If you’re launching a new competition website, the hardest part isn’t building the site or sourcing prizes — it’s convincing players to trust you enough to buy their first ticket.
In a market full of flashy new competition brands, customers have learned to be cautious. They’ve seen too many poorly designed sites, inconsistent draws, and “no winner announced” scandals. That means credibility is now your biggest competitive edge.
Why Trust Determines Sales
When someone lands on your competition website, they make a split-second judgement — is this brand genuine, or risky?
If they hesitate even slightly, they won’t buy.
Your job is to remove doubt before they ever reach checkout. The more transparent, compliant, and well-presented your brand feels, the more entries you’ll sell — it’s that simple.
1. Get Your Website Design Right
First impressions count. A competition site needs to feel professional, modern, and built for confidence.
Here’s what we’ve found works best:
- Clear navigation: easy access to draws, winners, and FAQs.
- Visible transparency: show draw dates, remaining tickets, and real winners.
- Strong mobile UX: over 90% of players buy from their phone — friction here kills sales.
- Consistent branding: colours, fonts, and tone that feel trustworthy, not gimmicky.
A good designer won’t just make it look nice — they’ll structure it around conversion psychology, helping visitors progress naturally from curiosity to purchase.
2. Prove Legitimacy Early
Before you spend money on ads, make sure your compliance is visible:
- Add your Free Entry Route clearly in the footer and product pages.
- Display your Skill-Based Question up front, not buried in the small print.
- Include Terms & Conditions, Privacy Policy, and Responsible Play pages that look legitimate and formatted correctly.
- Mention compliance with ASA and RMG standards.
If a customer can see your legal setup at a glance, you’re already ahead of most new operators.
3. Show Real Winners
Nothing builds confidence faster than proof.
Use photos, names (with consent), and live-draw clips to show transparency.
Better yet, maintain a Winners Page with downloadable PDF entry lists — a proven trust indicator that separates legitimate operators from those just starting out.
If you use a platform like Giveaway for WooCommerce, you can automatically generate entry lists and manage live or manual draws with full audit trails.
4. Secure and Recognised Payments
Even a great website will struggle if your checkout doesn’t inspire confidence.
Avoid generic or overseas payment links — use trusted UK-based processors like Cashflows or Zempler Bank that support competition transactions and integrate seamlessly with WooCommerce.
Display SSL badges, secure checkout icons, and recognised logos (Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay).
It’s not just for show — it’s reassurance that money and data are handled safely.
5. Communicate Like a Real Business
People don’t just buy into a website; they buy into people.
Set up branded emails (not Gmail), consistent tone across platforms, and respond quickly to DMs and comments.
Add a visible “About” page with photos or short bios — the human side builds familiarity, and familiarity builds trust.
6. Keep It Transparent Long-Term
Trust isn’t a one-time setup — it’s something you reinforce constantly.
Announce winners publicly, post updates, and share behind-the-scenes moments from your live draws.
Your transparency becomes your brand story — one that keeps players coming back and recommending you.
How Nera Marketing Can Help
We design and launch competition websites with built-in trust systems:
Free Entry Route & Skill Question integration
Automated PDF entry lists for transparency
Secure merchant gateways (Cashflows & Zempler setup)
Legal and compliance-ready templates
Branding and marketing support that positions your business as credible from day one
Whether you’re starting your first competition brand or rebranding for growth, we’ll help you launch a website people actually trust to buy from.
Key Takeaway
Anyone can build a competition website — but only the trusted ones last.
If you make compliance and transparency part of your brand identity, you won’t just meet regulations — you’ll dominate a niche where confidence drives conversion.
