Credibility is one of the most important factors you can focus on when trying to build your online business, as this builds trust not only with potential partners but the vast market that you want to target. Even if you have a physical store that is already established in the area, you can increase your reach effectively if your online presence is one that elicits trust and commands professionalism. Here are some of the essential components you’ll want when building a credible page, be it a hosted website or on a social media platform.
Use professional-looking media
We live in a visual age, and people base their immediate impression of your business based on the things that first strike their eye. You don’t want the representative media you have to look dull or, worse, amateur. Video is essentially the king these days, but photographs have their lasting power as quick, accessible ways to capture the audience. That is why gadget stores have videos of their new tech and why photo retouching for jewelry in e-commerce is still so prevalent.
For whatever services or products you have, invest resources in making each shoot look professional and distinctive enough to make it a cut above the rest of the competition.
Provide detailed content
Vague platitudes and brief sentences without enough information will do you no favors in building credibility. Each section that will be read should have concise yet detailed descriptions, and it would even do you well to solidify a brand voice before venturing onto the internet. That helps people find what they need on your page faster and adds reputability if you have well-written communications. Nothing spells carelessness and inexperience more than filling up an official page with copied texts and instances “lorem ipsum.”
Display reviews
84% of people trust online reviews when considering their purchases, so give prospective consumers that additional vote of confidence in your business by prominently displaying some feedback from previous customers. If you have social media pages, those usually come with a review feature already. Encourage customers to share their experiences after every transaction to build up your rating.
Curate your branding
Aside from setting a specific tone and narrative for your marketing materials, you’ll also want to solidify the branding that your business will have in terms of visuals. For websites, you don’t want a shoddy looking site or one that could be interchangeable with any other business out there. It bodes well to be mindful of the color schemes, logos, and themes that you take ownership of so you can increase brand retention and associate positive elements to your business.
Provide “about” information
People find it easier to trust a company or service if they can attach a name and face to it. Provide some information about your business and its vision, origins, and goals. Share some photos of the team. That not only appeals to people’s emotional sensibilities but also makes them feel more at ease that there’s someone on the other side in case they have concerns.
If you take the time to do these, your online page(s) should be much more trustworthy to netizens.