Building trust in finance is even more crucial than in other industries, because every financial decision comes with real risks.
One wrong move can lead to serious losses, so clients look for financial companies they can rely on to guide them safely. Depending on the services offered, these clients might be individual savers, retail investors, business owners, high-net-worth clients or large institutions. Regardless of their profile, they all want to work with financial companies they can trust. After all, trust is what keeps these relationships strong and helps both clients and companies succeed.
Your first job as a financial company is not just offering services, it is earning client’s trust. Your website is often the first place that trust is built. Below, we will walk through key principles for designing a financial services website that builds client trust.
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Show expertise & credibility
Building trust in finance starts by showing your expertise and credibility. Highlight your team’s qualifications, certifications and partnerships so visitors can see your professionalism and competence. Pair this with social proof, like client testimonials, success stories or logos of companies you have worked with. When people see that your team is skilled and that others trust your services, they feel more confident choosing your company.
Good UX builds trust
You can have great financial products, but if your website feels confusing or clunky, trust can disappear fast.. People judge your company from the moment they land on your site, so every detail matters.
Fast load times show that your systems are reliable and that you respect your client’s time. Clear navigation makes it easy for visitors to find services, pricing, or support without getting frustrated. A site that works well on any device shows that you take your business seriously. Small touches like smooth animations, hover effects and intuitive scrolling tell people you care about the experience.
Make it simple for people to get started and find what they need. Show the faces behind your company. When your website is clear and easy to use, clients are more likely to trust both your services and the people providing them.
Use of colour psychology
The colours you choose for your brand can affect how people feel about your company, often without them even realising it. For financial companies, some colours help show reliability, security and professionalism. Blue is a classic choice because it naturally inspires trust and a sense of stabilit.
Many trusted financial brands use blue in their logos and websites. Blue is often the main trust colour, but other colours are used to make the design more engaging and functional. Other colours can support your message: green for growth, grey for professionalism, white for clarity and yellow or orange for optimism or attention.
Show the people behind your company
We believe this part is especially important. Building trust in finance is not just about products or technology. It is about the people behind them. Sharing the story of who builds your solutions and why they do it can make all the difference. You might not have decades of client testimonials, but your team’s real experiences and stories can build trust.
Make your team visible on your website by showing faces, bios, and a bit of their story. Let your leadership post updates on LinkedIn and show the journey honestly, including both challenges and successes. Being open and human is not just authentic, it is smart. Clients are more likely to trust your services when they trust the people delivering them.
Highlight security and compliance
In finance, safety is everything. If people don’t feel their money and information are secure, they won’t trust you. Your website should make that security clear from the start. Simple things like the padlock icon in the browser, a clear privacy policy and showing that you follow rules such as GDPR or FCA guidelines go a long way.
Behind the scenes, keep your systems up to date, use strong encryption to protect client data and make sure only the right people have access. Adding two-factor authentication for logins and training your team to spot scams or suspicious messages makes your protection even stronger.
Communicate clearly and honestly
When someone opens your website, they should immediately understand what your company does. If your homepage starts with complicated phrases or buzzwords, it can confuse visitors and make them lose trust. People need to see clearly what you offer, who it is for and what makes you different. Then show evidence to back it up.
Your web design should make this simple. Use clear, straightforward language, keep pages clean and easy to navigate and avoid unnecessary jargon. When visitors can quickly understand your services and how they help them, it builds confidence and makes them more likely to trust your company.
Ethical practices matter
Clients are more likely to trust financial companies that demonstrate integrity and responsibility. If you can, share with your visitors how you approach ethical investing or sustainability, it can go a long way in building trust. People want to know not just what you do with their money but how you do it. Be open about your principles, whether that means avoiding harmful industries, supporting sustainable businesses or being transparent with your fees.
Make contact easy
Make it easy for clients to reach you by phone, chat, email or booking a consultation. Show your contact options clearly on every page so people do not have to look for them. Answer questions quickly and helpfully to show that you are reliable and care about your clients. Offer different ways to get in touch so clients can choose what works best for them. When clients know it is easy to get help, they are more likely to trust you.
Guide your clients, don’t just sell to them
Trust grows when clients feel informed and confident in their choices. Share resources like guides, blogs or webinars that explain financial topics in simple, clear language. Showing clients that you want to help them make good decisions makes them more likely to trust you.
Avoid dark patterns
Dark patterns are design tricks sometimes used in web development to push people into doing things they might not actually want to do. Instead of helping users make clear choices, they manipulate them into actions that benefit the company but not the customer. These can be, for example, hiding fees until the last step of signup, making cancellation links hard to find or using pre-checked boxes that sign people up for extra services they never asked for.
Conclusion – building trust in finance
Trust isn’t built overnight. It comes from being clear, honest and showing that you genuinely care. Whether it’s sharing your team’s story, making your website easy to use or keeping client data safe, every detail matters. In finance, trust is not just something extra. It is what turns a single deal into a loyal client who stays with you for years.
Get in touch with us today if you are looking for website redesign UK or building a brand new website. We would love to help!