1. Build a solid business foundation. Design a business plan, marketing plan, ideal client profile, and a site map for your web site.

2. Be consistent. Brand your company.

3. Make your website trustable. This article will show you 10 ways. www.coachmaria.com/articles rustableweb.html

4. Create policies that build trust: customer service, code of ethics and newsletter privacy policy.

5. If you have pages on your site that you update monthly (like an articles page or recommended links page) say so on page.

6. Find easy and secure ways for your clients to pay you. A shopping cart with paypal and a secure merchant account works very well.

7. Network locally to bring people to your site.

8. Check your links regularly to make sure they all work. Use a free link checker like: http://home.snafu.de ilman/xenulink.html

9. Place your website address on all your printed literature -- business cards, brochures, newsletters, letterhead, email signature, ads - everything!!

10. Offer added values that make sense to your business and ideal client. This can include affiliate programs, books, and recommended links to websites.

11. Use your web address in your signature for emails (change it regularly to highlight something new you're promoting).

12. Add a "Recommend This Site" on your site. If someone visits your site and knows someone else who may appreciate it, this feature will email page's link to a recipient.

13. Provide monthly chats or bulletin boards (forums) to build a relationships and community.

14. Instead of a link to subscribe to your ezine, offer a subscription box on your most viewed web site pages.

15. Teach classes or speak to groups about subjects relating to your products.

16. Permission market by gathering email addresses of students or audience as part of your evaluation form.

17. Add a favorites script such as "add this page to your favorites list" to some pages.

18. Conduct periodic contests and announce winners on your site.

Which site gained your trust? Which site would you revisit? The more user-friendly building tools you use on your site, more trust will be developed with your viewers. With this in mind, here are expert tips for making your online store trustworthy...

Purchase an appropriate domain name Paying for your own domain name builds trust and is professional looking. Your own domain name will be - free of all advertisements (except products you sell or recommend). You want to sell your visitors on content of your site - not products of other advertisers.

Use domain name email addresses When searching for a host for your site, look for packages that include POP3 accounts (preferred) and alias accounts (second in line). This will enable you to send email from your site (you@yourbusiness.com) which looks much more professional than you@freeemailaccount.com It is easier to trust someone who has evidently made an investment in their business.

Include contact information Provide phone numbers, hours of operation (including time zone), a business mailing address and an email address. PO Boxes are not considered addresses. Many companies won't deliver to PO Boxes, and many visitors won't purchase from you if you use one. Work from home? Add a suite or building number to your home/apartment. Or use a mail forwarding service for a real address.

Add contact links Place at least one way for your visitors to contact you on each page and place your Webmaster's contact information on at least bottom of front page. This way your visitors can request information from you, and if there is a problem with your site, they can write to Webmaster. Even if you and Webmaster are same person, place Webmaster's email address on site.

Keep your content updated To be current, content of your site must be no more than 6 months old. The pages must include an up-to-date "Last Updated _________". Even if you don't change site information (because it is completely correct and updated) do keep date updated.

Include a personal touch Provide an "About Me/Us" page. Provide names of owner, president, executives, and staff on contact page. Include individual and group pictures, small biographies if relevant, and email addresses where they can be quickly contacted. Don't make it look as though your site's owners want to be anonymous, which obviously generates suspicions.