Some Secrets on How to Build Your Online Credibility
In a way, the Internet may be compared to the Wild Wild West. (Where
do you think the acronym 'WWW' came from?) There is no real central
authority that is in charge and many scam artists take full advantage
of this. Especially as a small business owner with no large company
name behind yours, building credibility in the prospect's mind becomes
crucial. Here are some ways to build your online credibility.
You may find it beneficial to place your picture (even a smug shot) on
your website.
Brick and mortar stores have the advantage since the clerk has a
direct face-to face conversation with the customer. It is therefore
easier to connect and form a relationship.
I recently read an interesting thread on a marketing forum message
board with several people giving their opinions on the pros and cons
of placing your picture on your site. Most of the fears expressed were
that people might be turned off by the owner's ethnicity. Even though
this is a real fear I think that the best reaction I read on this
point came from an Italian-American small business owner. She said
that she would not want to do business with someone who was prejudiced
against her anyway I thought to myself Problem solved! Your photo
helps your visitor to reach across the great chasm of the Internet and
touch your customer right from their monitors.
Provide an audio message in your own voice.
This is closely tied to the former tip. It all has to do with feeling
connected and human. We are not computers we just use them. We have
emotions and use them to communicate. There is nothing that can
communicate emotions like the human voice. I can still fondly remember
those days before my family could afford a television. As children we
often listened to those radio dramas. You were there in the center of
the action. The gallop of the horses, the crackle of gunfire trust me,
you were there. You smelled the gunpowder and rode those horses! What
can you use your voice to do? At least it can say, There is a REAL
person behind this website. In this our automated age REAL counts.
Place your PHYSICAL address and contact information on every page.
Here again you are being transparent and in the open about your
identity and how you may be contacted. You have nothing to hide, and
you do not intend to take their money and close down your website the
next day. Your address also adds a sense of structure to the very
fluid environment of the Internet. It is much like the sign on a brick
and mortar store this is where I'm located. That is why just a post
office box number would not suffice. Can you be reached by fax,
landline phone, email, and mobile phone? This information adds to your
credibility, not to mention your perceived availability.
Do not use a free email or hosting service as your main site.
Tied closely to credibility are the perceptions that you create of
your business. Some say that in business image is everything. That may
be taking it a little too far but you are NOT who you think you are
but what the customer perceives you to be!
If you use a free email service such as hotmail.com what does this say
about you?
You are so successful but you cannot even afford a paid email service?
Most spammers use these free email accounts anyway that's another
count against you. It may be best to use the account associated with
your paid website's domain. I think that almost all web-hosting
services provide POP email accounts.
Have an About page.
When a surfer appears at your site for the first time it is like going
on a blind date. The visitor may have heard a little about you and
know where to find you but she is practically just window-shopping.
The About page gives her a good chance to get a quick background check
on you. She can then know if you are the one she really wants to build
a relationship with.
Information you should place on this page includes:
- a personal and professional biography,
- maybe a photograph of yourself,
- name, address and telephone number,
- your company objectives,
- a comprehensive description of you and your company.
Just knowing this outline of who you are places the visitor at ease
and most of the nervous jitter hopefully disappears. Why? She sees you
are not afraid to be checked out.
Include a Privacy Statement.
Internet users are becoming more and more sensitive to how their
personal information is being used. This makes it almost imperative
for you to provide a page with your privacy policy.
General concerns that would have to be addressed are:
*How you use the information that is collected.
*Is the information shared with a third party?
*Let them know how they can opt out of any mailing list they sign up
for.
*Why you track their IP address.
Use your customers' unsolicited testimonials and product reviews.
What you say about your product or service is not really taken
seriously. I mean what are you expected to say anyway? It's your
product ... duh. What carry the greater weight are the opinions of
other experts in your field. But what carries the greatest weight is
what the customers themselves say. This means that you can get instant
credibility if you present the unsolicited testimonials of your
satisfied customers. These testimonials should be accompanied with the
email address or website and full name of the customer. The less
information you give about the customer who is providing the
testimonial the less believable it is. I have had visitors who
actually contacted these customers to confirm that the testimonials
were real. So pour on the testimonials too much is not enough. There
you had it. Use all these strategies to help build your credibility
online and see more customers willing to open their wallets and their
hearts.
http://www.2swar.com
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All Forex Systems visit at :
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