Idea Grove Expands Trust-Centered Web Design Practice to Turn Skeptical Visitors into True Believers

Idea Grove’s web design team operates on a simple principle: If visitors don’t believe you, nothing else matters. It’s called “trust-centered web design” — and it has sparked the practice’s rapid development through hiring, process development and with each new website the agency brings to life for its B2B technology clients.

“When most web design agencies pitch their services, they focus on one of two things,” said Megan Chesterton, senior director of creative and marketing services for Idea Grove. “Some firms try to wow clients with visually acrobatic designs that have a similar appeal to a fireworks display. Boom. Bang. Pop. Other agencies talk about transactional lead generation. They seem to think telling your company’s story is a simple arithmetic equation. Input content, output sales.”

Chesterton continued, “We don’t operate that way. Our team’s first priority is to understand what will make your visitors trust you and then to achieve that. Does your design firm truly understand your business, your product, your customers? Does your design firm understand the trust signals that make a visitor want to learn more about you? If not, the visual pyrotechnics and lead-gen formulas mean nothing.”

Idea Grove’s focus on trust is built into its DNA as an agency with roots in public relations and thought leadership marketing. This strategic foundation was made for a moment when consumer skepticism is at an all-time high and trust is in short supply. These changes have led to a growing demand for Idea Grove’s web design services over the past year.

To accommodate this growth, Idea Grove recently brought on Cecil Cross as associate creative director. Cross is a 20-year veteran of the creative industry with experience at media and technology companies including the telecom leader Mitel. Reporting to Chesterton, Cross leads Idea Grove’s visual brand strategy and digital asset creation, including websites, creative marketing assets, infographics, case studies, social branding and interactive online experiences.

“I was attracted to Idea Grove because I believe in the agency’s approach,” Cross said. “Trust-centered design can humanize a company’s website, which resonates with customers in establishing meaningful connections with a brand. Visitors may come to the website first for information — but they will stay, and return, for these connections.”