Here are 25 things that instantly boost your credibility online:
- Grammar
- URL
- Email address
- Favicon
- Logo
- Faces
- Design
- Video
- Social responsibility
- Affiliations
- Partners
- Testimonies
- Awards
- More photos
- Social media
- Blog
- Years in business
- Big numbers
- As seen on
- Guest blogging
- Podcasts
- Endorsements
- Self-publishing
- Follower size
- Become an Influencer
Grammar
Some businesses are more harmed by bad grammar than others. If you’re in a marketing industry with a luxury brand, bad grammar damages your credibility more. Likewise, a spelling mistake on a 5-star hotel’s website is a glaring blemish that can cause immediate bounce.
URL
Visitors notice your URL right away, and a wordpress.com or .blogspot.com at the end of it discredits your business immediately. It sends the message that you’re doing it as a hobby and don’t take it seriously. So why should a customer?
Email Address
A generic email domain to your business tells website visitors you’re not serious. This is why a professional domain your URL as well as your email address.
Favicon
Not everyone pays attention to favicon, but if a tech savvy sees you have a WordPress icon, your site will take a credibility hit.
Logo
When it comes to quality logos, there are three sources you can go for 1) Freelancer 2) Outsource to Asia or South America 3) 99 Designs.
Faces
The one picture every business needs is a well-taken photo with faces. The truth is people trust people more than they do a faceless corporation. Photos of you or your team show you’re real and give you a credibility boost.
Design
The signs of a credible web design are 1) Sleek which is the opposite of plain 2) Clean which makes images pop with white spaces and contrast 3) Big and bold headers and graphics throughout the site.
Video
Video is the future, with YouTube having become the second biggest search engine. If you watch a video, you signal to visitors you’ve reached some level of success. Prospects want to work with proven businesses because success attracts success.
Social Responsibility
If they don’t trust you, they don’t work with you. Enter the power of social responsibility. While donating is obviously a good thing for humanitarian purposes, it also benefits marketing.
Affiliations/Partners
Recognizable logos impress. If you see Google logo, you know the power of the company and everything that’s associated with it. A logo doesn’t necessarily need to be recognizable. Warm and sexy logos also attract success. Think of them as a vote of confidence in your business.
Testimony
Not all testimonies are created equal. These are three keys that make testimonies credible: 1) Name and Company 2) Position 3) Picture
Awards
Like affiliations, awards and certifications are votes of confidence in what you do. Although they’re most commonly featured on the Home/About/Certifications page, you should display them whenever they seem fit.
More Photos
In addition to your photo, you’ll need 1) Glamour shots of the office 2) You and your team active in community 3) You and your clients looking like buddies 4) Pictures of the jobs well done 5) Images that showcase your awards.
Social Media
Here are three ways to increase your credibility via social media 1) Post once a week, at least 2) Advertise for better exposure 3) Increase your followers.
Blog
There are three tiers of blogs: 1) Low tier that is poorly written 2) Mid tier that is repurposed with obvious content 3) Top tier that is unique and empathetic content. If you’re simply trying to prove credibility, mid-tier is enough. If you want to rank high on search engines, top-tier is one you should aim for.
Years In Business
You can add “years in business” on your homepage or everywhere you seem fit. Make it big and old to attract attention.
Big Numbers
Like years in business, here are some numbers that reveal your credibility 1) Customers served 2) Products created 3) Results achieved.
As Seen On
You can ask for formal permission form the website you’ve been featured on, but you don’t always need to. Because it takes too much time. Be truthful and use your own judgement. It’s a choice you need to make on your own.
Guest Blogging
Guest blogging gives you exposure and with any exposure, there’s opportunity to grow.
Podcast
Podcasts have become increasingly popular over the past few decades. Today there are literally thousands upon thousands. Appearing on a podcast can help you land new subscribes or better yet, customers.
Endorsements
Endorsements are a lot like As Seen On section, except they’re more direct. Whereas a logo implies an endorsement, an actual endorsement clearly states this influencer recommends your business.
Self-Publishing
Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other platforms have opened the book publishing world to a new generation of authors. There Are no more gatekeepers.
Follower Size
What appears more influential – a business with 1,000 followers or 1M followers? You know the answer. Here are three ways you can attract mass followers 1) advertise, advertise, advertise 2) offer value consistently 3) get influencers to share your content.
Becoming An Influencer
While public speaking appearances at local events, heading popular local organizations are both great ways to spread your credibility, there are many other opportunities to gain influence locally. What can you do that only very few people in the world have ever done? Go do it and you’ll be on your way to being an influencer in no tie.
You’ve probably heard of Tim Ferriss, the entrepreneur, investor and author of The 4-Hour Workweek. He also set a Guinness World Record in 2006 for the highest number of tango spins in under a minute, and he did it live on the TV show Live with Regis and Kelly. Remember to document If you complete the most unique challenge in the world but no one sees it, will you become an influencer? Probably not. People need to know about your crazy, wild accomplishment; it has to be in the public eye.
