I’m in the mood to offer a nice big dose of VALUE, so buckle up!
You already know that your website has the power to make or break your success. One of the KEY ingredients website visitors search your website for is credibility. Proof that you actually know what you’re doing. So today, I offer you…
7 Website Strategies that Boost Your Credibility
Your website design can’t suck.
I’ve said it countless times before, but you need to have the kind of website that you’re PROUD to show off. You may not hate your design, but are you head over heels in love with it? If you just thought ‘no,’ then how on Earth do you expect others to be drawn to what you’re offering!?
(Read: Get a website facelift or Let me audit your website – so fun!)
Your website’s “About” page says it all.
Did you know your About page is usually one of the most clicked-on pages on your entire website? Ninety percent of the About pages I’ve seen are doing the site owner more harm than good (yikes!). Your about page should showcase your experience, build up your authority and give people confidence in you.
(View: Amber’s About page)
Critical! You must update your website regularly.
If your last blog post was a year ago… If your copyright date says 2009… If your Events page is still promoting that stale event from last year…then you must wake up to the fact that this is absolutely hurting your credibility and results. I update my websites every single week, if not more often than that. (This also helps with your SEO by the way!)
Testimonials are great social proof.
There are some critics of testimonials out there because there are unethical people who post fake endorsements (yuck). That said, I still believe in the good of people and say you should absolutely post ALL testimonials that showcase you as the expert giving your customers real results. I have hundreds and hundreds of rave reviews (written and video) I’ve collected over the years, and I post them on my website sidebars, footers, in content – everywhere! Don’t forget to add these bad boys to email marketing, social media, products, etc. The more social proof that you’re a rockstar, the more solid your credibility is.
Prove you are current and connected.
You see that pretty little rotating slideshow in my right sidebar that flashes through all of the industry authorities I’m friends with? These are not just connections where I snapped a quick photo in a hallway – they are true relationships that I nurture. When you are seen with other industry authorities and are talking about trends, people see you are current (not just a has-been) and you automatically become relevant and respected.
(Speakers, don’t forget to post photos of you on stage too! – Read: Speaking Tips for Speakers Who Are Just Getting Started)
Be totally authentic, transparent, and honest.
This one shouldn’t even need to be said, but when you are honest, people notice. You’ve probably heard that people buy from people they know, like, and trust. Being authentic and transparent aids in getting people to know and like you (for sure). Being honest (doing what you say you’re going to do, not show-boating or bloating the truth…) gets people to trust you. Building a loyal following is king in the online world. When you are authentic, transparent, and honest, you will stand apart from the crowd BIG TIME – talk about a credibility booster!
Activity, activity, activity.
Want to show the world that you’re credible and an industry authority? Generate activity on your website, and you’ve achieved your goal!
(You may be thinking, “ya ya, next!”, but are you taking this SERIOUSLY?)
Blogging is one of the best ways to do this. When you blog regularly, you get lots of traffic (from search engines and social media). The more traffic you get, the more comments and social media shares you get (this is visible on your website!). Also, adding new Events to your event calendar for speaking engagements next year is a great way to show you’re active. What about adding interview links to all the places you’ve been interviewed? The more content you build on your website, the more active it looks like you are (bonus!) and the more active your audience will be in engaging with you (double bonus!). (Check out: Amber’s Interviews)
These are easy changes you can implement in less than one day on your website. The key is to build it over time, but don’t lose sight of always updating your website to showcase the most current information possible.
If you found any of these tips helpful, feel free to let me know by commenting below!
xoxo
Amber Vilhauer
Great post!”
– Amina Harris -Mitchell Expert Healthcare Specialist
This is great; thank you for posting!”
– Maureen Payne -Hahner Director/Script Development
