Building trust online is essential if your web marketing efforts are going to pay off. Attracting visitors is great, but to convert them to customers you must establish credibility before you can gain their trust.
According to a study by Stanford University, almost half of web users assess a site’s credibility based on the appeal of the overall design, including layout, typography, and color scheme. The “look and feel” is the first and most important test of your site’s credibility. But if they decide to stick around beyond a couple seconds, more factors come into play.
Take the quiz below to determine if your website is building (or undermining) your credibility. Score each question 1 (nope), 2 (so-so) or 3 (yes, very much). Add up the total, then see our recommendations at the end.
- Is the visual design appropriate for your type of business?
Within a few seconds of coming to your site, visitors will form an impression. People respond positively to sites with a polished, professional look. But the connection between design and credibility isn’t simple. In the study, overly “slick-looking” sites frequently received negative comments. - Is the content up-to-date?
Visitors assign more credibility to sites that have been recently updated or reviewed (and no, just putting the current date and time isn’t going to help). - Is contact information easy to find?
If visitors can’t find your contact info (including your real-world address and a phone number) they aren’t going to feel comfortable doing business with you. - Are all the links working?
Broken links and “files not found” on your site present a big credibility problem. Even worse– hosting that’s not reliable. If your hosting company doesn’t guarantee 99.9% uptime, find another host. - Do you include testimonials or other 3rd party endorsements.
You can and should highlight your expertise. But no matter how impressive your credentials or experience, people pay attention to what others have to say about you. Membership in the Chamber of Commerce, BBB, local organizations and professional associations also help build trust. - Do you provide photos of yourself and key staff?
People do business with people. Help your prospects get to know you. Good quality photos (please– no mug shots or high school year book photos) communicate your level of professionalism. Stock photos of happy smiling models posing as business people never fool anybody. - Is your copy appropriate to your audience?
Always remember that your website is about your visitors. Your web copy should set the right tone and offer useful information. Kill the jargon and happy talk. Eliminate the typos. And don’t stuff it with keywords in a futile attempt to trick the Search Engines. - Do you offer free trials or downloads?
What about case-studies, white papers, or samples? When you give something to visitors, regardless of the cost, they’re more likely to trust you.
Recommendations
Score less than 12
Your site is undermining the credibility of your company. Get help– immediately!
Score 12 to 18
Your site is doing OK, but it’s not converting as many visitors as it could. Identify areas that are weak and make improvements.
Score greater than 18
Your website is helping to build trust in your company. Consider ways to increase your credibility even further and be sure to measure your success. Set up and track your conversion goals in Google Analytics.
The Biggest Problem on the Web (Again)
June 29, 2010
There’s nothing new in this post, but some messages need repeating… and repeating.
I recently came across the outspoken media blog which shocked me into consciousness. Instead of the usual marketing drivel, these folks really are outspoken! They say what they think and take a stand, even if it ruffles some feathers.
Thanks to content management tools it’s easy to write for your blog or website. You don’t have to know how to spell, and grammar, what’s that? Hey, you can always “borrow” some copy from another site (but that’s a different blog post).
In every tool there’s the potential for good or evil. There’s a difference between adding effective, engaging, inspiring content and adding meaningless word combinations to a page nobody will ever read.
What makes effective content?
Take this simple test. Read the copy on your web page. Out loud. If you can get through it without getting confused (what is this about?) or bored (oh brother!) you’re on the right track.
The biggest problem on the web
Too many words. It’s not that people aren’t willing to read online. It’s that we don’t want to waste time reading boring, irrelevant nonsense, or being forced to read (rather than scan) to find what we’re looking for.
Some tips for effective web copywriting
- Write less
- Write from your visitor’s point of view (what do they need to/want to know?)
- Focus on the benefits of your product or service
- Use short sentences, brief paragraphs
- Make it easy to scan with sub-headers, lists, and bold text for emphasis
- Use “you” and “your” rather than “we”
- Include a “call-to-action” that tells visitors what you’d like them to do
That’s not going to solve the biggest problem on the web, but it’s a start. What tips do you have?
