One of the most difficult things for any website to do – especially if it is new – is build trust with their visitors. There are so many scams now everyone is on high alert. So in order for your website to be successful, you need to remove anything that may appear suspicious and add key trust-building elements. Here are five simple yet effective ways to improve your websites credibility and trustworthiness.

1. Professional Design

If your website looks like an amateur built it, your visitors wont be on it for very long. You dont need to spend a ton of money on a professional web designer, but there are a few things you can do to improve the way it looks:

1. Reduce advertising. People visit websites for information. Dont overwhelm them with Google AdSense or affiliate ads.
2. Limit colors. A simple color scheme of no more than 5 colors should be used on all pages.
3. Add images. Ever hear the expression, “A picture speaks a thousand words? Choosing the right pictures is an easy way to convey trust.

2. Sufficient Content.

If you are attempting to sell a product or service, be sure to have sufficient content describing what you have to offer. One simple way to feature your content is by creating a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page.

3. Use Secure Pages

If you request any personal information, even if it is just a home address, you will gain trust by protecting your visitors information via SSL encryption. SSL, or Secure Sockets Layer, encrypts information that is transmitted between the user and the website, and makes sure it cannot be intercepted and used by other parties. To add this to your website, you need to buy and install an SSL certificate, and submit forms to URLs that begin with the https prefix.

4. Display Samples or Testimonials

Many websites build confidence by displaying samples of their work or by showcasing testimonials that have been submitted by customers or clients. Of course, testimonials can be faked so they may not always be convincing. To make sure that your testimonials are believable, include a web address or a note mentioning that past customers can be contacted.

5. Add Contact Information.

There are many web-based businesses that sell products and services without any interaction with their customers. While this works for most online shoppers, others like the option of direct contact.

All you need to do to is add contact information to your website. In most cases, this is simply a phone number or an email address. If your business has a physical location, you might also consider posting the address along with a map. Finally, to make it really easy for visitors to contact you, its a good idea to add a simple dynamic contact form.