For your business to truly succeed online, you need to establish some degree of credibility. Even if you have talent, resources and contacts in your field, you still need credibility to reach long-term, prosperous success.
How long do you think you have to make a first impression on a website visitor? Approximately 1/20th of a second. That’s all visitors need to make an opinion about your website and your business. Most visitors judge the credibility of a business or organization based purely on the design of the website. Ensure that your website design looks professional, clean and modern without spending a small fortune.
Trust marks are a great way to boost the credibility of your website. They are usually logos from third parties or established organizations that the visitor trusts. If visitors see these trust marks on your website, they will trust that your business is credible. Some examples of trust marks are trade associations, industry institutes and media logos.
Social proof is something very important to consider. It is the wisdom of the crowd. If we are unsure as to whether we should make a particular decision, we look to see what others have done in the same particular situation. Customer testimonials are an effective way to create online credibility. Ask clients that you have worked for to provide brief, yet effective testimonials about your business, products or services.
If you have an e-commerce website, most visitors will be looking for something that will reassure them that their purchase will be delivered and that their personal details are kept safe. One way to make your customers feel comfortable buying online is to place a trust mark beside your payment handler. You should also consider how you will take your customers’ money and how their personal data will be kept safe.
Another way to gain more credibility is to offer your potential clients or customers something for “nothing.” Offering a money-back guarantee is a good example. You can also offer weekly emails and online newsletters containing valuable information that they can use and learn from.
These are just a few ways that you can build the credibility of your website. If you incorporate at least one idea, you are one step closer to gaining trust and gaining more clients and customers for your business.
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