 The Crimson Sheet
Copywriting tips to connnect with your target market!
Dear Reader,
Welcome to the Crimson Sheet. Each month I provide
methods to help you reach your target market and connect
with your clients like never before!
This month I offer tips for improving your credibility
with website visitors.
Tom Bruein
The Credibility Factor
10 tips for improving your website
Marketing your products or services on the web is much like applying for a job – presentation is vital. You must say and do the right things to show you are the best choice being considered – in short, establish your credibility.
In fact, the Stanford “Web Credibility Project” did
extensive research and developed 10 guidelines for building
the credibility of a website. I discuss those in more detail
below.
Think back to instances when you were searching the web.
Maybe you were seeking a product, a solution to a problem,
or just more information on a topic. Recall if there was a
time when you encountered any of the following:
- A hyperlink that offered more information or
supporting detail – but didn’t work.
- Claims of impressive results - that were not
substantiated.
- Anonymous testimonials - or those blindly attributed
to someone such as “A.J. in California.”
- Clearly misspelled words, or poor use of grammar.
And I don’t just mean the marketer’s tendency to break a
few rules, as in this sentence.
- No information about the company, its physical
location, or any means to contact someone.
All of these serve to erode a visitor’s confidence in the
site – and the company’s credibility.
I run across examples of this almost daily. For instance
I make several quick marketing calls on a daily basis to web
designers. I make them aware that by providing clients with
a recommendation for a good editor to develop their site
content, the designer can keep a project moving forward and
finish it sooner – and get paid.
I always visit the designer’s website before calling.
Why? It’s the only way I have to gauge their abilities.
Sometimes I find no telephone number, email address, or
physical location listed - just a contact form to fill out
and wait for a reply. I guess they don’t want potential
clients to call them. Some have portfolio links that don’t
work. Others clearly could use my proofreading services.
Maybe I should see that as an 0pportunity, but even to me it
simply erodes their credibility.
What can you do to build the credibility of your website?
Researchers at Stanford conducted a 3-year study with over
4500 people to compile a list of the top 10 factors that
build website credibility. Below is a summary of the “Web
Credibility Project” findings.
- Make it easy to verify the accuracy of the
information on your site.
- Show that there's a real organization behind your
site.
- Highlight the expertise in your organization and in
the content and services you provide.
- Show that honest and trustworthy people stand behind
your site.
- Make it easy to contact you.
- Design your site so it looks professional (or is
appropriate for your purpose).
- Make your site easy to use -- and useful.
- Update your site's content often (at least show it's
been reviewed recently).
- Use restraint with any promotional content (e.g.,
ads, offers).
- Avoid errors of all types, no matter how small they
seem.
Fogg, B.J. (May 2002). " Stanford Guidelines for Web Credibility." A Research Summary from the Stanford Persuasive Technology Lab.
I recommend you visit their website for a one-paragraph
expansion offering specific ideas to meet each of these
objectives. It’s a quick read that is full of good
reminders. (Not surprisingly, they have plenty of backup
documentation to support their findings!)
Pick ONE ITEM that you know will increase the credibility
of your website and implement it this week!
Next issue: “The Persian Flaw” |
