The Blog on Branding

You’ve Got A Friend In Me: How to trust a website

“Unfortunately, we’re not talking about this duo.”




What’s more important than your PageRank? Okay, not a lot. But the ability to trust your Web site is definitely up there. In fact, the SEO Book recently said trust is the new competitive advantage in Web sites. Imagine you’re writing a research paper about George Washington Carver and how he invented peanut butter. Which source would you prefer – Jif.com or an old Geocities site called “george washington carverz world!!!”? Some of us are a little nostalgic and may want to choose the latter, but we all know a professor would only accept a professional source – one which people know they can trust.

So how do sites become trustworthy? Read on for the Branding Blog’s Top 5 Trust Techniques

1. Now You See Me, Now You Don’t: Be transparent.

People will only begin to really trust you if they have a sense of who you are. This doesn’t mean giving out your full name, address, BMI or any other information you’re uncomfortable with sharing. But a brief introduction, perhaps with a photo, will show visitors that you’re a real person.

“Show visitors that you’re a real person.”




Even a paragraph explaining what your site is about, maybe with a brief mission statement, will show readers that you really care about what you’re talking about.

For example, if you manage a blog about Akron Ohio’s emerging art scene, explain that you have lived in Akron for 25 years and your art has been featured in a number of local galleries. This type of information can be elaborated upon with testimonials, which is discuss later in this article.

2. My, What A Lovely Font You Have: Look and sound professional.

The Look
Anyone can take a template and make a blog or Web site. But it takes real know-how to make a site look great.

Personalized banners and layouts are what will get your site noticed and trusted. A sleek, modern site shows visitors that you’re hip to the kids’ jive – that is to say, you know what you’re doing.

Meanwhile, a blog in Comic Sans and side-scrolling banners might repel readers away. Take a quick lesson in graphic design by looking at other popular Web sites – Helvetica, lowercase titles, dark and neutral color schemes; seeing a pattern yet? Don’t directly imitate other designs, but use them as inspiration for your own. Take some pointers from this Web site – it lists some of the worst-looking sites around.

The Language
Looking professional is one thing, but sounding professional is another can of worms. Gone are the days of simply hitting “Spellcheck” to ensure your spelling accuracy; there’s grammar, structure, and vocabulary to worry about.

The best course of action is to have coworkers or friends proofread your writing over and over.

3. Don’t Take My Word For It: Use testimonials.

Testimonials are like having an army of press secretaries for free.

• Encourage users to leave feedback and use their reviews to your advantage by posting them on your site.
• Be sure to include names, occupations, ages; any details to prove that these comments are coming from real people.
• Consider devoting an entire section on your page to testimonials or reviews.

“Testimonials are like having an army of press secretaries for free.”




If your site has been featured in a popular blog, magazine, newspaper or television, don’t be afraid to list every single one. They can only increase your credibility and show visitors that you know what you’re talking about.

Never ever make false testimonials or get your friends to write testimonials for you. It may seem like no one would ever know, but if it somehow got out visitors may never trust you again. Not to mention the gods of branding have a way of knowing when you’re lying and making you pay for it later.

4. Keeping It Real: Don’t delete comments.

You wake up one morning to find that one of your most recent posts has been blasted by a famous blogger. She says your articles are “uninformed, biased, and downright horrible,” and she encourages the rest of your readers to boycott your blog.

You may find that you’ve unconsciously directed your cursor over the “delete” button, which is a natural reaction – but hold it right there! This fiendish foe may have just spiked your readership by simply mentioning your blog in her post.

Famous celebrity battles have always made headlines, like last year’s Donald Trump v. Rosie O’Donnell debacle. Each party faced a lot of criticism from the opposition, but the battle boosted popularity for both of them.

Deleting negative comments will always have readers thinking you have something to hide. Keep the comment and politely defend yourself. If your site is really trustworthy you should have nothing to hide.

5. Check The Expiration Date: Update often.

Nothing sours the stomach more than finding a site that hasn’t been updated since 2001. But even blogs that haven’t seen an update in a few weeks will quickly be dropped from bookmarks if not rehabilitated promptly. Remember, the decision to make a Web site is an important one, and it’s a pretty big responsibility.

“Keep things fresh!”



Even if your site is centered around something simple like a small town bakery, it is extremely important to find something to keep it current by:

• Giving a first-time visitor a reason to return to your site.
• Removing items that aren’t pertinent anymore to minimize confusion. If you have an event calendar from 2006, it’s time to get let it go.

In the case of the small town bakery, posting a daily menu of specialty items or a list of each week’s best-sellers are great ways to keep things as fresh as their goods.

Pam Hanlin Want content written for your Brand that shows up #1 on Search Engines and brings you new customers? Contact us.