14 Tactics to Make Your Website Work Harder Right Now: Tactic 9 - Get Real

Even if you’ve done a superb selling job, your visitors will stop dead in their tracks if for some reason it crosses their mind that you might not trustworthy. Never assume that certain facts about your establishment are “just a given.” Anyone with a computer, Internet access, and a few bucks to pay for a template, a domain, and hosting can put up a website. And trustworthiness is difficult to intuit on the web. Instead, give clear, pointed reassurance that you are what you say you are, being sure to include the following where appropriate:

-> A physical address for your establishment on your Contact page or in your page footers. If you work from a home office and want to protect your privacy, cough up a few bucks and get a post office box.

-> A telephone number should also be listed either in one of the locations mentioned above or near the top of every page. Even if people don’t actually call you, a phone number makes you look willing and accessible. Also, not everyone is comfortable sending an email to someone they don’t know.

-> For service businesses, strongly consider putting a professional photo of yourself on your About or Profile page. Some B2B sites even put a photo of the principal on the homepage. Just make sure that you’re smiling—even better, show some teeth. A closed mouth in photographs suggests that you are holding something back. Not the impression you want to give.