Credibility is obviously an important element in business. When we
first meet someone, or interact with a business, we form some judgment
of credibility. When discussing websites we realize that on the internet
you lose the advantage of a face to face encounter yet nevertheless
credibility is still just as important.
This means that we need to
consider how we can establish credibility on a website so that it can
be successful. Let's look at some elements that the best websites use to
establish credibility:
SEO to Be Found
To
have any credibility potential customers have to be able to find your
website. When an internet user performs a search looking for something
that you have to offer, a product, a service, or information, you want
your page to be at the top of the search results. Internet users
typically look at only the first few results from their search, rarely
do they ever go to page 2 and even rarer still is going to page 3 or
beyond.
You want to position your page so that when a searcher
types in words that are relevant to your site they find your site in one
of the top spots of the first page of search results. You establish
your site in these top results with a search engine optimization (SEO)
strategy. When your page is found in the top spots of the search results
it is similar to a referral. Being one of the top results in a search
gives you a bit of credibility just by being found there.
Look and Usability of the Site
Once
you've been found in the search results by a potential customer they
will click on your website. The site needs to look professional and
needs to load quickly. It needs to be pleasing to the eye and easy to
navigate. If your site looks like it was designed in the garage of your
cousin's house then the searcher will quickly leave the site, never to
return again and your business will lose any credibility. You need to
have a top notch web design that is easy to use.
Along with the
look the site needs to be easy to navigate so the searcher can find the
information or products they are looking for. The content needs to be
well written and informative and useful. It needs to be easy to read and
understand with no spelling and grammar mistakes. A professionally look
and usability of a website offers even more credibility in the sight of
the user.
Contact Information
If you are a
reliable company then you want your customers to be able to easily get
in touch with you when they need to. Your contact information should be
easy to find on the website and all possible information should be
given. Your mailing addresses, the address of the brick and mortar site,
the phone number, fax number, and email should all be included on a
contact page. When a potential customer sees that they can easily get in
touch with you if there's a problem it makes you seem reliable and
gives you credibility.
Social Interactions
As
a user browses your site you will gain further credibility when they
see product reviews, testimonials, site visitor comments, when they see
social interactions on your site. When they can see that you have gained
acceptance and appreciation from others you gain further credibility.
When you look at the best websites
online they haven't gained credibility and become successful with just
one element, and it didn't happen overnight. It's a number of elements
all working together over a period of time that make the best websites
successful. Credibility is just one of those key elements.
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