digital expanse, similar scenes unfold daily. Individuals navigate a complex web of decisions, each one demanding a leap of faith. This is where the symbiotic dance between design and trust takes centrestage.
The goal for any digital platform is to fast-track trust evolution from infancy to maturity. How can UX design accelerate trust building? For digital brands in their infancy, focusing on UX quality delivers much higher ‘trust ROI’ in the short term.
UX research indicates that 75% of users will judge the credibility of an interface by its design instantly. Their visceral reaction to your page sets the precedent for how trusting they will be of your interface. So, if you are a newly launched digital platform, here are 5 UX design hacks that you can use to start building trust for your online platform immediately:
Ditch stock imagery: Use real and relatable images. Showcasing real people builds real trust.
Be transparent: Show how you will use customers’ data. When asking for user information or in-app permissions – explain why.
Design for consistency: Maintain consistency across platforms, communication channels and third-party software.
Argue against self-interest: Demonstrate that you have the user’s best interest in mind; even at the cost of your own business goals. Take the tough questions head-on in your FAQ section.
Avoid dark patterns: Don’t trick a user into doing something unintentionally.
So, for those of you who have just launched your digital platform, don’t have the backing of a famous celebrity/influencer and are a while away from getting reviews from real users… employ these targeted UX design strategies to expedite the trust-building process. A trustworthy, frictionless UX design could raise customer conversion rates up on an online platform by 400%. Trust, as the bedrock of brand credibility, evolves in tandem with a digital brand’s life stages. The journey might be demanding, but the rewards — in terms of customer loyalty, reputation, and enduring success — are immeasurable.
The author is co-founder, ZEUX Innovation