A website for your business has the potential to be your greatest investment yet. Through your website, thousands—possibly millions—of people can get in touch with your business and everything that makes it special and unique.
Unlike your employees, or yourself, your website can actively promote your business 24/7: welcoming visitors and transforming them into loyal customers even while you sleep.
After launch, your website can become your hardest worker, generating the highest returns for your business.
Which is why it is so sad, when the following happens instead:
Someone hears about your business or service from a friend or an acquaintance, and hurries over to the computer or pulls out their smartphone to know more about your business.
They spend some time looking at your website, and then move on.
They neither set an appointment nor make a call. There is no email sent.
They are no longer excited about what you’re offering, and have most likely begun searching a competitor’s website hoping they can find what they are looking for.
So what happened?
Research shows that almost 78% of internet users will conduct product research before deciding whether they want to do business with you or not. Websites that don’t inspire confidence will get shunted to the side in favor of their more professional looking competitors.
In other words, bad website will do the exact opposite of what a proper website will do.
It creates doubt and uncertainty and gives an overall poor impression about your business and what it can offer. It turns away potential leads and causes visitors to hit the back button—away from your website.
Instead of working hard for you, a bad website works hard for your competitors, sending your visitors and prospects to their websites.
You probably don’t want that for your business.
So here are 8 scientifically-backed ways to make your website more credible in the eyes of your visitors:
- Make it easy for your clients to contact you by email or contact form. Also, prominently display your address and phone number.
- Go for a professional web designer. 75% of consumers admit they judge a business’ credibility based on their website’s design.
- Concentrate on providing a great user experience. Make your website easy to navigate and free from any unnecessary distractions.
- Display testimonials from actual clients where appropriate, with their pictures if possible.
- Keep the content on your website up to date and current. Visitors want to see content that is timely and relevant.
- Profile the people behind your company, so that people know who they are going to do business with. People do business with people, so tell your story and express your unique take on the problem you are trying to solve.
- Produce content that is free of typos and errors. Nothing makes your credibility drop faster than misspelled words and grammatical errors.
- Make sure your website is mobile friendly. More people access the web via mobile than desktop, so make sure your website content looks good and presentable, no matter the device used.
