Purge Online

More and more of us are doing business without ever meeting our clients face-to-face. There’s one common stumbling block that can hinder a deal — trust. Since launching this blog in 2006 I’ve been able to increase my number of overseas clients, and as I always ask for a 50 percent downpayment before starting work, the projects wouldn’t be possible without first building some trust. Here are five simple steps that have helped me to build trust online. 1/ Be accessible Show a link to your contact page above the fold, i.e. without your website visitor needing to scroll down the page. The quicker someone can find your contact details, the better, because many people will visit for the sole purpose of sending a message. 2/ Use client testimonials Include testimonials for what you sell. It’s important to link to your clients’ websites or include their contact information. It’s usually very easy to spot fakes (no link, no photograph, no contact details). 3/ Publish a blog A professional blog can do wonders for building trust, especially if the topics you write about are related to the product or service you offer. Your personality comes through in your language, and first-time visitors get to know you by reading your conversations with commentators. This is where your blog comment threads can be a great help. 4/ A face to the name Including a photograph (perhaps only on your contact page) helps build rapport between you and your potential clients. 5/ Don’t overdo the advertising Don’t let the ads on your website overpower the content. There are few things more off-putting than a site riddled with AdSense or flashing banners. Keep ads relevant. Showing three relevant ads in a sidebar is much better than showing one that’s totally unrelated.