For the fifth blog in the conversion-centered design series, we are talking about credibility. Credibility means that the user who lands on your landing page needs to feel like your brand is trustworthy. Just because you say it is, doesn’t mean it’s legitimate. If users are unfamiliar with your brand, which would be the majority since you are trying to convert them and get an email from them, then that need some proof.
How do you show proof and credibility?
There are many tactics to increase credibility in relation to conversion-centered design. Don’t use them all! You can use something as simple as social media sharing and likes to testimonials. What you use will depend on your landing page goal. If you want them to download an educational eBook, then social proof that this content has shares and likes is a good strategy. However, if your goal is to get someone to sign up for a demo of your product, then testimonials about how the application has helped a current client is more appropriate. Allowing your customers to talk about the benefits of your product is much more valuable than you listing a bunch of features. There are many other credibility examples in this article from Unbounce.
What makes a great testimonial?
When deciding which testimonials to use, focus on ones that have specifics about the product an its impact on the user. Stay away from ones that are overly enthusiastic, as these won’t ring true. Also avoid ones that are too generic; savvy users will think these are fake. If possible, use real names and companies.
Leveraging referrals
Referrals from current customers are beaming with trust! Consider creating a referral program, and a landing page to promote. Provide your current customers with an incentive because most people will want something to become your cheerleader. Think about what may be important to your current customer. Ask them to share your content, follow you on social media and refer!
Credibility works with all the other conversion-centered design principles: attention, context, clarity and congruence. You must be optimizing for all these principles to increase conversions.
