Credibility. We all want it, but do we all have it? No, not even close. Unless your business dominates the field (or the globe) such as tech giants Apple and Samsung, then credibility is extremely difficult to build when you do not know where to start. When you have a great amount of credibility that surrounds your brand and what it stands for, then you also achieve levels of trust and reliability. MLK Marketing explores some of the best ways in which you can easily add significantly more credibility to your website and maximise your profit margins in a relatively short amount of time.
Through trust, reliability and of course, credibility, you are well on your way to increasing the amount of money that you earn through your customers. That is, people are much more likely to buy your products or services when they trust your website and everything that you have to say on it. These days, witnessing the power struggle between many different sized companies is not uncommon. In fact, we see that companies are constantly aiming to better their conversion rates no matter what the product or service is that they sell. The rise of online businesses is a simple indication that their website is the first (or only) point of contact for all their customers, meaning that the credibility you wish to portray needs to be done so via your website.
First thing’s first. Design, design, and you guessed it, design.
Ever heard the saying “Don’t judge a book by its cover”? Well, people judge websites. Although it may sound extremely superficial, but many (if not all) people act on how great something looks before they even consider making a purchase. This is called surface credibility, meaning we can cast a judgement of how credible a website is just by simply looking at it. As humans, we tend to orientate ourselves to visually appealing things, which is why we should use our knowledge of psychology to our advantage in business. Your website is subject to endless counts of scrutiny, ranging from how well you have managed to make your company stand out to how good the layout looks. And what does this all lead to? That’s right, credibility. You see, some of you may think that credibility is not the be all and end all for most companies, but think again. And again, and again. Credibility can be quickly built or knocked down just by the first impression of your website visitor and potential customer. Getting your website designed by a professional web designer is always the first step in the right direction when you want to make your business look solid and professional through your first point of contact. As a business owner, you also shop online for specific needs. Think about how you would like to see a website and what important factors you look for in order for you to feel confident enough to relay sensitive information and make a purchase. Sleek and user friendly web design can evoke higher levels of reliability, trust and credibility to make all the difference.
KISS, professionally.
Keep It Simple, Stupid! Have you ever come across a high pressure salesman who uses great big words that 99% of the population have never heard before? We have. And let us tell you that there is nothing more annoying than a business who tries to oversell a product, especially in a way that sounds like nonsense. This also applies to the content of your website. Simplicity is always the key in business, as unnecessarily overcomplicating the language in which you use to explain your products and services, as well as your business usually yields less successful results. Potential customers can get very easily intimidated if you choose to use complex language that often goes right over their heads. But most of all, the credibility of your website can also go down. How? Because by using words not many of us have heard can lead to people thinking your business may not be as genuine as what you make it out to be. Remember to keep your website content and language relevant to the general population, as well as your target audience to enhance levels of credibility and trust. No one likes to hear about things they do not quite comprehend, so keep your business portrayal simple, concise and without all the fluff that, really, we definitely do not want to hear!
Slow And Steady Doesn’t Win This Race.
The loading speed of your website is absolutely critical for the image of your business. Most people overlook this, as the speed at which their website loads does not usually seem like a prominent issue that needs to be looked after immediately. Credibility and speed often go hand in hand and can maximise the feeling that your company definitely knows what it is doing, resulting in higher volumes of sales. Customers often come from all walks of life, and in today’s society, not many of them have time to spare. This is usually one of the main reasons why they are shopping online in the first place. Convenience and speed by a credible website; it’s the ultimate trifecta that most consumers are looking for and provides the green light for purchasing. So why not provide the highest amount of convenience you can provide? Do not allow customers to doubt your business and your capabilities all because of a slow loading website.
Say Cheese, We’re All Watching You!
Most of us have come a long way in the technological aspect of things, meaning your customers are well aware of what looks right (and wrong) on your website. Anything that does not sit well with your target audience visually can potentially mean your credibility is going to take a big hit. Yes, stock photos, that is. Stock photos can make your business look like it just came out of the production line, taking away your way of uniqueness and bring down your credibility very quickly. We want you to cast your minds over to social media. You are looking at two profile pictures of people who have requested to be your friend. One is your high school buddy holding his new puppy, and the other is a picture of an almost magical scenery with a highly attractive people standing around enjoying the sunshine. Which one do you think is real? Yeah, the first one. The thing about business websites is that people are searching for one that is real, as it reflects the business’ values and how genuine they are. All in all, your credibility can greatly gain momentum through simply choosing great pictures that are not stock or generic. Tacky pictures we have seen of businessmen sitting around a table or smiling, friendly customer representatives who would just love to help almost screams “Not real!”
You Say You’re Good, But Are You Really?
So you’ve managed to talk the talk, but can you walk the walk? That is purely up to your customers to decide. What better way to gain the trust of your new potential customers by displaying testimonials from your existing clients? By asking for your clientele to provide you with a simple and brief testimonial about their experience with your business and how satisfied they are with your product or service, you are doing wonders for your overall reputation. By tapping into your invaluable pool of earned credibility and displaying it on your website, you can relay your perceived reliability and level of quality almost effortlessly. The proof is always in the pudding, so put your best foot forward at times when you need to show how good your business is according to other happy customers. Get the ripple effect of positivity to elevate your level of credibility and boost the reliability that your brand has to offer to existing and potential clients that are waiting to see what your business can deliver.
Housekeeping 101: Tidy Up After Yourself.
When you are in the final stages of finally launching your website to the public, feelings of excitement and joy can often result in rushing the proofreading and final check phase. If you are writing the content of your website yourself, and adding all the bells and whistles without the aid of a professional, it can be a daunting and often stressful task. However, you have come this far and are ready for release. Your first arriving customer, however, sees a number of grammatical and spleling mistkaes (just kidding!) What does this mean? Well, it usually ends with a bitter goodbye and a customer who did not believe your business was professional. Your second website visitor arrives, and they click on a broken link that does not take them to where it had intended them to go. Again, you are likely to end up with another unhappy customer and a strike two against your business’ credibility. Although the 3 strikes and you are out rule does not really apply within the business world, too many strikes can often lead to the rapid demise of your success. Simple spelling mistakes, formatting errors, dead linking and other factors are detrimental to your professional image, and are all very easily avoidable. Prior to releasing your all important website, make sure you do a final general clean up and test that all your links, buttons and pages are in working order. And of course, let’s not forget the spelling and grammar that can often make or break the way in which your business is perceived.
