Credibility Counts!

Credibility Counts
©2002, Diana Ratliff
476 words

If prospective customers don't believe you, you might as well
start your "Going Out of Business Sale" right now.

This is especially true on the Internet, where anyone can (and
evidently does!) put up a website. Sources of information in a
site may be unclear. You may find it difficult to identify the
author or publisher and wonder about their motives. The
qualifications of the source to speak on the particular topic or
sell a particular product may be questionable.

Because of this, credibility is an important concern when
you're using the Internet, whether you're the visitor or the
webmaster. As a shopper or 'Net surfer, you don't want to quote
an "expert" who proves not to be, or send credit card
information to some sleazy con artist whose site disappears
before the order arrives. As a web designer or webmaster, you
cannot afford to be seen by site visitors as anything less than
honest, ethical and aboveboard.

Yet few sites use more than half of the strategies that build
trust in the site visitor's mind, according to usability expert
Jakob Nielsen and the Nielsen Norman Group. In October 2000,
they tested 20 big e-commerce sites and found that the average
site complied with only 55% of guidelines for trustworthy
design. Smaller sites tend to use even fewer of the
recommendations.

So what can you do to make sure your website is believable and
builds trust in the mind of your visitors?

Plenty. Here are some pointers.

·Make sure that information about your company is complete and
easy to find. Include full contact information. Photos of the
principal employees help your visitor trust you because they
come to feel they know you.
·If you're selling something, don't be coy and make visitors
hunt all over for the price. Price it fair and put it there.
·Give enough information about your product or service to
allow the visitor to make a decision. YOU know why your "Wonder
Widget" is worth $29.95, but your visitor doesn't. This also
means including important information such as shipping costs and
return policies.
·Make sure your site looks professional, loads quickly, is up
to date, and is free of spelling and punctuation mistakes.
·If you collect personal information (names, email addresses,
credit card information), use it appropriately and securely.
Explain why you're collecting the information and what you will
do with it.
·Make sure your site visitors can reach someone quickly if
they need help.
·Give your visitors what they came for. If they're looking
for information on "how to build an igloo", don't make them wait
through a Flash presentation of a snowstorm before they get to
the instructions.

According to an old saying, "Honesty is the best policy." If
you want to be successful on the Internet, it's an essential
policy as well.