Do visitors to your website trust what they see?
When you design a website, you focus on proving the information your client or reader needs. But you might not be doing enough to gain the visitor’s immediate trust.
In the era of Internet scams, website credibility is an important part of any company’s online success.
Here are some common mistakes that often hold websites back.
No Social Proof
People like to do things that others have done before them.
That’s the driving principle behind the concept of social proof. Essentially, this concept says that if somebody sees another person do something, they’ll be more likely to do the same thing themselves.
If a visitor to your website thinks they’re breaking new ground, they’ll be more hesitant to engage with your services. That’s why it’s important for them to know about the people who came before them.
Good examples of social proof include testimonials from previous customers and any media mentions of your company. The goal is to prove to the visitor that other people have worked with your company successfully.
Your voice is important in telling them that, too.
Lack of Contact Info
Of course, great communication with site visitors and customers is an easy way to build trust. If you’re available for contact, that will build your credentials.
It’s a mistake to not have a way for a client to reach out to you. The lack of a phone number, email address, or pop-up chat window can seem strange to a visitor.
In a similar vein, easily-found customer service contact information is also essential. Any legitimate website will recognize that their clients sometimes need help. If you don’t make that help easy to find, you might be losing some trust.
On the other hand, if they can’t get their questions answered, your website credibility will take a hit.
Too Many Distractions
Let’s say that you’ve checked off most of the credibility boxes. Is your website easy to process?
You should still worry about sensory overload. Is it possible you have too many things for a visitor to look at? Or there might just be something fundamentally distracting about your website.
Pop-up ads and slow connections are typical examples of distracting interfaces. Many websites have too many words for a reader to get through. If it takes a user a long time to figure out what they’re looking for, they’ll probably leave the site.
If users are on a website trying to get professional photos taken, for example, distractions from that purpose could steer them away.
That’s why distracting websites have a hard time earning trust.
The Good News: Website Credibility is Within Reach
Have you committed any of these errors? If so, don’t worry. When you fix these mistakes, your website credibility will be back on track.
Internet users are guarded when they travel to new websites. That’s why it’s so important for you to earn their trust.
If you have any more questions about your website, feel free to reach out to someone on our team.
