If advertisers use this, why shouldn’t we?

Think for a moment about how advertisers attract us to buy. They are experts at creating interest and influencing our buying decisions.

What’s their secret weapon?  T & A.

If it works for ads, wouldn’t that be true for your website too?

In fact, your website is the best and easiest place to flaunt it.

Every page is an opportunity to show your stuff.

Wait, what?!

No! I’m not talking about that t & a!

I’m talking about Trust & Authority.

Advertisers try to convince us to buy their drinks, clothes, or electronics because they are the ‘leaders’ or the ‘most popular’ brand.

Many of those companies have been in business a long time and have huge marketing budgets so that has helped us develop our opinions. We each have our favourite brands because over time we learned to trust them or look at them as an authority in their field.

(And yes, they often resort to the other type of t & a to grab our attention. But let’s get this clear, I am not asking you to do that!)

How can you build Trust & Authority on your website, especially if you’re new in business?

4 Easy Ways To Build Your Customer’s Trust and Increase Your Authority (even if you’re new in business)

1. Cull the Weeds and Cultivate the Roses

When someone firsts visits your website, you have about 5 seconds to grab their attention. Once grabbed, your goal is to keep them interested. Every second they stay is a momentary victory.

The first thing they are going to see is your Home Page banner.

You want your banner to be attractive. It should be eye-catching, not overwhelming. Keep it clean and simple with pleasing colours (no more than three) and easy-to-read fonts. Avoid tiny and/or cursive fonts.

Your goal here is to easily let your prospect read what you’re about so they can cover more ground in their 5 seconds and decipher if this is the right place for them – or not – which is okay too.

They are coming to your website with a problem and they want to know if you can help them.

Part of your website’s job is to weed out people who aren’t a fit for you and to fertilize the interest of your ideal clients.

Your banner should include:

• Your business name
• Your tagline – which speaks clearly to what you do and who you serve
• An attractive – read: happy, engaging, welcoming – image of you. Nothing too stiff but not your dating profile image either. Keep it professional but relaxed.

Do this and your prospects will begin to know whether you are the kind of person or business that they are looking for.

Keep your Home Page banner clear, attractive (visually and verbally) and you’ve begun to build trust with your ideal client.

If they are starting to feel like they’ve found help for their problem, they will stick around a bit longer to find out more.

2. You Had Me At Hello

Your prospect is still on your Home Page. Their curiosity is peaked. They want to know if you “complete them” – or can you at least solve their problem. 

Do you have the solution they are looking for? They need to know more; they don’t trust you yet or know if you’re an authority.

Let them know you see them.

Let them know you understand where they’re coming from and you know why they are visiting your site (their problem).

This is not a time to talk about you and all the credentials you have. There will come a time for that. For now, it’s all about them.

Let them know that you ‘get’ them. You’re not in it for a quick buck. You care about them and their problem.

The more you can show them that you understand their needs, the more trust you will build in them.

3. Why Me?

You’ve grabbed their attention with your Home Page banner. You’ve shown you understand them. They are beginning to trust they are in the right place, but they’re not convinced yet.

Trust needs to be earned (over and over again).

After the Home Page, most prospects head to the About Page. This is a GREAT place to create trust – and authority.

Now it’s time to talk about you.

Your first reaction may be to convince them that you are the one to work with by touting your awards, credentials and achievements.

Remember, they’ve just come from your Home Page with a warm feeling that they are in the right place. They’re feeling good because you understand them! Now they want to know about you.

For them, this is like as a first date. They’re feeling you out. Do they want this relationship to continue?

For a moment, put yourself in your prospect’s shoes. Pretend you are the prospect coming to your site.

First date scenario: from their profile (Home Page) you get the sense that you’re a match. Now you’re meeting for dinner to get to know each other better.

You sit down across the table from one another and you ask them: Tell me about yourself. Then they hand you their resume and start talking non-stop about all the awards they’ve won. How would you feel? Are you hoping you get an emergency phone call?

In website terms that means they click off your page – and go to your competitor’s website.

If your About Page reads like your resume, you will make people’s eyes glaze over or scare them off entirely.

This is a key moment in your relationship – because, guess what, that’s what your website is doing – building a relationship with them.

Just like on a date, they want to hear your ‘story’.

So tell them a story here too.

What people are looking to find out is WHY you are doing this work? What brought you to this? Was there a pivotal moment? What was your journey to this place?

Through your story, you are building trust that you are the one they should work with. It’s further proof that you understand them.

Because of your story, you are also building your authority showing them that you can help them solve their problem.

Add your credentials at the end (if you have them and if they’re applicable) as further evidence that you are right for them.

Never underestimate the power of your story. Stories draw us in and create trust.

4. Harness Your ‘How’ to Show Your Authority:

Great job! You’ve kept your prospect engaged through your Home Page and your About Page. What now?

Now they’re ready to see How you can help them.

Build your Service Page with easy to understand and enticing ways to work with you.

Keep their problem in mind; they still haven’t solved it so offer solutions that suit their needs.

Use testimonials too. These are powerful stories about how you helped others solve their problems.

Testimonials are proof that you are an authority in your field and have had success solving problems just like theirs.

There you have it. 4 Easy Ways To Build Your Customer’s Trust and Increase Your Authority (even if you’re new in business).

Are you struggling to create a website that builds Trust and Authority for your prospects? I’d love to help, let’s chat. Use this link to book a 30 minute no-obligation call. 

Want help and save money too? Until 11:59pm EST May 31st, 2017, Save 20% Off ANY of my Web Copy Services. Find out more here.