Sunday, October 26, 2008

Top Ways To Boost The Credibility Of Your Website

By David B. Ascot

One of the best ways to convert website guests into patrons is through your integrity and credibility. This is the ground or basis of your performance in presenting the results you can provide to your customers and clients. Convincing them that you are capable of quality performance may yield more leads and more profits.

The following approaches to convert clicks into purchases are given to intensify your marketing credibility:

Strategy #1: State the rationale (the Reasons Why)

A specified explanation of the accuracy of the claim will enhance the sincerity of the messages according to persuasion expert Robert Cialdini of "Influence" fame.

If you claim that you are "The Lowest Priced Luggage Retailer in Australia", give brief explanations for this. For example:

* You buy container loads at a time and take advantage of bulk discounts (show photos of the containers)

* Explain that your lower overhead makes your cost of sales equally lower.

* Expound the objective of selling at lower margins and the proposal of selling great volumes.

* Explain that your media costs through the internet are much lower.

Start explaining the rationale behind what you do and watch your credibility and conversions climb. Remember that it's also important to explain the rationale behind a particular OFFER (especially discounts or sales). A Jay Abraham marketing aphorism that has always stuck with me is "You can't discount your way out of a marketing problem - you need to educate your way out".

Strategy #2: Your site should display case studies and testimonials

Case Studies / Testimonials are two of the perfect credibility enhancing techniques.

Positive RESULTS are what you achieve to give to the customers and case studies and testimonials are mostly comprised of details about results. They are certainly concrete and specific as conveyed by customers. Keep in mind that results are what customers are after and not the product itself.

It goes without saying that your testimonials need to be genuine. Some sites feature testimonials that sound, well, fake. They use too many superlatives and read like they've been ripped from the pages of a Hollywood B-movie script.

To get a simple but sincere testimonial, provide your customers with a few guiding questions and let them respond in their own words. This way the site will have authentic and true testimonials.

You should also remember that Testimonials and Case Studies have become a standard feature on many websites. They can be easily ignored by website visitors UNLESS you go to the trouble of "exponentialising" them.

You can "Highlight" a Testimonial or Case Study by:

* Include headlines.

* Displaying it in a Johnson Box

* Making graphics for key phrases and results.

* Adding a photo, audio stream or video stream from the testimonial provider

* Put on view the particular famous trademarks and logos of clients.

* Showing graphs, scanned documents, screenshots or other visual representations of results.

Strategy #3: Association Indicators, Qualification, and Membership Certifications

If you're a member of any professional associations or other groups, place their logo on your website. This implies some kind of standing in your industry and can even constiture a 3rd party endorsement of your company.

ISO 9001 is a well-known certification; other certifications and qualifications may sound unknown. You must inform and explain the details to the visitors and customers about these. The following are some suggestions to do that:

* Explain why you decided to pursue the certification

* Describe how you obtained it.

* Explain the context of the certification (e.g. "Marketing Results is one of only 16 Google Adwords Qualified Companies in Australia)

* Explain the benefit to the customer

Certifications and qualifications are great, because they not only increase your ability to deliver for customers and clients, but they also start to flesh out a "360 degree" view of your company from multiple third-party perspectives that can serve to shorten the trust cycle.

Strategy #4: Awards and Recognitions

Holding an award will elevate your reputation and lift up your stand among other competitors. But obtaining one does not mean you do not need more improvements. Use this award as an inspiration to further render high quality products and services.

A great example for this is the Combo IT's "Awards" page detailing the recognition they gained including the entry to the prestigious BRW Fast 100 list. It's not only about the reputation of the awards; it is also about the outstanding performance of the business that facilitates the good impression and competency of the site in giving quality products and results.

Strategy #5: 3rd Party Verification Services

Services from 3rd party such as Verisign, the Better Business Bureau and HackerSafe give customers further assurance that the site is safe and authentic to do professional practices and that their policies regarding customer services are reliable. Make your site verified not only to attract buyers, but to improve the quality of your industry and site as well.

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