Improve the Credibility of Your Website
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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: Express the reasons
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.
e.g. If you pitch yourself as “The Lowest Priced Luggage Retailer in Australia”, explain the reasons why this is so.
* 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.
* Your strategy is to sell more volume at lower margins in order to build a loyal base of repeat customers
* 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: Case Studies and Testimonials Section.
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.
Testimonial must come across as true and genuine. There are some websites that feature fake testimonials. They use flowery words as if copied from an award winning-script.
To make the case studies and testimonials realistic, guide your customers with standard questions and let them react using their own opinions and thoughts.
The testimonials section is a major feature of the website but Visitors can easily ignore them. You can do some strategies to highlight them.
You can “Promote” a Testimonial or Case Study by:
* Adding a headline
* Display 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.
* Exhibiting graphs, scanned documents, screenshots or visual images of results.
Strategy #3: Association Marks, Qualifications and Certifications
Certifications and indicators of membership in established associations can also be displayed in the website. It will not only enhance the credibility of your site and industry, but will also constitute endorsements from a third party.
Official recognitions as verified by distinguished certifications such as ISO 9001 will be clearly recognised by your visitors. Some may come out unknown; it is your duty to EDUCATE and inform the clients about it. Here are a few tips to do that:
* Give proper details of the membership and certification.
* Describe how you obtained it.
* Clarify the perspective 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 helpful in your goal of giving satisfaction to customers. It will not only boost your integrity, it will also lift the perception of your customers towards the site and the industry.
Strategy #4: Awards, Credits, or Acknowledgements
Recognitions as outstanding in your industry will heighten a good impression in the eyes of visitors and clients, but avoid complacency and don’t overlook your objective of giving positive results and satisfaction to customers.
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
Verisign, the Better Business Bureau and HackerSafe are services that assure the legitimacy of the business policies and customer services. Look for the well-known ones with enough recognition for better credibility of your website.
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Tags: Marketing