Being Google has its perks. I mean, even if you are just half as famous as Google, you will not be struggling with the issue of credibility. But the reality is that we do not belong to that fortunate few. And probably this is the reason why we have to take on an uphill battle whenever someone lands on our website.
Credibility is important for a website
‘Credibility of a website is all about presenting information in your website in such a way that helps it come across as trustworthy and reliable’ – says Matt, an internet marketing analysis working in Invesp. By making your website appear credible, you can enjoy strategic advantage over your competitors and this will definitely go a long way to higher conversion rates.
Would you buy a MacBook Pro from a scruffy guy on the street? Do you see where we’re coming from here?
Design matters
Yes, people still judge things by their look. So, if your website looks bad and smells bad, I hope you can certainly imagine the impression it will have on its beholder. So, invest in the look and feel of the website and, unless you are a professional designer, never ever try to design your website. Great design easily gets translated into a positive feeling of trustworthiness.
Contact info
Since you are running an ethical business, I hope you would not mind showing your business address clearly and prominently on all pages of your website. Since online fraud is quite rampart these days, you need to show your real business address so that people can trust you.
Be specific
Whatever you write on your website needs to be short, succinct and, of cours,e interesting. And do not use jargon. Use simple English that everybody can understand. Double-check the content for spelling and grammatical errors.
Show your face
People no longer trust anonymous websites. Why hide when you have nothing to fear? Not everyone has a photogenic face, but just go ahead and get a photo of you and your company posted on the website. A professional photographer will help you here. Do not add fake images, add real ones.
Show your online presence
It is great if you or your website has got some links back from reputable websites like NYTimes, Times, Washington Times etc. You can add reference of websites that have presented you in a good light. However, the referral sites do not need to be immensely famous always. Adding references from external websites that featured your website helps earn credibility as well.
Clear Policies
Always add a professional privacy policy that goes into every facet of the website. Simplify this and your return and refund policy.
Trust marks
Ok, you accept Paypal, Mastercard and other modes of online transaction. So, prove that it is absolutely safe. A TRUSTe privacy seal, The Verisign Seal, signs of Verified Paypal Account, etc., are some of the small things that you need to feature on your website and, if you do this, you’ll see big differences.
Testimonials
As it is your business you will always say good things about it. This is not going to make any difference in convincing a probable customer. He needs concrete evidence and this is the reason why you should be featuring testimonials. Testimonials should have real photos, real names, real address, real work details, etc. The more the better.
Detailed product description
Insufficient information is certainly not going to help in the conversion process. You need to offer all the information available about the product in an engaging way and please mention price.
What you can do!
So, I hope I’ve give you a few ideas about how you can improve your website’s credibility. Look at your website as you can imagine someone looking at it for the first time. Do you trust it?
