If you continue with this browser, you may see unexpected results. Chat with a KSU Librarian. How to tell if a website is credible Here are 6 ways to help you identify a credible website. Author — Information on the internet with a listed author is one indication of a credible site. The fact that the author is willing to stand behind the information presented and in some cases, include his or her contact information is a good indication that the information is reliable.
Date — The date of any research information is important, including information found on the Internet. By including a date, the website allows readers to make decisions about whether that information is recent enough for their purposes. Testimonials and reviews make great sales messages.
An effective testimonial includes the challenge the customer had before doing business with you, and how you helped them overcome those challenges. You can also make your testimonials more effective if you include a photo of the customer or have it in a video.
Adding your privacy policy and terms of use on your website demonstrates transparency to prospective customers. Your privacy policy lets your website users know what information you collect when they visit your website and what you do with that information. Your terms let prospective customers know what the parameters of doing business with you are. You can add your main privacy policy and terms of use on the footer of your website.
Do you belong to any professional organizations that are recognizable in your industry? If so, highlight your professional affiliations and memberships by displaying their logos on your website and linking to their website. By aligning your company with other well respected brands you are able to boost your own reputation, credibility and trust.
Trust seals are especially important for websites that collect sensitive information such as credit card information. A trust seal tells website visitors that your website is legitimate and it has been verified by a third party.
Hacking of data is becoming an increasingly serious problem for businesses of all sizes. These seals can make it easier for customers to hand over sensitive information knowing that you are taking extra steps to secure your website.
Putting pictures of you or your team members on your business website helps prospective customers get a better idea of who is behind the company and adds a personal touch. Adding pictures to your website becomes even more important if your business does one-on-one meetings and service calls that require going into your customers homes or your customers coming to your office or place of business.
Guarantees are a great way to make it easy to persuade prospective customers to do business with you. It sets you apart from your competitors, and lowers the risk involved in doing business with you. There are several ways you can offer your customers a guarantee such as a refund, a lifetime warranty, satisfaction of product or service. Do you have social media accounts with sizeable followings?
Why not publish your social media feeds on your website that shows the number of followers you have. This helps create instant credibility. Have you been featured or contributed to notable news or industry publications? If you or your company gets a lot of press, create a press page or highlight the logos on your website to boost your credibility. Improving the User Experience. Web Site Credibility Beth A. Friday, December 1, Optimizing for Credibility So, how do you optimize the credibility of your Web sites?
Perceptions of both factors can be enhanced if designers: Ensure the site looks professionally designed Arrange the Web site in a logical way Keep the site is as current as possible Provide an archive of past content where appropriate Show Expertise Expertise, according to Fogg, et al. Show Trustworthiness Users assess trustworthiness by determining how "well-intentioned, truthful, [and] unbiased" a Web site is. This can be done if designers: Provide a useful set of frequently asked questions FAQ and answers Provide links to outside sources and materials Ensure the site is frequently linked to by other credible sites Federal Web sites must also comply with requirements for Web content.
References Fogg, B. Blog RSS. Content Strategy Basics. Creating Cross-Channel Experiences. Creating a User-Centered Approach in Government. Related Resources Defensive Design for the Web: How to improve error messages, help, forms, and other
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