4.
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"How to Build Credibility Online"
Today's SOHO Help Desk provides 15 tips on building your
business' credibility to improve sales.
If you have a valuable tip, promotional idea, question or
answers you would like included in an upcoming issue of
DEMC, all you have to do is submit it by email to -
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=== 15 Ways to Build Credibility ===
From: Craig Lock
"How to Build Credibility Online"
I find this a most interesting and somewhat complex subject,
as there has to be TRUST in any business relationship
before any exchange is made. This can be quite difficult to
achieve, when you have nëvër met your customer (prospect)
face to face in another part of the country...or even the
world. Having been on the www over seven years, there are
a few pointers that we find helpful in the online salës
process:
1. Have your OWN DOMAIN NAME (not expensive - less
than $20 a year from 000Domains.com. We have
consolidated (big word, eh!) our web sites and have
three of them at:
www.craiglock.com
www.craiglockbooks.com and
www.bridgeniche.com
2. Provide Guarantees (money-back) on your products or
services.
3. Emphasize transaction SECURITY with a secure payment
system and a secure server.
4. SHOW TESTIMONIALS
5. Have a PRIVACY POLICY for your online business.
List a Privacy Statement
6. Have CONTACT INFO on your web site. People then
know to get hold of you, if they want further info... or if
there is a problem (they do occur from time to time, but a
problem is only an Opportunity in disguise!).
7. Give a BRIEF BIO - a little bit about yourself and how
you are qualified to offër your product or service. This
builds trust in your abilities.
8. Have a FEEDBACK FORM on your web site for visitors
comments about possible improvements... and finally and
most importantly,
9. BE YOURSELF, YET BE PROFESSIONAL IN YOUR
WRITING (on your web site). Just be YOU, when writing
copy on your website or in your ezine articles . Ensure the
information is accurate - write with absolute integrity and
honesty. Also, I suggest using a bit of HUMOUR in your
writing. I try to use a "dollop", as I believe reading a
computer screen is not a very exciting pastime (except
to "geeks"). It's also a sedentary (big word) activity; so the
least I can do for our site visitors, as a reward, is attempting
informing and trying to entertain at the same time with
doses of my "rather strange/wacky/ zany" humor.
Hopefully it works and gets appreciated.
10. Use proper grammar and punctuation (with the right
"case") and avoid misspelling. This makes you appear to be
"professional"- in your writing and in your "appearance"...
and image is EVERYTHING on the www.
11. Avoid using slang. Remember, the Internet is global and
your "funny language" might offend other cultures. For
example, I've learnt to avoid using the word "Yank"!
12. Send all marketing email to yourself first as a test.
Chëck the layout, spelling and grammar...to see how it looks
in your prospective client's eyes - ie. on THEIR computers.
13. Think before you re-act to an abusive message. "Strike
in haste and repent in leisure (I've done that a few times -
not that I get many negative messages!). My advice...leave
the message in your "in-box" for a day. Then look at it after
you have calmed down...and decide whether it is worthy of
a response - will it change anything? Perhaps the sender is
just having a disastrous day and after deliberation, you can
send a word of kindly encouragement in your "carefully
composed" reply. (The subconscious mind will help you in
this).
14. Really CARE about people and treat them with respect
as fellow human 'beans'. We all have frailties and are
vulnerable at times. More times than at others. We can get
all what WE want in life through helping other people get
what THEY want (thanks Zig Zigler)...
and finally,
15. "GIVE AND THOU SHALT RECEIVE." GIVE Free
INFORMATION ... AND YOU WILL SURELY RECEIVE
FAR MORE IN RETURN. (Everybody has unique
knowledge and expertise in certain areas - specialized skills,
which can help others through SHARING). This is the basis
of "the Golden Rule", the Law of Giving, which is the basis
of all the religions of the world (I think!).
Become a "busy internet marketing bee" in building your
online credibility and so making a name for yourself in the
"vast uncharted world of cyberspace".
Follow all these steps and people then will be attracted to
your web site (and regular TRAFF1C is THE BASIS/KEY
FOR/TO Sales), like bees to a honey-pot (that's a simile,
by the way!).
Here's to finding your "pot of gold" at the end of the internet
marketing "rainbow".*
* that's a metaphor, BTW
Craig Lock ("Incorrigible Encourager and Infopreneur")
"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man
to use the Internet and he won't bother you for months...or
perhaps even years! (Sorry men... however, I presume this
principle also applies to our women-folk!)."
About the Author:
Craig Lock has been marketing products online
for the past seven years. Craig is a writer, who believes in
sharing information, as well as encouraging and helping
others to find their talents and gifts, to strive for and
accomplish their dreams in life - whatever they may be.
Books by Craig Lock are available at:
http://www.craiglock.com/books.html and
http://www.bridgeniche.com
===
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