Use your website to establish credibility

It’s a crazy world out there, and people have lots of choices when it comes to pretty much everything. So how do you make yourself stand out of the crowd when people are researching vendors online?

CREDIBILITY

Your website needs to establish credibility. It needs to build trust. It needs to show people that you are a professional, that you are trustworthy. That you are going to do a good job. That you are an authority.

How do you do it? I have a few tips.

• Badges: Are you a member of any professional affiliations? Maybe the Bar Association if you’re an attorney? Maybe you are board certified in some area? BBB? Chamber of Commerce? Having a badge or badges increase conversions on your site. (Even if the badges don’t actually mean anything.) Is your site encrypted with an SSL certificate? Slap that badge on your site!
• Your Photo: Everyone hates to hear this, but it’s true. Having your photo on your site will increase conversions. People like to put a face with a name. Pay someone to take a great photo, and put it on your about page. You’ll benefit from having the professional shot on you site.
• Your Background: Have an about page and fill it with details about yourself, your history, your education, and your life. People are voyeurs. They want to know more about the person behind the business to feel comfortable making contact. Share how you are qualified to do whatever it is that you do.
• Testimonials: People want to know that other people have been happy with your work. Share their testimonials and reviews on your site. If you are a service provider, share a photo of the work with the testimonial. It goes a long way toward establishing credibility if people can see that other people have liked your work. Everyone wants to jump on the bandwagon.
• Photos: Ditch the stock photos and show photos of actual work you’ve done. Photos tell the story in many fields, and when people can see actual work produced by you, it is huge toward establishing trust and credibility for your brand.
• Video: Having a video of yourself on your site creates an emotional connection between your client and your company.
• Phone Number: Have a phone number on your site, even if people don’t call. It helps show you are real. Put it at the top, visible on every page.

Building credibility with your potential clients goes a long way toward securing future work. Your website is just one way to establish that trust. Don’t dismiss your online presence, take it further so that your clients can see you are a solid, reputable company.