Link Blog

By Jake Lowrey

In today's competitive online world, it's not enough just to get the links so your site can be found. You have to convert the visitors to customers. You have to build their trust and show them why they should be buying your products, or signing up for your e-newsletter, or downloading your scripts.

Here are a few tips on how to convince your visitors to conduct business with you:

1. Tell Your Visitors Where You Are

Always include your postal address on your web site. Visitors are more apt to trust you if you show them where you are located, and include it on each page. Here's a good example: http://outsource.techndu.com/

If you have multiple offices, show each address. You don't have anything to hide do you? Of course not.

2. Tell Your Visitors Who You Are

Human nature being what it is, potential customers are more prone to buy from someone they know. Set up a page of key employees including photos and biographies. Have your employees write about themselves in a conversational tone. This will add a bit of intimacy and contribute to the trust factor.

3. Explain Why They Should Choose You

There may be many sites offering the same products or services as yours, so you have to tell visitors why they should do business with you. Have special pricing, or offer special deals not found elsewhere? Tell them.

Do you guarantee your work? Explain it to your visitors in terms they can understand.

4. Include Testimonials From Satisfied Customers

Surfers are a wary bunch. They like to know that others have tried your products or services and have had a positive experience. They are more likely to take advantage of what you are offering if they can see others are satisfied customers. Testimonials demonstrate that you run a serious business and visitors will appreciate that reassurance.

Let your current customers convince newcomers you can be trusted. You can add a testimonial in the sidebar of each page or have a dedicated page listing several. If you have a separate page, make sure there is a link to it from each page of your site.

5. Include a Privacy Statement

Does your web site gather information on each visitor? If so, let them know how you use that information with a Privacy Statement. Be sure to include information on the security of your site. If you don't collect identifiable information on visitors, tell them that, too.

Follow these tips and soon you will see your trust level increase and all the hard work you have put into your web site will begin to pay off a lot sooner that you think.

Jake Lowrey has communications experience as a news reporter, editor and public relations professional. Current assignments include writing for Team Link Network.