Credibility--Part Two

The previous issue of this Newsletter, Part One, discussed the first five principles for establishing site credibility that were described by the Stanford Web Credibility Project. This issue presents the next five principles. Again, the principles are all exactly as stated by the Stanford project, because they are worthy of repeating exactly, and I've rewritten the discussion somewhat.

If you read these ten guildelines quickly you'll think that they are obvious, and seem to deal with minor details of the site. But think about what you're trying to do with a Web site--we are trying to persuade at a distance. The visitor to our site can't interact directly with you the way your regular contacts can, so cues to credibility are obtained through your Web site--and little details become very important.

Guidelines Six Through Ten

6. Design your site so it looks professional (or is appropriate for your purpose).

If you're an internist, you don't need or want want a site that looks like Tiffany. But if you are Tiffany, your site needs to project the utmost in design sophistication. Such issues as typography, images and consistency are included here. Be sure that the visual design is appropriate to the site's purpose.

7. Make your site easy to use--and useful.

"Useful" has a particular meaning to a Web surfer: they are looking for information, and need to find useful information. All the design in the world, while it makes the site interesting and attractive, can't make it useful in this sense. And while the site should be attractive, it's important that visitors be able to find that information they're seeking easily and directly. Be sure the design doesn't get in the way of the basic purpose of the site.

8. Update your site's content often (at least show it's been reviewed recently).

Visitors assign more credibility to sites that show they have been recently updated or reviewed. And in contrast, if your site has information that's out of date, then it loses credibility. This guideline gets double weight because the search engines also give credibility to sites that are changed often, so keeping your site up to date won't just help with visitors who've arrived at the site, it'll also bring more visitors to your site.

9. Use restraint with any promotional content (e.g., ads, offers).

If possible, avoid having ads on your site. If you must have ads, clearly distinguish the sponsored content from your own. After a visitor has arrived at your site, do you want to chance losing them and having them not get your message by leaving because of an ad? Avoid pop-up ads, unless you don't mind annoying users and losing credibility.

10. Avoid errors of all types, no matter how small they seem.

Typographical errors and broken links hurt a site's credibility more than you might imagine. It's part of that "first impression" phenomenon, taking place at a distance. Be sure to carefully review all your copy. And also be sure that your site is up and running at all times, and delivering good performance.

The Bottom Line

Simple measures that we would use in printed matter also help establish the credibility of your site. If you expect people to trust you enough to rely on information on your site or to do business with you, then follow these ten simple steps.