Credibility: A crucial component of Web success

Written by Marc McDonald


The vast majority of Web site owners onrepparttar Net focus all their time and attention on two things: building their revenue and increasing their traffic. However, as important as traffic and money are, many site owners don't pay sufficient attention to another fundamental, but crucial, challenge: building credibility for their sites.

Why is credibility important? Because it ties in directly torepparttar 132048 other "big two" goals: money and traffic. If your site builds credibility, you're already well on your way to success onrepparttar 132049 Web.

Credibility, of course, is important for any type of business. But, more so than inrepparttar 132050 "brick and mortar" world, credibility is even more crucial onrepparttar 132051 Web.

Considerrepparttar 132052 nature ofrepparttar 132053 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 fromrepparttar 132054 crowd.

So-called expert Web marketing gurus are always rattling on aboutrepparttar 132055 importance of "stickiness" for sites. Every month, it seems someone has a new theory on how to increase stickiness (orrepparttar 132056 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 aboutrepparttar 132057 information they get onrepparttar 132058 Net. This wariness is entirely understandable. For allrepparttar 132059 information thatrepparttar 132060 Net offers, very little of it is actually quality, accurate information.

In this atmosphere,repparttar 132061 relatively few sites that are deemed trustworthy and credible have an automatic major advantage overrepparttar 132062 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 withrepparttar 132063 mere thousands of sites out there that have a credible reputation.

Credibility is not easy to achieve onrepparttar 132064 Web. But it's still a goal that any Webmaster can accomplish, particularly if you follow a few basic steps:

1. Be honest and straightforward. It doesn't matter if your site is about fishing or if you're an online merchant. Honesty pays---especially onrepparttar 132065 Web. It is vital thatrepparttar 132066 information that you present on your site is accurate. Doublecheck your sources. The fact is, if you have inaccurate information, even on a minor issue, your credibility will suffer. If visitors find even one inaccuracy on your site, they'll wonder if any other information you're presenting is false, as well. Honesty and accuracy are particularly important for online merchants. The fact is,repparttar 132067 Web has been a bonanza for dishonest merchants and scam artists who love to operate inrepparttar 132068 anonymity of cyberspace. In this atmosphere, people are (understandably) likely to trust only Web merchants who've earned a measure of credibility.

No Website Sales? Maybe Your Site is Missing the Mark!

Written by Merle


If you've moved your brick and mortar store online or recently started an Internet business andrepparttar sales just aren't coming in,repparttar 132046 culprit may be your website.

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 themselvesrepparttar 132047 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. Doesrepparttar 132048 first paragraph state clearly what is being offered andrepparttar 132049 benefits you provide? It needs to. I can't tell you how many sites I've visited only to leave wondering whatrepparttar 132050 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.

Make sure your web pages include plenty of calls to action. You need to tell them what it is you want them to do for example:

Cont'd on page 2 ==>
 
ImproveHomeLife.com © 2005
Terms of Use