Easy Ways to Boost the Credibility of Your Website

There is no denying it; technology is taking over. Because of the intense digital surge, professional website design has never been more important. Honesty, though, an attractive webpage begins with credibility. No matter how pretty and high-tech a site may be, if it is unprofessionally executed, the chances of it reaching its intended audience are slim.

Leading researcher in website credibility, BJ Fogg, claims there are four types of credibility: presumed, reputed, surface and earned. For starters, presumed comes from general assumptions; the more familiar it is, the more reliable it is. Reputed hails from third party references, or word-of-mouth. Surface focuses on first impressions of website design. Lastly, earned is a result of personal experiences, like customer service or site navigation.

Nobody likes to visit a dull, outdated, uninformative and error-ridden webpage. If a site fails to reach its audience and attract visitors, consider it forgotten. Without further ado, here are some easy tips to boost your site’s validity among viewers. 

Perhaps the most critical element is a professional appearance. As with all impressions, the first is the most important. Viewers judge a page in 90 seconds or less, which is why businesses should pay close attention to their website design. Quality images, creative (but readable) typography, clean layouts and proper grammar and spelling are only some of the factors that make up a solid page. 

Ever struggled to put a face to someone’s name? Businesses are no different; never forget to put address and contact information on a site. Visitors feel more comfortable when they can reach a business with a simple phone call or email. For even more credibility, insert an “About Us” section. This will ensure visitors they can trust your organization. 

A quick way to annoy a viewer is to provide outdated, useless information. Nothing is more irritating than going to a closed restaurant, when their site said they were open for another two hours. If a business is going to launch a website, it is critical to make regular updates. In the grand scheme of things, no site is better than a reliable site.

Finally, look for third party endorsements. Allow current clients to praise your company with testimonials. This links with the reputed credibility trait; a listing of real customer experiences will build trust among prospective customers. These days, credibility in website design has never been more influential. By keeping the four credibility traits in mind, any webpage developer can boost its site’s credibility among visitors.

Aubrey Andersen-Bakker writes for Fusion 360, an advertising agency in Utah. He writes for many other clients as well.