What Makes a Website Credible: 8 Fantastic Tips
By now, you probably have some understanding of how important it is to have a website. Now that the world has caught on, it’s not enough to just have a website — your website has to be excellent. Before your site is excellent, it must, at the very least, be credible. Web viewers have all the options, so your brand will quickly get skipped over if you don’t denote credibility and trust. You might be wondering, what makes a website credible? The points in this article will teach you how to make a good website by hitting these marks.
What Makes a Website Credible?
Your website says a lot about your brand. Acquire the web-building tools you need to create a site that will create an excellent first impression.
Partner with a WordPress design company and make sure you accomplish the following:
1. Credible Websites Have a Blog That is Informative and Updated Regularly
If you’re not blogging today, you’re leaving so much potential traffic and money on the table.
Whether you’re a travel influencer, you run a law firm, or you produce music, you can’t go wrong publishing to a blog regularly. By reaching people via your blog as often as possible, people will come to trust you and understand what you’re all about.
The blog is often the first impression people come across since it provides so much value for search engine optimization (SEO). Regularly publishing to the blog prevents your site from collecting dust. When you put out constant content, people will know that you’re serious about what you do and that you’re not abandoning your site.
2. They Use an HTTPS
Before the “www” in the website address box, you’ll either see an “http:” or an “https.” The latter is the latest evolution in web addresses. Make no mistake that the “s” in that address isn’t a mere addition — it is an indicator of added security.
Web developers that use the HTTPS extension apply a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol to inform the web viewer that your site is authentic. This is important because Man in the Middle attacks copy other websites to get users to “log in” and accidentally give away their passwords, credit card number, or other sensitive information.
If you want to build trust and denote credibility in 2020 and beyond, make sure you’re using HTTPS.
3. These Sites Have a High Domain Authority (DA)
Building Domain Authority (DA) helps you have more credibility with users and traction with Google. The DA is a score that predicts how well your site will rank in search engines.
Google uses algorithms that prevent less than credible sites from climbing the ranks. If your site has a high DA, it automatically displays a level of trust and credibility.
4. Credible Sites Have Some Speed and Ease of Use
Time is money, and credible sites don’t waste people’s time. As such, you must ensure that your site is speedy and easy to navigate.
Run your website through a series of tests so that you know how fast it runs and prevents hiccups and setbacks. People should be able to access your site and immediately know how to use it.
Don’t overcomplicate things, and enlist the help of a web developer that can get your brand and taste across while still keeping the site as simple as possible.
5. Trusted Websites Only Use Authoritative Links
A credible site doesn’t link out to sites that aren’t credible.
Whenever you link out, make sure they’re to sites you trust. It’s helpful to include statistics and factual points that link to studies or news articles that back them.
Using quality external links is a foundational part of any long-term link-building strategy, so don’t hesitate to sprinkle them into your content.
6. They’re Not Cluttered With Unnecessary or Cumbersome Ads
There’s nothing wrong with having an ad strategy, but never bog your site down with cumbersome ads. This will bring people back to the pop-up age when web developers would flood their sites with ads that ruin the entire web experience.
It is better to advertise subtly so that people know that your M.O. simply extracts dollars from them. Provide value on the front end, and then people will be happy to do business with you.
7. Customers or Visits Leave Testimonials
Using the word of others will build plenty of credibilities. If your customers or clients leave glowing reviews and testimonials, it lets people know that you’re good at what you do.
Reviews are worth their weight in gold, so ask your customers to write you a nice one if they’re satisfied with your service. You can also offer incentives for customers who leave reviews, such as a free item or a discount.
8. They Are Mobile Optimized
Finally, you have to make certain that your site is easily viewed on mobile devices. When you’re mobile-optimized, you’re better able to get some SEO traction.
People prefer browsing on their cell phones to their computers, so work with developers who can make your site look amazing on any device.
Get Your Website in Order
Now that you’ve answered the question “What makes a website credible?” you’re in a position to do something about it. Your website has to be credible to not only get customers but to keep them coming back.
These tips will set a strong foundation for any website you’re building. Let these tips help you so that you can keep your website in order.
Yvan Lebrun is a trusted expert in the field of product & service reviews. With over a decade of experience analyzing and comparing services online, he shares his valuable experience with readers at GoodSitesLike so consumers can make educated decisions before making a purchase.
