How to Establish Credibility on Your Web Site

In order to gain the trust of your visitors and their business, your web site must convey a credible image. But how do you establish credibility?

Look Professional

The visual design of a site is often the first test of a company's credibility. By establishing your site as professional and trustworthy, your visitors will be encouraged to read on about what you have to offer. A professional appearance can be achieved by:

Maintaining a pleasing visual design
Keeping your layout clean and readable
Avoiding unnecessary clutter
Use of proper spelling and grammar
Use of a common, easy-to-read font such as Arial

Use Third Party Testimonials

Keep in mind that people respond even better to testimonials provided by someone whose name they recognize and respect. A strong testimonial can confirm your credibility by reinforcing the value of your product or service. You can obtain testimonials by:

Asking visitors who have sent you compliments if you can publish them
Ask satisfied clients for comments on your product or service

Include a Privacy Statement

A privacy statement works to protect the personal information of your visitors and potential clients. Your privacy statement should be easily accessible on your web site and disclose the following:

The personally identifiable information collected
The name of the collecting organization
The intended use of the information
The users of the information
The choices available to users in the information collection,use and distribution
The security procedures in place to protect against loss, misuse or alteration of information
The procedure for how users can correct inaccuracies in the information

Be clear on What Newsletters Subscribers Are Getting

On your sign up form, inform your readers of the frequency of the newsletter
Provide a link to some sample newsletters so that potential readers can determine if it is of interest to them

By taking steps to ensure readers are going to be happy with the newsletter, you can avoid cancelled subscriptions and promote customer loyalty.

Present a Clear and Consistent Identity

A clear and consistent image is important both within your web site and across all media. Coordinating web design, print and marketing will help you convey a professional image, thus establishing credibility.

Each page of your web site should have a similar look in order to establish identity and avoid visitor confusion due to out of place pages
A hodgepodge of colours, fonts, and layouts among media may send the message that your company lacks organization and attention to detail
When your print ads, business cards, etc. have a commonality with your web site, clients can immediately identify your company when conducting a search.