Selling online requires customers to have a certain level of trust for the site they are buying from. Your reputation can be potentially destroyed if you are unable to uphold the promises made to your customers. You can spend years building a reputation for reliability and trust and that can easily be destroyed within 5 minutes. Look at Tiger Woods, or Toyota.

Understand you customers needs

You need to understand the factors that drive your customers. Who they are what they need and why they need it. Do customer research, include a link to a survey on your order completion page and use this data to understand as much as possible about your customers. The more you understand about your customers the more you can tailor you service to suit their needs beyond any of your competitors.

Use the right tone in customer communications

Don’t be too personal or familiar, and don’t be too authoritative either. Keep it informative and easy to understand. When it comes to things like your terms and conditions make sure they are set out in a logical structure, in categories with an index at the start, and be thorough.

In your order confirmation emails say thank you. If you ask anything of your customers say please. People like manners, and although you aren’t dealing with your customers face to face they will still appreciate good service.

Do not discredit competitors

You work hard to get your customers, with sales, marketing, and providing excellent products and service. Don’t ruin it by bad mouthing competitors. Your customers will only perceive that to me bad marketing tactics and are less likely to build a trusting relationship with your brand. Focus on what makes you good. Focus on your positive aspects and play nice.