A president of a high-end taxi and hire car company once shared an interesting story with us.
He said that customers visiting Japan, especially wealthy ones, value reliability above all else when choosing a service. Of course, that applies in Japan too—perhaps even more so, since trust and reassurance are deeply rooted in Japanese culture.
Even something as simple as taking a taxi from Narita Airport to a hotel in central Tokyo carries that sense of importance. When traveling with family, people want to feel completely safe and confident in the service they choose.
In one case he told us about, an international customer coming to Japan contacted the company through its website (which we had designed) and asked:
Does the driver have a valid commercial license in Japan?
What type of vehicle will be used?
Is the license plate green or white?
The customer seemed quite familiar with how things work in Japan. Apparently, during a previous visit, they had seen a sign at the airport warning, “Beware of unlicensed taxis,” and learned that vehicles with green license plates are officially licensed for commercial use.
Naturally, the website’s credibility played a major role in earning that customer’s trust.
A site doesn’t need to be flashy or full of fancy design. What matters most is that it’s clear, complete, and transparent—with all key information such as pricing, terms, policies, and contact details properly listed.
It’s also essential that the site appears in Google search results and has no penalties or credibility issues that might undermine trust.
For affluent customers, business executives, or anyone with high expectations, reliability matters more than anything else. That means it’s not enough to just boost online reviews or ratings—your website itself must communicate trustworthiness. That’s often the deciding factor between a lost opportunity and a loyal customer.
