Your Website is a Trust Signal, are you Sending the Right Message?
Every day, millions of us browse websites, unconsciously looking for patterns. These patterns act as shortcuts for our brains to decide whether to trust a company, whip out our credit cards, or even bother staying on the site long enough to read past the first headline.
And it’s not just the obvious stuff, like logos or design. Subtle cues like the way buttons are shaped, the tone of the text, or even the speed of a page load can trigger feelings of trust—or send someone running for the digital hills.
Now, you don’t need Rory Sutherland to remind you that people are irrational, emotional creatures. Most of us navigate life by trusting our gut, which is shaped by our past experiences. Here’s where it gets tricky: your website can fall victim to guilt by association.
Guilt by Association: The Curse of Familiarity
Imagine landing on a website with overly flashy animations, suspiciously vague pricing, or stock images that scream “we couldn’t be bothered to hire a photographer.” If you’ve ever been burned by a similar-looking site, you’ll likely close the tab faster than you can say “phishing scam.”
It’s not that the website itself is guilty; it could be the most honest business in the world, but it reminds your gut of something shady, and your trust evaporates.
Websites are like the virtual handshake of your business. If that handshake feels weak, people aren’t going to stick around. And if they don’t trust your site, they won’t trust your company.
Here’s the kicker: We live in a world where the average consumer spends mere seconds deciding if they’re going to trust a website. Seconds. And those seconds are based on gut feelings we’re not even aware of, mostly because we’ve encountered so many patterns in our online experiences that we’re now hardwired to make these snap judgments.
Crafting Visual Trust: How to Build Credibility Through Design
In this section, let’s dive into some UX/UI tips for building trust visually.
First, ignore the “Guru, Rockstar, Ninja Marketers” who say, “Make all buttons blue because blue is a trustworthy colour; therefore, more people will click the button.” Sure, blue is a trustworthy colour, but if your branding doesn’t have a shred of blue in it, slapping it on your site won’t magically inspire confidence.
Good Website Design is Consistency
Keep your colours, fonts, line widths, border radius, buttons, padding, margins, headings, and tone of voice consistent across your website and brand. Yes, it sounds tedious, but that’s what branding and style guidelines are for.
At What IF Web, we love using Figma to create these style guides, which can be seamlessly transferred into Webflow to ensure consistency and speed.
Photography: Building Digital Trust Through Visuals
The images on your website are often the first thing people notice, and they can make or break a user’s impression of your brand. Done right, photography builds trust and relatability. Done wrong, it can feel lazy, generic, or even dishonest.
Avoid Generic Stock Photos
Stock photos of boardroom meetings with a whiteboard covered in sticky notes or smiling models high-fiving might save time, but they also scream, “We couldn’t be bothered.” They feel disconnected and inauthentic, which makes visitors less likely to trust your brand.
Use Photos of Your Office and Team
Real images of your team, workspace, and products showcase the genuine heart of your business. They give people a sense of who you are, making your brand feel approachable and trustworthy; it’s also incredibly important for local businesses.
What About AI-Generated Photos?
I would not really recommend Ai, but it is possible to get an image right; you just run the gambit of the uncanny valley and come off worse for wear. A generated image can signal to a user that your company is not real, hence why I put the emphasis on using your own photography, which results in making your company more tangible.
However, If you’re using AI, tread carefully:
- Priorities quality over convenience—ensure your images are high-resolution and professional.
- Watch for the tell-tale signs of AI gone rogue (extra fingers or weirdly distorted faces).
- Only use images that feel authentic to your brand’s identity.
Photography isn’t just about aesthetics; it’s a trust signal. The right images make your website feel polished and based in reality, while the wrong ones can send people running for the hills. Take the time to get it right, and you’ll thank yourself later.
Development that Works: Why Webflow is Ideal for Your Business
Being heavy users of Webflow it has become our bread and butter, so we can say with comfort that we know all of the ins and outs of why it’s a good pick for you when choosing a product that you want your website built on.
You want a website that looks custom-made without the custom-code price tag. Webflow delivers professional designs all while keeping it fast and responsive.
What good is a clean website though without anyone finding it? Webflow can help with that because it has clean code, fast load times, and easy meta-tag management which means your site ranks higher and draws in more viewers.
Webflow doesn’t mean that the developer has full control of your website, as a developer we’re able to build a template and components for you to drag and drop at your will without breaking the code to give you a bit more flexibility over the look and feel without using a developer. Having full control over your CMS content has never been easier, we can set up the look you just provide the content that you want involved on the pages making it seamless for you.
Speed of development is such a great attraction, your website will be up and running before you know it. This is all offered at a price that doesn’t require you breaking the bank, which leave you more resources to focus on what matters most in your business.
Your move now
Your website isn’t just a collection of pages it’s your brand’s first impression, digital handshake, and trust-building machine all rolled into one. From visuals to photography to the underlying code, every detail sends a message to your users about why NZ brands like yours stand out and why they should trust you.
Getting these elements right isn’t just about looking good it’s about creating a website that works hard for your business. While it might seem overwhelming, you don’t have to tackle it alone.
