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Building Trust, One Click at a Time: The Foundation of a Great Website

January 21, 2025

The first thing online visitors naturally look for on a new website is a sense of trust. If your site feels unreliable, unwelcoming, or confusing, visitors will likely leave quickly—often before reading your content—and turn towards your competitors.

The good news is that these trust issues are fixable! By focusing on authenticity, transparency, and security, you can transform your website into a place where your audience feels confident that they’re in good hands. Let’s break down five practical ways to build trust with your online visitors, and keep them coming back for more.

Make a Good First Impression

You wouldn’t show up to a job interview in sweatpants, so why would you want your website to meet potential customers with cluttered pages, outdated designs, or broken links? A polished, professional site shows that your business is organized and credible.

Here’s how to get it right:

  • Design: Stick to clean layouts, consistent branding, and intuitive navigation. Your website should look as sharp as your best elevator pitch sounds.
  • Performance: Slow-loading pages, unresponsive or inaccessible designs, and broken links are trust killers. Optimize your site for speed and mobile-friendliness, and prioritize accessibility so every visitor feels welcome—regardless of device or ability.

Let Your Customers Do the Talking

When your customers sing your praises, let the world hear it! Nothing builds credibility and inspires confidence like hearing from others who have already had a positive experience with your brand.

Here’s how to make testimonials work for you:

  • Spotlight testimonials: Feature kind words prominently on your homepage or create a dedicated reviews section. These endorsements show potential customers that you deliver on your promises.
  • Automate updates: Use tools like Google Review plugins to keep your site fresh with the latest five-star feedback. Not only does this build trust, but it can also boost your SEO. Win-win!

Show You’re Serious About Safety

If your website collects personal information like phone numbers, emails, or payment details, it’s important to show users that their data is safe with you. 

Here’s how to reassure your audience:

  • Use visual cues: Display security badges, SSL certificates, or links to your privacy policy prominently to signal to users that you take their safety seriously.
  • Be proactive: Clearly communicate what steps you take to safeguard data, and make it easy for visitors to find this information.

These elements provide peace of mind, encouraging visitors to share information or make purchases confidently. Plus, they can boost your search engine ranking. A win for trust and traffic!

Stay True to Your Brand

Authenticity is the secret ingredient in trust-building. Your website should feel like an extension of your brand’s personality, values, and voice.

Here’s how to bring your brand to life online:

  • Be consistent: Your tone of voice, visuals, and messaging should align across every page of your site.
  • Get real: Swap out generic stock photos for real images of your team, workspace, or customers. These personal touches make your brand feel more relatable and approachable.
  • Own your story: If you hit a snag, whether it’s a delay, a product update, or an unexpected hiccup, communicate it honestly. Transparency shows integrity, and integrity builds trust.

When your website reflects the people behind the organization, your audience will take notice. And that’s the kind of connection that keeps them coming back again and again.

Be Easy to Reach

A trustworthy website makes it easy for visitors to get in touch. After all, what’s more reassuring than knowing there’s a real person on the other side of the screen?

Here’s how to communicate approachability:

  • Create a standout contact page: Include your phone number, email address, and physical location (if applicable). Bonus points for adding a map!
  • Be visible: Place your contact details in the footer so they’re accessible from any page.
  • Go the extra mile: Consider adding a contact form or live chat feature to make connecting with your team as seamless as possible.

When visitors know they can reach you easily, they’re more likely to trust you. And trust often leads to conversions.

Let’s Get Started!

A trustworthy website isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s a must-have. It’s the digital foundation of your brand, a space where relationships are built. Trust doesn’t happen overnight, but with thoughtful design and intentional decisions, your website can become a powerful tool for fostering lasting relationships with your audience and driving results.

Ready to take the next step? Learn more about how the Wingard team can help you create a trustworthy, custom website that turns potential visitors into repeat customers. 

Jax Chamber Events
Why marketers should attend: These aren’t your average mixers. JAX Chamber events bring together small business owners, decision-makers, and entrepreneurs actively shaping the city's future. For marketers, that means staying in the know on local business trends, networking, and hearing what's shaping Jacksonville's growth.

Events to watch:
Chamber Council Mixers
Trustee Mixers
Annual “Meeting”

Marketing takeaway: Stay ahead of local trends and discover the search terms people are actually using to grow their businesses in Jacksonville.
Regional Chamber & Business Councils
Why marketers should attend: Beyond the JAX Chamber, Jacksonville is home to several neighborhood-based and industry-specific chambers of commerce. These tight-knit networks offer hyperlocal insights and relationship-building opportunities that can power your next local campaign.

Look into:

Clay County Chamber of Commerce
St. Johns County Chamber
Beaches Division of the JAX Chamber
Nassau County Chamber of Commerce

Marketing Takeaway: Hyperlocal campaigns often mean hyper-targeted results. These groups help you understand the nuances of each community you serve.
First Coast Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (FCHCC)
Why marketers should attend: FCHCC events are rich with entrepreneurial energy, cultural perspective, and networking potential with Jacksonville’s vibrant Hispanic business community.

Events to explore:
Achieving the Dream Luncheon
Social Cafecito with the Chamber (networking series)

Marketing Takeaway: Discover new audience insights and partnership opportunities while learning how to communicate to diverse communities.
Jacksonville Chapter Events: Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and the Florida Public Relations Association (FPRA)
Why marketers should attend: Public relations and marketing go hand in hand, and you can think of the North Florida PRSA and FPRA Jax as your go-to groups for communications insights, skill-building, and peer collaboration. For marketers who manage media, help shape public perception, and strengthen brand messaging, both organizations offer invaluable resources and a community of like-minded, local professionals.

Events to explore:
FPRA’s Annual Image Awards
PRSA North Florida’s Media Mashup
Professional development luncheons and mixers

Keep an eye out for the upcoming PRSA Sunshine District Conference, hosted this year in Jacksonville! Our Senior PR & Communications Manager, Ashley Williams, also serves as the PRSA Jacksonville Chapter President and is helping lead the planning efforts. This conference brings together industry leaders to share insights and explore the latest strategies in public relations, communications, and emerging technologies. The Wingard PR team looks forward to seeing you there!

Marketing Takeaway: Learn how to blend PR and marketing to craft campaigns that get attention and build trust with your community.
ULI North Florida: Real Estate + Development Talks
Why marketers should attend: If your clients include developers, real estate professionals, or civic organizations, ULI North Florida events are your inside scoop on what's next in Jacksonville. Think urban core revitalization, new project announcements, and commercial growth projections (which mean future content angles!).

Events to watch:
ULI Trends in Real Estate Conference (annual)
ULI North Florida - State of the Economy & Housing Market (annual)

Marketing Takeaway: Gain rich storytelling material and strategic context for real estate industry-related content.
Jacksonville Business Journal Events
Why marketers should attend: Get an insider look at Jacksonville’s movers and shakers. These events are great for building B2B connections and staying on top of industry shifts.

Notable series:
Tech Leaders of the Year
Fast 50
40 Under 40
Women of Influence

Marketing Takeaway: Stay on top of local happenings, network with community changemakers, and gain insight into business trends that matter locally!
JAXUSA Partnership Events
Why marketers should attend: JAXUSA Partnership is the economic development initiative of the JAX Chamber, and their events offer a high-level look at the forces shaping Northeast Florida's growth. Perfect for those working with clients in B2B, logistics, healthcare, or tech.

Key programming:
JAXUSA Luncheons

Marketing Takeaway: Use data-driven insights to inform your strategy and messaging!
Visit Jacksonville Industry Events
Why marketers should attend: As the city’s official tourism voice, Visit Jax knows destination marketing. Their events are ideal for content creators and marketers in food, travel, hospitality, and culture.

What to look for:
Partner Updates + Town Halls
Hospitality Nights
Collaboration Opportunities via their Partner Portal

Marketing Takeaway: Learn how to turn places into products. These sessions are masterclasses in lifestyle branding, SEO-driven content, and collaborative campaign building.
Downtown Vision, Inc. (DVI) Events
Why marketers should attend: DVI knows how to bring life to a city block, and those activations are full of marketing lessons. DVI events center on placemaking and community-building in Downtown Jacksonville. You’ll see how visuals, street-level branding, and event marketing activate foot traffic.

Watch for:
First Wednesday Art Walk (monthly)
Stakeholder Meetings (quarterly)
Activation Workshops
Sip & Stroll (monthly—except June-August)
Annual #DTJAX Gala

Marketing Takeaway: Street-level engagement matters. Borrow these tactics for IRL campaigns, brand activations, and immersive experiences that foster brand loyalty and buzz.
The Nonprofit Center of Northeast Florida
Why marketers should attend: If you serve nonprofit clients, this is your front-row seat to what matters most in the mission-driven world. The Nonprofit Center hosts workshops, speaker series, and networking events, tailored specifically for nonprofit communicators, fundraisers, and leaders.

Programming highlights:
Annual Nonprofit Works Conference
Catalyst Convening Series Gatherings
Development + Communications Roundtables

Marketing Takeaway: Understand how to build campaigns around impact, empathy, and values, and how to communicate to donors, volunteers, and stakeholders.
Jessie Ball duPont Center Events
Why marketers should attend: The Jessie is the home base for many nonprofits and changemakers in Jacksonville. Their programming focuses on empowerment, civic innovation, and community impact — integral themes for mission-driven brands.

Events to attend:
Nonprofit Meetups
Civic Innovation Lunch & Learns
Community Open Houses

Marketing Takeaway: Learn how mission-driven organizations use storytelling, data, and empathy to build powerful movements.
TEDxJacksonville + Idea-Focused Conferences
Why marketers should attend: Learn from top-tier communicators and thought leaders who know how to distill big ideas into memorable messages. TEDx events and conferences like the upcoming 10X Jacksonville Summit (October 2025) are ideal for inspiration, community connections, and creative fuel.

Marketing Takeaway: Sharpen your narrative craft. Use speaker techniques — like pacing, metaphor, and audience-first language — to elevate your next pitch or brand message.
AIGA Jacksonville Events & Creative Meetups
Why marketers should attend: Design is the backbone of effective branding. AIGA’s events, like portfolio reviews and creative mixers, provide marketers a chance to collaborate with designers, scout talent, and explore the power of visual storytelling and user experience.

Great for:
Brand strategists
Content creators
UX-focused marketers

Marketing Takeaway: Improve your brand strategy by seeing how designers approach user experience, aesthetics, and storytelling. You’ll walk away with a stronger visual vocabulary and new creative partners.
Riverside Arts Market (RAM)
Why marketers should attend: RAM is more than handmade soaps and fresh veggies – it’s a front-row seat to the innovation of small business branding. Watch how vendors capture attention, share their stories, and build loyal audiences in real-time.

Marketing takeaway: Get inspired by grassroots marketing done well. Think: product storytelling, vendor displays, and niche audience engagement.
Creative Panels @ MOCA Jax, MOSH, and Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens
Why marketers should attend: These cultural institutions often host community-driven discussions, artist panels, book clubs, and storytelling events. Keep an eye out for exhibition openings and creative meetups for unique insights into how narratives drive engagement.

Explore Events for:
MOCA
MOSH
The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens

Marketing takeaway: Great marketing is about emotion and connection, which is exactly what these cultural institutions do best. Use their programming to recharge creatively and explore new ways to tell brand stories through art, history, and place.
Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville Events
Why marketers should attend: Cultural Council events ignite the creative economy and shine a spotlight on public art, local creatives, and cultural impact. Perfect for marketers interested in placemaking or community engagement.

Top events:
Annual Arts Awards
Public Art Dedications

Marketing Takeaway: Cultural storytelling builds deeper connections. Use what you learn here to create campaigns that resonate with local values and celebrate community identity.

Turn Local Insights Into Local Impact

Tapping into local events is just one piece of the puzzle. If you're ready to turn that inspiration into real results — whether it’s leveling up your Local SEO, launching a new campaign, or giving your brand a creative refresh — Wingard is here to help. We understand Jacksonville, and we know how to help your business thrive here. Let’s make something great, together!

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