Yell has commissioned a unique piece of original research from Southampton University* which has identified what makes individuals trust one company website rather than another. In this article we can reveal how ‘contactability’ is important in the way an individual forms trust in a business website and provide a practical checklist for what this means for your business.
Contactability can be defined as the extent to which website users are able to enter into a conversation with the company, to get a sense of who the people are behind the site and the ability to contact companies easily. The research has identified:
Contactability ‘musts‘:
- Prominent contact details
- email form
- a total price calculator or checker
- some sense of who the people are behind the site
Users want to know who they’re dealing with, know that they’ve taken the trouble to construct an error free, easy to use site and want to be able to get hold of a human being who cares about their problems at the end of a phone.
Most important criteria for entering into a dialogue:
- Prominent display of physical address and location
- Sense of people behind the site
- Prominent display of phone number
Other important factors for entering into a dialogue:
The research also identified these factors were also important when it came to having a conversation with the people behind the website:
- Positive Reviews and Comments
- Being ‘Local’
- Links to fan pages and twitter
There is some appetite for an easy to use, prominent newsletter sign up form.
Least important criteria for entering into a dialogue:
- Availability of online chat
- Ease of starting dialogue on social media
- Prominent FAQ page
The research also identified that not much store is set on the “cleverer” aspects of social media but an easy to use email contact form and a total price calculator are facilities that would be worth including. The ability to engage in a Facebook fanpage dialogue has some relevance to the respondents.
What this means for your business and website
Review your website for the following, or add them to your website:
- Prominent contact details including your email, Twitter account, Facebook page.
- Prominent display of physical address and location
- Prominent display of phone number
- email form
- a ready reckoner (pricing, to ask for a quote)
- give some sense of who the people are behind the site
- Include testimonials, positive Reviews and Comments
- Show your ‘localness’- where you are located, local premises, local events, testimonials from local customers.
- Links to fan pages and twitter
- Try a prominent Newsletter sign up form.
*The source for this is:
“Website Research project for Yell” by Dr Alan Rae – Ai Consultants, Dr Lisa Harris, Southampton University, June 2011
Summary of methodology:
(1) selection of sites to be compared from relevant industries (having a consumer rather than a b2b focus) one of which would be a small company and one which would be a larger one from the same sector.
(2) focus groups in London and Brighton plus one for Students in Southampton
(3) online questionnaire
