Why is credibility important? Because it ties in directly to other "big two" goals: money and traffic. If your site builds credibility, you're already well on your way to success on Web.

Credibility, of course, is important for any type of business. But, more so than in "brick and mortar" world, credibility is even more crucial on Web.

Consider nature of Web. Literally anyone can set up a basic Web site, with a minimum amount of effort. Truly worthwhile and compelling sites are far and few between. Therefore, if you have a site that has credibility, it tends to stand out from crowd.

So-called expert Web marketing gurus are always rattling on about importance of "stickiness" for sites. Every month, it seems someone has a new theory on how to increase stickiness (or amount of time that your visitors hang around your site). The fact is, if you want a "sticky" site, (as well as a devoted and loyal audience), you've got to build credibility.

Increasingly, Web users are becoming more and more wary and skeptical about information they get on Net. This wariness is entirely understandable. For all information that Net offers, very little of it is actually quality, accurate information.

In this atmosphere, relatively few sites that are deemed trustworthy and credible have an automatic major advantage over vast majority of sites. If your site is credible, then you're not really competing with tens of millions of sites...in effect, you're only competing with mere thousands of sites out there that have a credible reputation.

Credibility is not easy to achieve on Web. But it's still a goal that any Webmaster can accomplish, particularly if you follow a few basic steps:

Many people call me and say "My site's not generating sales; what can I do to get more traffic?" Before you can begin promoting, you need to take a long hard look at your website from your customers' perspective.

Customers always ask themselves same thing: "What's in it for me?" Your site must answer that question, and answer it fast before they click away in discouragement.

Your first step is to go to your home page and view it as a stranger who doesn't know you or your product and services. Does first paragraph state clearly what is being offered and benefits you provide? It needs to. I can't tell you how many sites I've visited only to leave wondering what hell they do. Your home page should also use powerful "selling words" that excite people and makes them want to learn more. It should have plenty of white space and be kept free from clutter and distractions.

A lot of Web designers will try to tell you to use plenty of Flash and other bandwidth thieves. Don't... The Web is still about information and you need to deliver it without crashing your visitors' browsers or making them wait five minutes to get through a Flash intropage.

Remember this rule: "Content is king." If your site is packed with good information, you don't need fancy bells and whistles. People will like it just fine because it tells them what they want to know and more.

Keep your target market in mind. If you sell salt water fish and equipment, then your site should include tips and tricks on taking care of livestock, setting up a system, or maybe even a helpful message board where visitors can help each other out by sharing information. You want to enlighten your guests with helpful information, not just "shove" what you do down their throats. The fact is they don't care about you or what you do. Show them what's in it for them and they'll be back often, turning into lifelong customers.