Today, practically anyone can buy a domain name and set up a website for pretty much anything. Unfortunately, while this ease of access is great for small businesses and entrepreneurs, it also muddies the water in terms of credibility. 

Is that photography website actually legit? Can that vendor actually perform the services you need? How does a user know when a company website is credible and trustworthy? The onus falls on the business to establish credibility through various elements on the website.

Incorporate Social Proof

The days of opening a phone book to find a company to solve your problem are long gone. Instead, today’s consumers turn to the internet - either a company’s social media sites, their website, or third-party review sites to find out what types of experiences others have had with the business. 

Consider a few of these statistics from Opt-In Monster: 

• 87% of buying decisions begin with research conducted online before the purchase is made.

• 92% of consumers are more likely to trust non-paid recommendations than any other type of advertising.

• The average consumer reads 10 online reviews before making a purchase decision.

Incorporating social proof into your website is a must-have element to establish credibility. This social proof might be through publishing customer reviews, embedding third-party widgets that demonstrate your credibility, or installing tools like Proof Factor to show potential customers what others are buying. 

Showcase your clients

If you’re a service provider, showcasing some of your well-known clients is an easy way to establish credibility. This showcase can be accomplished through detailed case studies or a banner displaying the client logos with links to their website. 

Caslec, an emergency electrician, does this well on their website. Their site features rotating testimonials and a client logo banner, speaking to their expertise and features. 

Include recent press or newsworthy mentions

When I was named the 2019 Entrepreneur of the Year through an awards program associated with a local college, the press mentions of me and my business were everywhere. I quickly included these on my website, and my leads skyrocketed. 

It wasn’t that people were particularly impressed by the accomplishment, but rather, it gave me credibility. I was no longer a local “website company.” Instead, I was an award-winning entrepreneur, mentioned by a major college in significant publications. 

If you haven’t had any press or articles written about you or your business yet, reach out to local reporters in your area and pitch a story or two. 

Promote Your Portfolio / Body of Work

It can be frustrating for website visitors to land on your website and find no examples of your work or products. For instance, if you’re a fitness trainer and there are no photos of your classes or clients, that’s a major missed opportunity. 

Or, if you’re a service provider like a general contractor and your website doesn’t include a gallery of completed projects or before-and-after-shots, potential clients might bounce from your site and go with another business that provides such examples. 

Tools like TrustSpot make it easier to collect reviews and even get photos to include with your testimonials and portfolio, going back to the importance of having social proof. 

Feature Your Team’s Experience and Credentials

While potential customers might find you through an organic search or a personal referral, your website can help them decide to purchase or use your services in various ways. For many, it depends not just on the business itself but also on the credentials and experience of the company’s team. 

If your employees have extensive experience in the industry, specialized training or credentials, and accreditations, feature those items on your About or Team page. My About page receives thousands of views every month, namely because it’s more than a boring bio. It features my experience, my story, personal photos, and my credentials.

Also, based on anecdotal evidence, team pages that include photos are even more effective. 

Final Thoughts On Credibility

When you combine these six key elements with the right keyword headings, optimized photos and content marketing, and local optimization techniques, your website’s credibility (and tangentially, your credibility) skyrockets. 

Evaluate your website for these elements and if they’re missing, make a plan to include them. Using some of the tools linked above should make it easier, and with the right SEO efforts and online marketing, the leads will follow. 

Until next time,

Andrea

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