For this customer story we spoke to Kevin van der Veer, co‑founder of WoodWatch. He tells us more about:
WoodWatch - More than just watches
WoodWatch is a lifestyle brand that sells products made from natural and sustainably sourced materials. The company not only sells watches, but also sunglasses, BlueBlockers and bracelets.
WoodWatch started by designing and selling 3 wooden watches, but at the moment they offer more than 150 different watches. Their product portfolio is always evolving and the company now also sells internationally; including the Netherlands, the UK, Germany, Italy and France.
Aside from their commercial activities, WoodWatch plants 3 trees for every product sold, aiming to reach the milestone of 1 million trees planted before 2025. "Wood is a living product that can be sourced and processed sustainably if done properly,” explains Kevin. “The beauty of wood is that it is a material that will grow back if selected from the right species and cut properly.”
Challenge: Achieve more conversions and international traffic
To sell both in one's home market as well as abroad, it's important for an online shop to project trustworthiness to its visitors. There are all different types of online shoppers.
Some customers make online purchases more often and know what to look for before making a purchase, but not all customers are that independent.
However, there are also first-time shoppers or shoppers who have just discovered your brand. There are shoppers who have never made a purchase from abroad before.
It is especially important for these people that they can trust an online shop. "Trust is therefore an indispensable factor; the customer wants to know what kind of party they are dealing with," says Kevin.
How the Trustmark, Buyer Protection and reviews help with more sales
WoodWatch likes Trusted Shops' all-in-one solution: the Trustmark with Buyer Protection and a customer reviews platform.
The Buyer Protection provides extra security in the online shop and contributes to improving the trustworthiness that an online shop wants to communicate. This protection can be especially important if the online shop sells products with a relatively high value. This gives potential customers a feeling of certainty and this increases the chance that that customer will make a purchase.
"The Buyer Protection gives the customer extra security and that only improves their level of trust with us".
"Trusted Shops is a reliable partner to convey trust to the customer, but it is also a good way to collect reviews to improve the service," says Kevin. "The reviews give shoppers a transparent picture of how satisfied previous customers are with us".
Positive reviews are not the only ones that help strengthen the brand. Less-satisfied customers are also important because it gives WoodWatch the opportunity to show people how good their customer service is. Reacting to reviews is important, not just from a PR perspective. The company uses all customer feedback to improve its products and services.
How WoodWatch deals with deviating legislation within the European Union
We all know that the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) applies throughout Europe, but in some countries it is even stricter. Because WoodWatch has chosen Trusted Shops as a trusted partner, the company has received feedback and suggestions for their domestic and international domains.
Germany and France are two of those countries that have more extensive laws. "It was nice to get suggestions on our terms and conditions, because the rules in Germany are different than in the Netherlands," Kevin explains. With the expertise of different lawyers, it is therefore easier to optimise the general terms and conditions of various international domains.
"Having an audit specialist actually look at our terms and conditions and make suggestions to improve them gave me the confidence to use their trust solutions."
As soon as an online shop meets the correct quality criteria for the trustmark, the Trustbadge® can be integrated and displayed on the site. Before and after integrating the Trustbadge, a personal account manager can always be contacted to answer any questions. As described: "The cooperation is reliable and stable because the product works well".
