If you recall, in part one of this article I presented you with a scenario in which you were searching online to purchase a DVD player. You found the DVD player available through two different online merchants and there was a $50 difference in price (including shipping) between the two merchants. The merchant with the very professional-looking website was selling the DVD player for $50 more than the merchant with the amateurish-looking web site.
I explained that most online buyers would purchase the DVD player from the merchant with the professional-looking web site despite it being $50 more expensive. The reason being that the professional-looking web site was perceived as more credible (or trustworthy). Consequently, the credibility of your web site is critical to the success of your online marketing presence.
In part one of this article I described the first five guidelines research from Stanford University’s Persuasive Technology Lab (www.webcredibility.org) found to significantly influence the credibility or trustworthiness of web sites. These five guidelines were:
1. Make it Easy to Verify Content on your Web Site,
2. Show that a Real Organization Exists Behind your Web Site,
3. Highlight Expertise in your Organization,
4. Show that People Stand Behind your Web Site, and
5. Make it Easy to Make Contact.
I now conclude this article with the final five guidelines for increasing your web site’s credibility.
Guideline 6: Design a Professional-looking Web Site.
This is a very common mistake for many small- and medium-sized businesses. Typically the web site is designed and maintained by the office manager or other employee with little or no real experience in web design. They’re told to purchase a popular web design software package, learn how to use it, and design the company web site. Often times the result is a vertically “stacked” web site that features lots of animated gifs, randomly placed images and flashing or scrolling text. Worse yet, the result is a web site built from a template offered in the software package (now you have a web site that looks strikingly similar to thousands of other company web sites).
Don’t be lured into thinking you will save thousands of dollars by designing your web site in-house with novice “web designers.” Lost revenue and sales leads from visitors who left your web site because they did not perceive it as credible will far exceed your initial savings.
Guideline 7: Make your Web Site Easy to Use.
Visitors to your web site are there for a reason; they want to purchase something or they want to learn more about your products or services. They will become irritated (and leave) if they are forced to figure out how to navigate your web site. The general rule here is to keep the web site layout consistent and clear. Avoid moving your navigation menu to a different location on each page of your site and avoid changing the look of the navigation menu from page to page.
Guideline 8: Update Content Often.
This is another common mistake made by small- and medium-sized businesses. Because business owners know their business should have an online presence, they quickly have a web site created and uploaded to the Internet. However, they rarely (or never) keep the web site content updated. I see examples of this everyday. Just scroll down to the bottom of any small- or medium-sized business’s web site and you will likely see that it was “last updated” several months (or years) ago. This lack of concern over your web site makes visitors perceive you and your business as less credible.
Understandably, many small- and medium-sized businesses can’t afford to have professionally designed web sites updated frequently. However, with today’s advances in web design, a good web design company will be able to construct your web site so that it can be dynamically updated. This means that once the web site is built, you can update your web pages through the use of forms. Fill in the form with new content, click submit, and instantly your web site has been updated. It’s that easy. For more extensive updates (e.g., graphics) Macromedia’s new Contribute software allows businesses to update their professionally designed web sites easily and inexpensively. When looking for a web designer, you should seriously consider one who can offer both of these options.
Guideline 9: Use Promotional Content Sparingly.
Web sites filled with advertisements, especially pop-up ads, are viewed as less credible than web sites with little or no advertising. In an attempt to increase search engine rankings and generate additional revenue, many web site owners join referral programs. The result is a web site inundated with banner ads cluttering your web site and linking your visitors to other web sites. If your intent is to generate revenue through referral programs, you should create a web site separate from your company web site. The goal of your company web site should be to sell products or services and market your business.
Guideline 10: Avoid Errors.
It doesn’t seem like a big deal on the surface, but errors seriously detract from the credibility of a web site. The most common errors are typos, misspellings, and broken links. Remember, your web site is an extension of your business. If grammatical errors and broken links reduce the credibility of your web site, then the credibility of your business is also reduced.
As the popularity of the Internet continues to grow and more and more businesses make an online presence, research studying what makes web sites credible to the online public has become increasingly important to wise business owners (and good web designers). If visitors to your web site do not perceive it as being credible (or trustworthy) they will not perceive your business as credible. Web site credibility is an issue that precludes thousands of online businesses from reaching their online sale and marketing potential.
Ethan Woods is a Promotional Products Specialist for Keen Promos. Keen Promos caters to small businesses. Visit www.KeenPromos.com and sign up for our once monthly email notifications that feature the newest products, exclusive discounts, and closeout and discontinued items.
