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Research reveals three important facts:
1) The Internet is one of the most important sources of information.
2) The trustworthiness of the Internet is declining.
3) Customers will come back to your site if they trust it.
In the face of a declining trust in the Internet, there’s definitely value
in creating a website which can be trusted by your visitors. But how do you
do it? That’s what this article is all about.
But first, the research…
According to a recent major study, "Ten Years, Ten Trends", conducted
by the Center for the Digital Future (http://www.digitalcenter.org), a leading
authority on the impact of the Internet, the Internet is still seen as one of
the most important sources of information, but people are placing less faith
in the reliability of that information.
These findings are supported by earlier research. American Express found that
73 per cent of people use the Internet to gather information. Lyra Research
found that 48 per cent of people use the Internet to find work-related information
as opposed to seven per cent who use magazines. When it comes to reliability
of information, A.T. Kearney found that workers take so long trying to find
information that it costs organisations $750 billion annually!
But never fear! All is not lost. It is possible to stem the tide – at
least as far as your own website is concerned. According to Nielsen NetRatings,
helpful website content develops site loyalty. The average person visits no
more than 19 websites in the entire month to avoid information overload –
they tend to rely on the sites they can trust to help them.
So how do you make yours one of those sites? How do you inspire trust in your
visitors?
The answer is simple – make your website copy trustworthy!
Following are 8 steps that’ll put you on the road to a trustworthy website.
STEP 1 - Always include your contact details
Always! This includes an email address, phone numbers, fax numbers, and address.
Without these details, you’ll look like a fly-by-night operation.
STEP 2 – Tell us who you are
Dedicate a page of copy to the people who run your company. You don’t need
to say much – just provide a little history. Talk about their work history,
career highlights, education and qualifications, etc. And it never hurts to
include a little personal information as well. Let your readers know who you
are.
STEP 3 – Know it and Show it
It’s not enough that you know what you’re talking about. Your readers
have to know you know it! This normally means including a little bit of technical
information or some other titbit that potential customers will recognise as
expertise. (And always check your facts before publishing. If possible, include
statistics or some other form of research results.)
STEP 4 – Include samples and testimonials
Of course, if you’re going to talk the talk, you have to be able to walk
the walk. Validate your claims by including samples of your previous work (if
applicable), and testimonials from some satisfied customers.
STEP 5 – Something for nothing
Nothing inspires trust more than an offer of something for nothing. But you
have to make sure that ‘something’ is helpful. And make it doubly
clear that it really is obligation-free. Nothing undermines credibility faster
than the suspicion that there’s a hidden catch.
STEP 6 – Avoid advertorial style web copy
Don’t go on and on, page after page, repeating the same thing using different
words. Make your point and make it quickly. Don’t insult your visitors’
intelligence by implying that they’ll believe you if you just say it often
enough! If you use advertorial style web copy, you’ll seem more interested
in yourself than the business solution you’re offering your client.
STEP 7 – Avoid hard-sell web copy
Once again, don’t insult your visitors’ intelligence. Hard-sell web
copy can give the impression that you’re more interested in the sale than
the business solution. Sure, create a sense of urgency with your web copy, but
don’t overdo it.
STEP 8 – Talk benefits not features
When you talk features, you’re talking about your product or service -
you’re talking about you. When you talk benefits, you’re showing that
you’re interested in what the customer needs. Talking benefits is one of
the best ways to engage your customer. (For more information on writing about
benefits, see http://www.divinewrite.com/benefits.htm and http://www.divinewrite.com/webbenefitwriting.htm.)
Websites can be a great way to engage your customers and make sales. But you
have to make sure your visitors trust what you say. And that means getting your
web copy right.
Of course, it’s not ALL about the website copy. Obviously you also need
a website design that inspires trust (see http://www.izilla.com.au, http://www.hothouse.com.au,
http://www.mc3.com.au, or http://www.digital-tsunami.com for that).
Happy writing!
About the Author:
Glenn Murray heads advertising and website copywriting studio Divine Write.
He can be contacted on Sydney +612 4334 6222 or at glenn@divinewrite.com. Visit
http://www.divinewrite.com for further details or more FREE articles. |
