Did you know that there are 4.7 billion internet users in the world that spend an average of about 6.75 hours online each day? There are over a billion websites on the internet (around 2.6 million of them being Squarespace websites!), so how are you making yours stand out? 

Sometimes it can seem scary to try to get people to even land on your website, let alone purchase your products and services when there are huge companies like Amazon out there generating crazy amounts of revenue. In this blog post, we are going to talk about five simple ways you can build trust and credibility on your Squarespace website today, so you can retain visitors, make a connection and make more bookings and sales. Who doesn’t want more of that?! Let’s get into it.

01. Show Your Face

Unless you're a well-known company like Apple, you need to form a connection with your audience as soon as they land on your website if you want them to explore further. Showing the human faces behind your business will help you look more professional and legit, especially if you hire a professional brand photographer. Embrace the fact that you're a small business or a one-woman show, this isn't a weakness, but can actually be a selling point and can set you apart from bigger businesses.

My favourite way to show your face is to get creative with it! Sure, you could use any old picture, but where's the fun in that?! This isn't just a selfie with an Instagram filter or that one of you with your entire family, but it's a nice and clean shot of you with your favourite empowering outfit (bonus points if it matches your brand colours!). Try out a variety of shots - try using props to tell a story about who you are outside of your business. Maybe this is your favourite coffee mug, precious pup, or planner! It’s all these little details that can really help to build trust and showcase your personality to your audience, which will help you to form a connection and become instantly relatable, and will set you apart from bigger faceless businesses.

I use a Bluetooth shutter remote that connects to my phone so I can get into position and take multiple shots, without having to run back and forth like a madwoman! I brought this set off Amazon which includes a tripod, lenses, lights and Bluetooth shutter remote and found it works really well for simple DIY home photoshoots.

02 | Add Testimonials

Build trust immediately through one of the most effective marketing tools out there - referrals! Recommendations are the ultimate trust builder and you should sprinkle them throughout your website, not just tucked away at the bottom of your services page. As a Squarespace website designer for female entrepreneurs, one of my favourite things to do is add some catchy testimonials to your home page, which brings me to my next point. 

Get creative with how you present your reviews. You want to draw attention to these sections, so try out all the different options Squarespace offers to add testimonials to your site. This can include:

• Image blocks

• Text blocks

• Summary blocks (use this to create a slider!)

Here are a few examples using all of these different options in action!:

Ask past clients for specific results they have seen from working with you. Do the same thing with future customers by creating an offboarding questionnaire with targeted questions that help you paint a clear and tangible picture of what a potential client's life could look like after working with you or purchasing your products. Before and after testimonials are a great formula to help potential clients relate to the struggles your clients have faced and no longer have because of you! 

Lastly, include testimonials on blog posts, your portfolio, and case study pages to build credibility no matter what page of your website visitors are viewing. Buyers are influenced by people around them, that's why "influencers" exist and make money! Your stand out website might have an amazing design, but if you're missing testimonials, then website visitors might not trust you enough to give you their money. 

03. Look Legit

What do you get when you combine a website with high-quality photography, convincing copy, and a strategically designed website? A stand-out Squarespace website for entrepreneurs ready to build trust and convert visitors into buyers. 

Let's break this down with a real-world example: If you were looking to hire a kitchen fitter, which one would you choose?

The one whose website is full of poor quality images, wall-to-wall blocks of confusing text, no pictures of the staff that work there, confusing navigation, and no clear easy way of getting in touch, or...

The one whose website looks clean and professional with good quality images, short, easy to read snippets of text, friendly pictures that feature their staff, testimonials, and a clear way of getting in touch. 

I know which one I’d choose! Similarly, if you look legit and do a good job of your own website, then your website visitors will subconsciously think you’ll do a good job for them too. To do this, use this short checklist and make sure your website includes all of the following elements...

• Good quality images (use stock images if you struggle to source your own. Check out this post all about how to source high quality stock photos for your website)

• Consistent colours, fonts and heading styles

• Pictures of you

• Portfolio and pictures of your work/products 

• Clearly structured menu navigation

• Clear calls to action (CTA’s) and a clear way to get in touch

A website that lacks professional design doesn't build credibility. If you're an online female business owner, then my Stand Out Squarespace website design services are for you! Visit my services page to learn more about how I can help you.

04. Make it Easy for People to Contact You

Make sure you have a contact page in your main navigation and your CTA buttons lead people to fill out your contact form. State how long it will take to hear back from you (contact forms can get a bad rep on websites as people feel like they might be sending their message off into the internet abyss never to be seen again!). Once you add a contact form to your website, test it out yourself and make sure all is working well! 

Optimise your contact page by showing there’s a human behind the contact form! Some people underrate the importance of adding more than your email, phone number, and physical location (if you have one) to your contact page. This is another great opportunity to show your face, add helpful FAQs, and another testimonial on your contact page that will help build even more trust and credibility. Check out this blog post all about how to jazz up your contact page.

In my opinion, contact pages are seriously underrated and seen as an after-thought. If you think about it, people who are on your contact page are warm leads! They’re interested enough in your offerings to reach out - take advantage of this and don't scare them off by overlooking the importance of a contact page that welcomes visitors and helps your services stand out! 

Here’s an example of my contact page below:

05. Optimise Your Website for Mobile Viewers

If people have a negative experience on a mobile site, they are 60% less likely to purchase from you. A lot of the time, you may design your website in desktop view and then forget to check the mobile design! A website that doesn't work properly on a phone doesn't look trustworthy. If you market your business on social media and have people coming to your website from Instagram or Pinterest, chances are they will be on their phone and within the app. If people have clicked the link in your bio, they're likely interested in something you have to offer. People view digital media through their phone, and a negative experience that stems from a website that isn't optimised for mobile can have you losing money! 

73% of Internet traffic comes from mobile devices, so it's arguably more important than your desktop design! Squarespace usually does a good job of this on its own, but it's a good idea to hire a professional designer who will make sure that your website looks amazing and continues to build trust on mobile devices. 

Et voila! Those were my 5 simple tips for building trust and credibility on website. I hope you enjoyed reading this post. Comment below if you have any questions.

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