The under-an-hour trust checklist that answers "are you a real mover?" before anyone calls
Moving scams have made customers suspicious of every mover. A checklist to put your license, insurance, estimate rules and real photos on your site in an hour.
A lot of the people who land on your website are scared. They have read stories about movers who load a truck, then hold the furniture until the customer pays double. So before they call you, they are trying to answer one question: is this a real company or a scam?
If your site does not answer it fast, they leave and call someone whose site does. This checklist puts the answer on the page in about an hour.
Minutes 0 to 10: your license numbers, where people can see them
1. Put your USDOT number on every page. If you do interstate moves, the federal government requires a USDOT number, and interstate movers generally need operating authority as well. Put the number in the footer of every page and near the top of your home page. If you only do local moves, put your state license or permit number there instead, if your state issues one.
2. Link to the lookup. Add one line under the number: "You can check our registration on the FMCSA website." Link to the federal Protect Your Move site, which explains how to look a mover up. A company that tells customers how to check it is a company with nothing to hide.
3. Check that the numbers match. The name and address on your site, your Google profile and your federal registration should be the same. Mismatches look like a red flag to customers and to Google.
Minutes 10 to 25: how your estimates work
4. Explain your estimate types in plain words. Many customers do not know the difference between a binding and non-binding estimate. Write three or four sentences on what you offer and what each one means for the final bill. Our pricing and quoting guide has examples you can adapt.
5. Say whether you are a carrier or a broker. If you own the trucks and your crew does the move, say so: "We do every move ourselves with our own trucks and crews. We never sell your move to another company." Customers who have been burned by brokers look for this line.
6. State your deposit policy. How much, when, and whether it is refundable. A clear deposit policy separates you from the operators who ask for large cash deposits up front.
Minutes 25 to 40: proof that you exist
7. Real photos of your trucks and crew. Not stock photos. Your trucks with your name on them, your crew in uniform, a loaded truck with furniture wrapped in blankets. Five photos are enough. Put the same ones on your Google profile.
8. A short "About" section with a real name. The owner's name, how long you have been moving people, and where you are based. One paragraph. People trust a person more than a logo.
9. Your physical address, if you have one. If you have a yard or warehouse customers could visit, show it. If you run from home, list your service area instead.
Minutes 40 to 50: insurance and valuation
10. Explain how coverage works. Federal rules require interstate movers to offer valuation options, and the basic option covers far less than most customers expect. Write a short, honest paragraph on what basic coverage pays and what full-value protection costs. Customers who learn this from you trust you more than customers who learn it after a claim.
11. Put your liability insurance in writing. "Fully insured. Certificate of insurance available for buildings that require one." Apartment and condo managers often ask, and saying it up front saves a call.
Minutes 50 to 60: reviews and one more check
12. Show your Google rating on the site. Link to your Google reviews from the home page and the quote page. In our benchmark report, the median moving company has 30 Google reviews, but only 63.7% hold a rating of 4.5 or higher, and 18.6% sit under 4.0. Ratings in this trade are lower than in most, so a solid one is a real trust signal. Our review guide covers how to get more.
13. Read your site on your phone like a nervous customer. Can you find the USDOT number, the estimate types, the deposit policy and the phone number in under a minute? If not, move them higher.
Why this is worth an hour
22.3% of moving companies in our data have no website at all, and many of the ones that do never mention a license number or how estimates work. The median company with a website has 58 reviews, compared with 1 for companies without one. A site that answers the trust question is not a nice extra in this trade. It is often the reason someone picks up the phone. Our website essentials guide covers the rest of what the site needs.
If you want help adding these trust pieces to your site and Google profile, the free 14-day trial covers any one service, no card. Text or call (385) 396-5586.
Steven has spent the last several years running growth campaigns for local service businesses, moving companies among them, and builds the benchmark datasets on this site from public Google listings. About the editor