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25+ Stats You Can Showcase to Boost Your Website Credibility


This Tip of the Week covers topics including:

  • 0:56 – Why is Credibility Important?
  • 2:34 – 4 Types of Credibility
  • 7:22 – Brand New Websites Can Share…
  • 11:03 – KPIs for Established Websites to Share
  • 18:14 – Let’s See Some Examples

This is a segment from Webinar Wednesday 130, recorded live on February 23, 2022.

Brilliant Directories Webinar Wednesday

AI-Generated Transcript – Please excuse any inaccuracies

Why is Credibility Important? (00:00:56)

  • The primary question that website visitors have in mind when visiting a website is whether they can trust the organization, and the overall goal is to answer this question with a definite yes, establishing that the organization and website can be trusted (00:00:56).
  • The credibility of a brand has a direct impact on its bottom line, affecting the ability to sell memberships, generate leads, and sell content, making it essential to ensure that website visitors are comfortable doing business with the organization (00:01:00).
  • To achieve this, it is crucial to create a website that demonstrates the business or organization is trustworthy, showcasing its growth, progress, and development to establish a sense of reliability and trustworthiness with users (00:01:18).
  • Establishing credibility is vital because it increases the perceived value or potential experience or benefit that people can gain from joining the organization, ultimately helping with perceived value and perception (00:02:12).
  • By showcasing credibility, organizations can make their website visitors feel at ease when joining the website, doing business, or entering their credit card information, which is essential for selling memberships, leads, or paid content (00:01:41).
  • The growth and progress of an organization, as well as its ongoing development, play a significant role in establishing credibility, and showcasing these aspects can help increase the perceived value of the organization and its offerings (00:01:57).

4 Types of Credibility (00:02:34)

  • Credibility is perceived trustworthiness and expertise, and there are four types of credibility, including presumed credibility, which is based on general assumptions, such as having a company email address or a dot org domain for a non-profit, (00:02:35).
  • Reputed credibility comes from being associated with an authority figure or someone with immense credibility within the target industry or niche, such as Oprah’s book club or the New York Times best sellers list, (00:03:47).
  • Surface credibility is based on first impressions of a website, including good messaging, organization, and high-quality images, which can make a website appear more credible than a confusing and disorganized one, (00:04:30).
  • Earned credibility takes time to build and comes from users having a positive experience on a website, being able to solve problems quickly, and seeing the value in the benefits they signed up for, which is different from having a poor experience and losing credibility, (00:04:51).
  • These types of credibility do not happen in steps, but rather all at the same time in real-time, and can be affected by various factors, such as domain name, referrals, website design, and user experience, (00:05:38).
  • Understanding these types of credibility is important for making changes and updates to a website, including the language used, and can help increase credibility and attract more members, (00:05:27).
  • The types of credibility can be influenced by various elements, such as having a good domain name, being referred by a friend, having a well-designed website, and providing a good user experience, which can all happen simultaneously and in real-time, (00:05:44).
  • A list of elements that can be shared on a website to increase credibility has been put together, which includes things that are more useful for brand new websites and more established websites with data and key performance indicators, (00:06:51).

Brand New Websites Can Share… (00:07:22)

  • Brand new websites can increase their credibility by listing a physical street address, which lets people know that there is something physical behind the website, even if it’s just a PO box (00:07:49).
  • Having a highly visible phone number on the website gives visitors a sense of trustworthiness and allows them to contact a real person if they have a problem (00:08:10).
  • Embedding a live chat for visitors allows them to connect with a real person who can help them with questions or issues (00:08:24).
  • Displaying professional affiliations and memberships, such as associations or groups related to the niche or target industry, can also increase credibility (00:08:40).
  • Putting a face to the business by including headshots, messages from the founder or president, and information about team members can help visitors form a connection with the people behind the website (00:09:07).
  • Listing the year the website was established or founded, or the combined years of experience of the team members, can also demonstrate credibility (00:09:45).
  • Telling the story of the website on the about page, including the founder’s story and the team behind it, can help visitors understand the website’s purpose and values (00:10:34).
  • Highlighting any news or press coverage, such as articles or press releases, can also increase credibility and demonstrate the website’s reputation (00:10:44).

KPIs for Established Websites to Share (00:11:03)

  • To boost a website’s credibility, including logos of local news websites, press releases, and reviews on the website can be beneficial, even if they are paid or negative, as it shows that someone is behind the website and cares about the community (00:11:03).
  • Replying to reviews, both positive and negative, in a sincere manner can also increase credibility, as it demonstrates that the website owner values their visitors’ feedback and is committed to their satisfaction (00:11:18).
  • Offering a satisfaction guarantee, such as a no-questions-asked refund, can help to get people signed up on the website initially and build trust with potential members (00:11:36).
  • Sharing the values and commitment of the people behind the website on the about page can help visitors connect with the website on a personal level and see it as more than just a faceless online presence (00:11:58).
  • For established websites, sharing key performance indicators (Performance indicator) such as the total number of registered users or members, daily or monthly website visitors, total email subscribers, and total page views can help to establish credibility and authority in the target demographic (00:13:45).
  • Sharing these statistics can create a sense of social credibility, making it more comfortable and easier for visitors to sign up with the website, as it demonstrates that the website has a significant following and is a trusted source in its industry (00:14:31).
  • To boost a website’s credibility, it is essential to showcase statistics such as average profile views, monthly searches, and social media followers, as these numbers can persuade visitors to sign up and create a listing, knowing that existing listings are getting traffic and traction (00:14:41).
  • Sharing the total number of leads matched and the number of users can also add to the website’s credibility, as a bigger following and more users can increase trust in the website (00:15:06).
  • If a website is selling or distributing leads to its members, it can be beneficial to share the revenue generated from these leads, as this demonstrates that members are benefiting from their membership and can cultivate new customers (00:15:22).
  • User-generated content statistics, such as the number of views on published content and total website comments, can also be shared to showcase interaction within the community (00:15:59).
  • User testimonials, especially with photos of the members, can go a long way in establishing credibility, as they allow new visitors to connect with actual people (00:16:27).
  • Endorsements from industry leaders can also increase credibility, as they provide reputed credibility and can be particularly beneficial for established websites (00:16:52).
  • Displaying awards, badges, and recognition received for the service provided to the community can also add to the website’s credibility (00:17:09).
  • These elements can be added to a website, especially for established websites, to connect with new visitors and back up emotional connections with key performance indicators (00:17:19).
  • This type of information can also be included in a media kit for potential advertisers, providing them with an overview of the website’s demographics and statistics (00:17:45).
  • A media kit can help determine the price for advertising on the website, based on the number of visitors and activity on the site (00:18:00).

Let’s See Some Examples (00:18:14)

  • A demo site was created to showcase key performance indicators and other items that can be viewed on a website, with three pages available to try, including general single elements and previous pages from other webinars (00:18:16).
  • The demo site has various elements stacked on top of each other, but it is suggested to sprinkle these around the website, such as on the homepage, about us page, or even on top of pricing options, to give full transparency and confidence to website visitors (00:18:47).
  • The page has several elements, including quick stats and numbers, a simple testimonial with a photo of an actual person, and a section listing news websites that the website might have been listed on, which can be used to connect with website visitors on a personal level and establish credibility (00:19:27).
  • A newsletter call-to-action is also included, which mixes emotional connection with data, such as a headline and a statement about joining 30,000 other industry professionals, to establish authority and trust (00:20:25).
  • A message from the founder is also included, with a photo, which can help website visitors know who is behind the website and organization, and can link out to a mission page or team page (00:20:58).
  • The elements on the page can be used to draw website visitors further into the company’s commitment, mission, and people behind the enterprise, with calls to action and links to other pages (00:21:23).
  • The website owner is in control of their website and can customize the elements to fit their needs, with the ability to scroll back up to the top and access different pages and features (00:21:41).
  • To boost a website’s credibility, it is possible to cherry pick the best statistics to present and display, and sometimes it might be more effective to use percentages instead of solid numbers, such as month-over-month growth of members (00:21:47).
  • Customizing the default draggable content blocks can help make the layout stand out, and adding a page like “meet our team” can include information about core values, a video of the organization, or video testimonials to add credibility (00:22:15).
  • Including a video on the team page can help add credibility, and below that, more information about core beliefs and values can be added, along with a call to action, such as “want to grow your business, let’s get started” (00:22:46).
  • If a website has been around for a while and already has registered members, it can say something like “join 30,000 other professionals” to connect with people emotionally (00:23:16).
  • New sites starting out can add information to their home page or mission page, such as a mission statement, and customizing the draggable content blocks with high-quality images can make the page more effective (00:23:38).
  • Adding images of people’s faces to the page can help visitors connect with people rather than just reading text, and once the brand is established, it can start to incorporate impressive numbers to attract more members and users (00:24:07).
  • Establishing credibility is not just about listing numbers, but also about giving people an experience and something to rally behind, and adding elements such as raw stats or emotional connections can help create this experience (00:24:41).
  • Listing ways to contact the business, such as a phone number or email address, can help establish credibility and show that there are people behind the brand (00:24:53).
  • Having a method to get in touch with the organization is a big deal for establishing credibility, rather than being a random ambiguous organization (00:25:04).

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