Research reveals three important facts:

1) The Internet is one of the most important sources of information.

2) The trustworthiness of the Internet is declining.

3) Customers will come back to your site if they trust it.

In the face of a declining trust in the Internet, theres definitely value in creating a website which can be trusted by your visitors. But how do you do it? Thats what this article is all about.

But first, the research

According to a recent major study, "Ten Years, Ten Trends", conducted by the Center for the Digital Future (http://www.digitalcenter.org), a leading authority on the impact of the Internet, the Internet is still seen as one of the most important sources of information, but people are placing less faith in the reliability of that information.

These findings are supported by earlier research. American Express found that 73% of people use the Internet to gather information, and Lyra Research found that 48% of people use the Internet to find work-related information as opposed to 7% who use magazines. When it comes to reliability of information, A.T. Kearney found that workers take so long trying to find information that it costs organisations $750 billion annually!

But never fear! All is not lost. It is possible to stem the tide at least as far as your own website is concerned. According to Nielsen NetRatings, helpful website content develops site loyalty. The average person visits no more than 19 websites in the entire month in order to avoid information overload they tend to rely on the sites that they can trust to help them.

So how do you make yours one of those sites? How do you inspire trust in your visitors?

The answer is simple make your website copy trustworthy!

Following are 8 steps thatll put you on the road to a trustworthy website.

STEP 1 - Always include your contact details

Always! This includes an email address, phone numbers, fax numbers, and address. Without these details, youll look like a fly-by-night operation.

STEP 2 Tell us who you are

Dedicate a page of copy to the people who run your company. You dont need to say much just provide a little history. Talk about their work history, career highlights, education and qualifications, etc. And it never hurts to include a little personal information as well. Let your readers know who you are.

STEP 3 Know it & Show it

Its not enough that you know what youre talking about. Your readers have to know you know it! This normally means including a little bit of technical information or some other titbit that potential customers will recognise as expertise. (And always check your facts before publishing. If possible, include statistics or some other form of research results.)

STEP 4 Include samples & testimonials

Of course, if youre going to talk the talk, you have to be able to walk the walk. Validate your claims by including samples of your previous work (if applicable), and testimonials from some satisfied customers.

STEP 5 Something for nothing

Nothing inspires trust more than an offer of something for nothing. But you have to make sure that something is helpful. And make it doubly clear that it really is obligation-free. Nothing undermines credibility faster than the suspicion that theres a hidden catch.

STEP 6 Avoid advertorial style web copy

Dont go on and on, page after page, repeating the same thing using different words. Make your point and make it quickly. Dont insult your visitors intelligence by implying that theyll believe you if you just say it often enough! If you use advertorial style web copy, youll seem more interested in yourself than the business solution youre offering your client.

STEP 7 Avoid hard-sell web copy

Once again, dont insult your visitors intelligence. Hard-sell web copy can give the impression that youre more interested in the sale than the business solution. Sure, create a sense of urgency with your web copy, but dont overdo it.

STEP 8 Talk benefits not features

When you talk features, youre talking about your product or service - youre talking about you. When you talk benefits, youre showing that youre interested in what the customer needs. Talking benefits is one of the best ways to engage your customer. (For more information on writing about benefits, see http://www.divinewrite.com/benefits.htm and http://www.divinewrite.com/webbenefitwriting.htm.)

Websites can be a great way to engage your customers and make sales. But you have to make sure your visitors trust what you say. And that means getting your web copy right.

Of course, its not ALL about the website copy. Obviously you also need a website design that inspires trust (see http://www.mc3.com.au for that).

Happy writing!