When it comes to deciding whether to do business with someone, trust is key. After all, you don't hand over money for something unless you know you'll get something good in return.

The words and design of your website, your social media posts, emails and multimedia are all an expression of you—and they're all vital to building trust and confidence in your brand.

I've put together four tips to help you make a trustworthy website, inspire confidence in your business and convert your readers to customers.

1. Proofread your copy (or get someone else to)

59% of people won't do business with a company that makes spelling and grammar mistakes (realbusiness). When it comes to communicating in writing, errors reflect negatively on your brand and your working practices. That innocently missed apostrophe or grammatical glitch could actually lose you a customer.

Tempting as it is to write and publish things quickly, it's worthwhile building in some time for editing and asking someone else to take a look. A fresh pair of eyes, that's not so invested in crafting the message, can work wonders at quickly potting the typos (see, I told you).

This goes not just for your website, but for social media posts and emails - in fact, any writing that represents your business.

2. Aim for clarity

My experience in analysing customer feedback for Amazon and eBay taught me a very important lesson; if people can't immediately understand your website, they'll stop trusting you and start to wonder what you're hiding.

Here are some tips for building clarity into your writing:

Plan your website before you start. What do you need to say and how many pages do you need to say it on? What should each page be called?
Writing is 99% editing, so jot down everything you want to express and use it as a launchpad for the final copy. Go back the next day and take a fresh look.
Every sentence should express one idea, and every idea should be expressed just once.
Use the shortest, clearest words you can, especially in how-to or 'help' copy.
Put the most important information at the top of the page and make the most helpful, searched-for or requested information easy to find on your website.

3. Meet expectations

I mentioned in 6 ways to make your website more memorable that links set an expectation of what a reader will find when they click them. If your links accurately describe what they link to, your website will make sense to its readers.

In How to Build Trust With Your Copywriting, Mary Rose Maguire points out that not meeting the expectations set by your headlines and links can also erode trust in you.

If they deliver on their promises, they send a message that you will too.

4. Communicate with a video

If you can't meet your customers in person, the next best thing is to say hi in a video. You could tell your story, introduce your product, explain how your latest tool works. Practice your crinkly-eyed smiles and be the human face of your business.

One thing to avoid is the hard sell. People don't like being sold to, they like to be helped by people who enjoy what they do. Share your skills and insights and talk passionately about your business.

It's hard to build a relationship with someone you may never meet, but clear, honest copy, backed by authentic video evidence will help you make those vital connections, showcase your brand and demonstrate the human face of your business.