Ready to fix your sales funnel challenges, ramp up your search engine rankings, increase traffic, and convert more website visitors into customers? Implementing an effective S-E-A-T strategy can help.

There’s no getting around it. A well-designed marketing website is essential to success in the DTC/CPG world.

Statistics show that over 78% of people feel negatively about a business after experiencing trouble navigating a business website. Ouch!

Your website is often the first interaction a potential customer has with your company. We don’t want them to land on your site, only to turn right back around. Instead, we want them to feel welcome – as if they’ve arrived at the right place. We want them to feel comfortable, at home. As if we are saying to them:

“Welcome! We’re glad you’re here! Sit down and stay awhile.”

The better the first impression, the longer they’ll stay on the page. Therefore, it’s essential to spend the time, effort, and money required to choose the right web design agency that can design a website that ensures you put your best foot forward – right from their very first visit.

woman using her computer while drinking coffee

The second someone lands on your homepage, they’re already forming an opinion of you, your company, and your products. The key to a great web design is to plan carefully. Don’t rush it. Take your time, follow the steps we’ve outlined below, so you and your team can design a website that will stand the test of time.

In our experience, the websites that deliver the best results for our clients answer the burning questions in customers’ minds, and their branding is on point. They pay attention to their conversion rate and work to optimize the experience for their customers. These websites are regularly updated with relevant, helpful content. Displaying the current logo, font, colors, and images helps build trust and matches the company’s goals and objectives. 

Let’s dive in and see how you can easily demonstrate expertise, authority, and trust with a well-designed marketing website for your DTC/CPG company.

What do we mean by empathy and trustworthiness in a website redesign?

graphic of four audience profiles

In terms of a website redesign, genuinely focusing on the customer and their problems will be far more effective than empty, self-promotional content. Trust requires empathy. Put yourself in their shoes. Imagine what it’s like to be your customer.

Storytelling can be a big help when it comes to copywriting, especially at the top of the funnel. We connect through stories. We can identify with the characters, and we see ourselves in them. The visitors on your site who are truly looking for a solution to a problem need you to clearly communicate your value. Show them you are qualified through good stories, testimonials, and FAQs.

That’s why it’s important to speak to their issues. Customers need to feel as though you’ve been in their position before, and you are able to help them.

Website redesign work must be customer-centered to resonate with visitors. Your website is your business’s digital fingerprint, so you want it to communicate your values genuinely. This kind of empathy helps build connections with customers, making them feel more comfortable purchasing from you.

Elements of using the S-E-A-T strategy

A good website redesign should be structured to include several opportunities to build trust between a customer and a business.

The primary goal for most website redesigns is to improve visibility, increase traffic, and increase sales. Occasionally, a client will simply ask for a website refresh when they have a new logo, corporate colors, or a new physical location.

No matter your goal, it’s important to remember that a marketing website redesign is a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate that your business is the best choice to solve your customers’ problems. A website redesign can use the S-E-A-T strategy to hit all the right points.

What do we mean by S-E-A-T? 

S-E-A-T is the evolution of the infamous Google E-A-T acronym, which stands for “Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness”. 

This term has been in the lexicon of many SEOs for quite a while now. “E-A-T” started floating around with a significant Google algorithm update in August 2018 (AKA “the medic update”).

It’s been on the lips and fingertips of most SEOs ever since.

SEO

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of making your website appear higher on search engine results. You compete against other websites for high rankings for specific keywords. For example, if you run a fishing shop, you may want to optimize a page on your website for “new fishing rods Cincinnati” or something along those lines.

SEO makes your site more visible, exposing new customers to your brand. In that way, it also helps build trust. If your site is the first result that pops up on a Google search, you are the go-to answer for the user’s problem.

Expertise

illustration showing a video playing

Demonstrating expertise is the next part of the S-E-A-T process. Professional content that is empathetic and informative is a great way to share your knowledge with your website visitors.

It’s easy to demonstrate expertise with high-quality written and video content. Content posted on your website should cover your readers’/viewers’ critical questions. It should provide them with insights into the issues they are interested in and help you present a solution.

People who visit your site want to find an expert to solve their problems. It doesn’t matter if it’s a product or service you’re offering them. Your business needs to be the source of the required expertise to solve their current issues.

Written, illustrated, and video guides are great ways to show your expertise while building a connection with potential customers.

Authoritativeness

Being an authority means having the knowledge and power to provide value to customers. To be an authority, you must demonstrate your business’s competence, as well as the trust you have gained by helping other customers.

We aim to demonstrate authority for our clients through professional UX-focused website design and providing valuable, informative content. Companies can establish authority in a variety of ways: 

  • Accreditation
  • Mentions in the media
  • Customer reviews
  • Public Relations
  • Online Reputation
  • Word of Mouth and Referrals

In terms of design, a professional design that lines up with your brand’s appearance bolsters your authority. Authority websites don’t cut corners when it comes to branding and design. Your online presence should be instantly recognizable on all platforms.

Each step of website redesign requires considerations on how individual changes either bolster or detract from your authority.

three screens

Trustworthiness

Trustworthiness is fostered through:

  • Relevant and current content
  • Professional design and navigation
  • Pricing, shipping, and general business transparency
  • Positive publicity

Trust is hard to build and easy to lose. To build trust with website visitors, it’s essential to focus on getting people the answers they seek quickly and efficiently. The user interface and website navigation should operate as expected. Double-check for broken links and spelling errors. Your overall design should feel modern, relevant, and user-focused. Building trust requires creating a sense of familiarity and safety.

What are some strategies to build trust on your website?

Using these tested, industry-standard methods, you can build trust on your website.

displaying a scroll of paper

1. Customer-focused copy 

Website copy should speak directly to the customer. By writing website copy in the language your customers speak, including any relevant industry-specific vocabulary, you’re connecting directly with your prospects. 

A common mistake people make when writing website copy is to spend too much time talking about themselves, their business history, and their priorities. While you can undoubtedly share relevant accreditations, remember to use that only as a backup to your ability to solve your customers’ problems.

2. Unique & informative information

You can make a significant impact by providing helpful information relevant to website visitors. Useful statistics are a great way to grab their attention. Be sure to share any unique and interesting knowledge that could be important to your customer base.

internal link pages

Internal links to other articles and blog posts on your website help with all four S-E-A-T elements. It’s good for SEO and shows your site provides a broad range of expertise. Internal links are a natural way to encourage customers to remain engaged with your content. As long as you’re linking to relevant content along the buyer journey, you’ll hold their interest. This helps increase conversions because your customer has frequent opportunities to connect with you and your brand by continuing to click through your website.

4. UX & UI design

User experience and design expertise are needed to make a visitor’s website experience feel natural, effortless, familiar, and straightforward. Professional design means keeping your page clean and not confusing readers with unnecessary links or competing calls to action. It also means gently nudging customers towards taking specific actions by making those actions easy and making them feel rewarding.

You should create social media posts that link to your website to round off a solid SEO strategy. Your customers are on social media, so it only makes sense to capture their attention while they’re browsing Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn. Sharing relevant social media updates helps build connections with customers. It’s a great place to share testimonials, FAQs, new product releases, and promotional sales. Additionally, you can try to make it easy for customers to share your content on their social channels.

The bottom line

A website redesign project can be the perfect way to foster a greater level of trust from website visitors.

Optimizing your website for a great user experience using the strategies above can help you increase traffic to your website, convert more visitors into customers, and build a loyal customer base, around the clock, seven days a week.


Written by

Jen Hanson

As a digital marketing professional, I thrive on problem-solving, continuous learning, growth, and challenging assumptions. I especially love sharing what I’ve learned with others in this ever-changing industry.  When I’m not reading, writing, or researching marketing trends, I’m having fun baking (especially sourdough loaves), watching baseball (Go Cubs Go!), mixing up cocktails, or hanging out with my three adult sons.