DeckchairBuilding confidence in your website
Article 2 in the series ‘What does your website do for you?’
People believe there is a solution on the web that can help them. They believe that by searching they can find the right service or product that their business needs and will make their lives easier. As we said in our last article, the Internet is now the first port of call when people need to research or discover something.
When a user finds a product or service on your website, your website’s ability to give them detail and knowledge about the product is essential to the user feeling confident enough to make a commitment.
However, before they make a commitment, the user will now often check that others have used your product or service and had a good experience. At this point the user moves from an individual frame of mind to a collective frame of mind.
Your website needs to lead to an opinion that is external and that validates the claims your website makes. Related content on other networks and websites is so important, because it is a piece of your business’ content that you have allowed the collective to comment on. You have released control of projected opinion.
A good example of this is a review of a restaurant or hotel on Google Maps or Trip Advisor, where the public can leave comments and give a rating, as well as posting photographs.
In the internet world, your business has to release control of its brand and IP to the collective. It needs to embrace the collective opinion by listening and replying via the same medium. This means your business will be found and by the time your business is found the user will either have the inclination to buy or will know the means by which to get the knowledge or opinion in order to validate the transaction.
Ultimately, this gives the user confidence – firstly, that you are confident enough in the quality of your business to allow the collective to comment on it, and secondly, reading the positive reviews and feedback from yourself and others, validates the claims you have made.
Our next article will explore how to evolve your web presence. In the meantime what are your thoughts on this subject? We would love to hear from you.
Found out your blog via technorati the other day and absolutely like it so much, carry on this fantastic work.