Design Component. Businesses work hard to capture the attention of future customers. But there’s one thing that’s even more critical to generating success online: credibility.
When your business builds credibility for your audience, it generates stronger inbound links, social media shares, and increased revenue.
Customers are bombarded by an increasing number of marketing messages and have become more skeptical as a result.
Knowing how to design a credible design component website establishes trust and distinguishes you from your competitors.
The Credibility Challenge
Users dismiss marketing messages with just one click, and they’re less likely to trust businesses based on persuasive copy or a powerful tagline.
Underneath your value is the credibility of your business. A good value proposition must be believed in order for it to translate into growth for your business.
Using credibility indicators (and in the right way) helps you overcome these obstacles.
How Do You Establish Credibility on Your Site?
- Testimonials
Testimonials are seen on many of today’s websites. Although usually provided by past customers, testimonials can also come from vendors, experts within your industry, or colleagues you’ve worked with.
Because testimonials come from outside your organization, they provide a powerful boost to the claims related to your products and services. - Give Your Business a Face
Having a face that represents your business and the value it provides is an important indicator of credibility.
This is even more important when engaging with customers through social media or supplementing your marketing campaigns.
Your business can feature its CEO or community manager. It can showcase the faces of past customers alongside the testimonials you include on your site.
Faces humanize your business and help your message resonate more deeply with your target audience. - Recognitions Within Your Industry
If your business has been recognized by an industry organization, it’s a good idea to
include that information on your website.
This not only further establishes your credibility but it also positions you as a leader within your industry—something that current and future clients value.
Industry recognition validates a customer’s decision to purchase from you, and it gives them the assurance that you’ll make good on the promises you make on your website. - Provide the Right Information
This is the most overlooked strategy for building credibility on business websites. Many companies think it’s enough to simply say that they’re better than their competitors or provide faster service.
You need to support your claims with specific information in order for them to be seen as credible by your audience.
Offer specific data that shows the quality of your products and services. General claims and subjective words often fall flat on the eyes and ears of your prospects.
Review any data that your business has available and consider how you might include real numbers into your website copy for a more powerful impact. - Media
Coverage from local and national media increases credibility dramatically. This includes television, print, radio, online, or podcasts. These are assets to your marketing message.
Gather all media mentions and include them on your website. Users see that others value your business enough to feature it in their publications.
Using the design component to improve your credibility leads to increased traffic and improved conversion rates within your business.
These credibility indicators are easy to implement and give your site immediate and measurable results.
What ways have you used to establish credibility online for your business? If you have other insights that you’d like to contribute, let us know in the comments section below.