14 Steps To A Trustworthy Website

Have you ever visited a web site and been attacked by
screaming pop-up ads, gotten lost in a clutter of banner
ads, had things flash and go boom? And have you ever visited
a site that was informative, easy to navigate and generally
pleasant to peruse?

Which site gained your trust? Which site would you revisit?
The more user-friendly building tools you use on your site,
the more trust will be developed with your viewers. With
this in mind, here are expert tips for making your online
store trustworthy...

Purchase an appropriate domain name
Paying for your own domain name builds trust and is
professional looking. Your own domain name will be - free of
all advertisements (except products you sell or recommend).
You want to sell your visitors on the content of your site -
not the products of other advertisers.

Use domain name email addresses
When searching for a host for your site, look for packages
that include POP3 accounts (preferred) and alias accounts
(second in line). This will enable you to send email from
your site (you@yourbusiness.com) which looks much more
professional than you@freeemailaccount.com It is easier to
trust someone who has evidently made an investment in their
business.

Include contact information
Provide phone numbers, hours of operation (including time
zone), a business mailing address and an email address. PO
Boxes are not considered addresses. Many companies won't
deliver to PO Boxes, and many visitors won't purchase from
you if you use one. Work from home? Add a suite or building
number to your home/apartment. Or use a mail forwarding
service for a real address.

Add contact links
Place at least one way for your visitors to contact you on
each page and place your Webmaster's contact information on
at least the bottom of the front page. This way your
visitors can request information from you, and if there is a
problem with your site, they can write to the Webmaster.
Even if you and the Webmaster are the same person, place the
Webmaster's email address on the site.

Keep your content updated
To be current, the content of your site must be no more than
6 months old. The pages must include an up-to-date "Last
Updated _________". Even if you don't change the site
information (because it is completely correct and updated)
do keep the date updated.

Include a personal touch
Provide an "About Me/Us" page. Provide the names of the
owner, president, executives, and staff on the contact page.
Include individual and group pictures, small biographies if
relevant, and email addresses where they can be quickly
contacted. Don't make it look as though your site's owners
want to be anonymous, which obviously generates suspicions.

Avoid enter pages and splash screens
Do you have an "Enter page" or splash screen on the front of
your site? If so, delete it now! You will lose visitors who
want information quickly because they'll go to a rival site
instead. Worse than an enter page is an enter page that
forces someone to download a program such as Flash. If you
want to use the option of Flash pages, fancy pointers etc.,
give visitors the option of viewing them. Don't force them
to download any programs.

Cater to everyone
Include tags with your images to assist those with sight
disabilities and the hundreds of thousands of people all
over the world who use library-based text-only computer
software and Web browsers.

Make it quick
Ensure that a majority of your pages load in less then 20
seconds with a 56K modem. Most visitors will not have the
patience to stick around much longer than that and will
simply move on. A site that loads quickly and is neatly
designed, will show that you are a professional company. It
will also boost confidence in your potential buyers.

Request recommendations
Ask your clients for testimonials and permission to use
their whole name on your Web site. If they don't feel
comfortable doing so, find others who will.

Link it
Make sure that links within your site work. Ask your Web
designer to design an interesting "error" page that will
allow your visitors to get back on track if a page they
bookmarked no longer exists. Make sure that links to sites
outside your website work. Download a links checker and use
it monthly. Sometimes you'll find that you've linked within
your site to a page you've moved or removed. Other times
you'll find that pages outside your site have disappeared or
are changed.

Spell it right
If you want your site to be as professional as it could be,
put each page though a spell checker or hire an excellent
proofreader. Don't underestimate the value of a properly
spelled site.

Provide guarantees
If you have a money back guarantee on your service or
product, say so. If you don't, say so. Do guarantees include
or exclude returning the shipping or handling fees? How
about a privacy policy for your newsletter emailing list or
code of ethics? Clearly place any type of guarantee on your
site.

Secure purchases
When you purchase from the best sites, the site owner will
provide you with the most secure purchase program available.
This includes a secure server, secure gateway, and
information that informs you that your purchase is as secure
as is currently possible. When you are taken to another
website to make your purchase, notice if the new site
mentions that it's been secured. If it doesn't say so, go
find the product on a site that does.