Does your business look trustworthy online?
This post is by Brooke Howell, SmartBrief’s small-business editor.
In spite of billions of admonishments by well-meaning mothers and teachers, people stubbornly refuse to stop judging books by their covers.
A recent survey found that 75% of Web users admit to making judgments about the credibility of a company based on the appearance of its website, said Tiffany Jonas, president of Aio Design, during her presentation, “Building Online Credibility: Dos and Don’ts for Small Businesses,” on June 11 at the National Association of Women Business Owners‘ 2010 Women’s Business Conference in Washington, D.C.
Moreover, researchers have found that 50 milliseconds is the average amount of time it takes a Web user to judge a website’s visual design. That means it doesn’t matter how strong your content is — if your website looks shady, most people aren’t going to stick around long enough to read even one word of it.
If that’s not a reason to make sure your website looks trustworthy, then I don’t know what is.
The first step to looking trustworthy online, said Jonas, is being there in the first place. Nowadays, if people look for your company online and don’t find it, they will think it isn’t legitimate and won’t likely go any further.
Even if you have a site, plenty of design mistakes can send up red flags in the minds of Web users, explained Jonas:
- Websites that aren’t professionally designed. It may save money to have your teenager design your business’ site, but people will know you didn’t pay to have it done. In particular, if you are in a business that is perceived to be a big moneymaker, such as accounting, consulting or medicine, people will wonder why you didn’t have the money to hire a professional to design your website, Jonas said.
- Websites that aren’t updated regularly — or at all. 73% of Web users say that knowing a website is frequently updated with new information is a factor in their choice to visit it, said Jonas. If you don’t update regularly or haven’t updated your site design in years, people will notice.
- Poor font choice. Huge fonts, tiny fonts or too many different fonts don’t make your site look good.
- A visual mismatch with your target audience. Jonas gave the example of a business consultant whose website featured images of flowers. That just didn’t add up. If you aren’t a florist or landscape architect, flowers don’t make sense on your site. Likewise, a neon color scheme makes no more sense for a therapist than pink does for a hardware store.
- Running pay-for-click ads. These can be OK on a blog, but for a business website, they just look shady.
- Unprofessional images. This can include cliched images — think a calculator on an accounting site, do-it-yourself photographs, a logo that wasn’t professionally designed, and no images where they would make sense (if you’re running a bed and breakfast, people want to see the rooms).
- A website that isn’t intuitive to navigate. 77% of Web users say they won’t stay at a website that they find it hard to navigate, said Jonas.
- Lack of information about the company. People want to know the basics: physical address, mailing address, phone number, e-mail address and fax number.
- Absence of policies. People want to know what you plan to do with any information they enter into your website. Of people who shop online, 54% report they have become more likely to read policies on privacy, returns and other matters, said Jonas. But, she warned, don’t go overboard. Short and sweet is better than long and detailed. When you get into too much detail, people will think you’re using all those words to cover something up.
- Worrying language: This includes poor spelling and grammar, fake-sounding or overly emotional testimonials, and content that is packed with keywords but contains little or no information.
If those pitfalls are overwhelming, Jonas also provided some easy ways to make your company’s website look credible to Web users:
- Use trust logos. If your business is accredited by the Better Business Bureau, post its logo on your site. Other logos that make you look legitimate include Verisign, the National Ethics Bureau for Financial Services, professional association logos and secure-purchase symbols.
- Use customer testimonials. People trust fellow customers more than experts.
- Include a thorough FAQ page. People like to have their questions answered in a straightforward way.
- Cite respected sources. People want to know where the information you’re providing comes from and will trust information from sources that are well-known and respected.
- Provide incredibly detailed product information. List any information people might want to know about the product you are selling.
- If you’re a service provider, list your professional qualifications. This includes your memberships, speaking engagements and articles published, but keep your biography largely professional. A few humanizing details are good, but you don’t want a bunch of nonwork information.
Image credit: JuSun via iStockphoto
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Tags: Brooke Howell, design, NAWBO, social media
Categories: Events, Ideas in Action, Social Media 101, Social Networks
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Posted by Mike on June 23rd, 2010 at 5:02 pm
Nice post, many people don't understand the importance of a great first impression.
Posted by Poor Website Design a Deal Breaker for Small Business Customers | Webservice on June 23rd, 2010 at 3:08 pm
[...] recent survey showed how quickly visitors judge a site’s creditability based on its design, writes Brooke Howell, SmartBrief‘s small-business editor, in a blog post. According to comments [...]
Posted by A Freeman on June 24th, 2010 at 1:39 pm
Who is the source of the research?
Posted by Mark on June 25th, 2010 at 9:00 pm
This reminds me of the saying 'you don't get a second chance to make a first impression'.
My recent post Social Media For Brands
Posted by Jim on June 28th, 2010 at 2:39 pm
National Ethics Bureau is a meaningless designation used to impart a false sense of ethical responsibility and expertise to an agent. The truth is that anyone can purchase membership in this organization. A quick google search will show NEB members are not immune to breaches in ethics: http://www.google.com/webhp?hl=en#hl=en&q=&qu...
Posted by 50 Milliseconds to Judge Your Web Site « Elaine Fogel – Totally Uncorked on June 28th, 2010 at 7:52 am
[...] recent SmartBlog on Social Media post says researchers have found that 50 milliseconds is the average amount of time it takes a Web [...]
Posted by Your Website Is Your Window … How Does It Reflect Your Business? « Marketing Watch with Kimberly on June 28th, 2010 at 8:24 am
[...] recent survey showed how quickly visitors judge a site’s creditability based on its design, writes Brooke Howell, SmartBrief‘s small-business editor, in a blog post. According to comments [...]
Posted by Jana Knapp on June 28th, 2010 at 8:12 pm
Would love to see the actual study – would be very helpful! What's the source?
Posted by Eileen Burick on June 29th, 2010 at 2:08 pm
All businesses are having to work smarter in this economy and their website is no exception. Realizing how important a polished, professional look and feel (as well as relevant content) is to the credibility of your company is critical.
It's the first impression to a potential new customer — would you go to an initial client meeting in a tattered, worn-out suit? Your website has the same impact if it is not unique, innovative, well-designed and engaging! You want to "dress for success" to convey credibility and stability — not only in your wardrobe but in your web presence and throughout all your customer touch-points.
Posted by Your Website Is Your Window … How Does It Reflect Your Business? « Orlando's Marketing Buzz on June 29th, 2010 at 12:27 pm
[...] recent survey showed how quickly visitors judge a site’s creditability based on its design, writes Brooke Howell, SmartBrief‘s small-business editor, in a blog post. According to comments made by [...]
Posted by Tiffany Jonas on July 1st, 2010 at 5:11 pm
Hi, A Freeman,
I used a variety of research sources in this presentation. Which particular point interests you? I'd be glad to supply the source for it.
Posted by Tiffany Jonas on July 1st, 2010 at 5:14 pm
That's certainly a shame (sigh), but the point is not that every organization is perfect (even the Better Business Bureau is not), but that one is seeking to build trust with visitors by using independent third-party sources. The National Ethics Bureau website notes that it provides comprehensive background checks on financial professionals, among other things, and that's a trust builder for most website visitors.
Posted by Tiffany Jonas on July 1st, 2010 at 5:17 pm
I could not have said it better myself! Unfortunately, we do live in a society that tends to judge a book by its cover. Rather than try fruitlessly to change an entire culture (or really, an entire species), practical wisdom says it's probably better to learn to work with that tendency and use it to your advantage.
Posted by Tiffany Jonas on July 1st, 2010 at 5:18 pm
Hi, Jana,
I used a variety of research sources in this presentation. Which particular point interests you? I'd be glad to supply the source for it.
Posted by Wally Jones on July 2nd, 2010 at 12:00 am
I enjoyed your article on how to develop an outstanding web site. After five (or more) tries, I think I have a
presentable one & would like your criticism.
Posted by 50 Milliseconds to Make an Impression | eJewish Philanthropy: The Jewish Philanthropy Blog on July 3rd, 2010 at 10:05 pm
[...] Does your business look trustworthy online? [...]
Posted by Gidon on July 6th, 2010 at 8:17 pm
how could you forget? Names of principals, even if it is a one [wo]man show! I HATE it when the company doesn't take personal responsibility!
Posted by Poor website design can be a dealbreaker for potential customers « VetLocator Pet Pros on July 14th, 2010 at 1:14 pm
[...] recent survey showed how quickly visitors judge a site’s creditability based on its design, writes Brooke Howell, SmartBrief‘s small-business editor, in a blog post. According to comments made [...]
Posted by First impressions are key to winning Web users’ trust « FCEdge Powerful Marketing Communications on August 11th, 2010 at 7:19 am
[...] First impressions are key to winning Web users’ trust Appearances make a huge difference when you’re trying to win consumers’ trust online, says Aio Design President Tiffany Jonas. Regular updates, professional fonts, graphics and logos from organizations such as the Better Business Bureau or Verisign can all help convince surfers of your site’s credibility. SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Social Media [...]
Posted by Making a small business website: part 1 « greengeekgirl on August 14th, 2010 at 7:48 am
[...] probably going to lose a few sales. According to an article on SmartBlog, “a recent survey found that 75% of Web users admit to making judgments about the [...]
Posted by Knock the Dust off Your Website « Caliber Pulse on August 19th, 2010 at 9:41 am
[...] company website creates credibility. Studies consistently rank them as more trustworthy than any other advertising or marketing [...]
Posted by jameshollingworth.com » Blog Archive » Does your business look trustworthy online? on August 20th, 2010 at 2:53 am
[...] Continues: [...]