The Dos and Don'ts of Establishing Credibility on the Internet

Volume VI, Issue 5
ISSN: 1547-7754
October 2008
printable version

Chris King, Editor
By subscription only, this monthly e-newsletter is loaded with short, "down and dirty" tips to help you with solving the everchanging and growing puzzle of the Internet. This e-zine serves as a place to ask your questions and find the answers. So, send me your burning questions.

Important Note! To access the books in the Right Hand margin along with the featured links, click on the printable version and they will all become live links.

With this issue of the Internet Tips E-zine, I will discuss how and how one doesn’t rate high with me on credibility. I will warn you upfront that I have strong opinions in this area, so you may not want to go there and read it.

We have all been told – and I have proved it for myself – that for a person to buy our product(s) they must “know, like, and trust” us. Even if they know and like us, without trust, they still will not buy our product(s) or put any credence into what we write in our newsletters, articles, books, special reports or websites. If we haven’t established credibility with others, we do not have their trust.

Following are the TIPS that I feel are the most important:

TIP #1. Be a Professional in All Your Interactions.
Even if we never meet our clients and/or readers in person, I feel that we must treat everyone with the utmost respect. I am a proponent of answering e-mail and/or phone calls promptly. I know that in the interest of time, many others don’t do this. They definitely lose some credibility with me.

Dale Carnegie wrote that we should avoid the three Cs: don’t complain, don’t criticize, and don’t condemn (pre-judge). These spill over into our e-messages. I submit to you that if you feel that someone has slighted or wronged you and you are angry, don’t send an e-mail to that effect. It will be read with much animosity. In the same vein, do re-read your important messages to make sure they are giving the reader a professional impression of you.

TIP #2. Make Sure that You are an Expert in Your Field.
If you tell the world that they should listen to you, because you are an expert in the field you are writing about, you’d better be. You have first hand experience and have also researched and lived your topic. Readers who find out that you are an 18 year old advising CEOs of Fortune 500 companies how to succeed, will tell others and your credibility will plummet.

Also, because there is a lot of dishonesty floating around the Internet, make sure that you carefully check your facts. Or, even qualify them by stating your source. The good news is that it is easier and more fun to write about something you know about and have a passion for. Readers can see through insincerity quickly – and your credibility will suffer.

TIP #3. Pay Attention to the Image You Are Projecting. Any information that you present on your website, in your newsletter, in articles, and, especially today, in videos, portrays your image. You don’t have to possess Hollywood looks, but if you are going to add a photograph to your website (which I suggest you do for knowing and liking), be sure to have a professional photographer take it. It doesn’t hurt either to dress with care for the shoot.

Now that audios and videos are so popular, they are a great way to reach your visitors and build one-on-one relationships with them. But – and it is a big but – make sure that you or someone else looks at and listens to them with a critical ear and eye, editing out the not-so-professional parts. Re-listen to your tele-seminars and/or podcasts. If they don’t leave a good image, do them over.

TIP #4. Watch Your Words – Clean up Your Spelling and Grammar.
I know how easy it is to let a typo make an appearance and slip by. Even with all of the checking and re-reading I do, it happens. Fred Gleeck includes a humorous statement in his newsletter: “If you find typographical or grammatical errors in this email, they're here for a purpose. Some people actually enjoy looking for them and we strive to please as many people as possible.”

My suggestion here is to do as much checking and re-checking as possible. Some of the e-mails I receive have so many glaring errors, I am amazed. If you are aware that you are weak in this area, enlist the help of someone who will check your work. You might even take a brush-up class in grammar at a local college. Poor and/or incorrect grammar can also ruin an oral presentation.

TIP #5. Fulfill the Promises You Have Made to Clients and Potential Clients.
To me, the biggest drain on someone’s credibility is not doing what they said they were going to do. Realize the importance of following through on your agreements and obligations. If you set a deadline, stick to it, even if it means some late nights and weekends filled with work.

My suggestion here is to always allow more time than you will actually need. This way, you can deliver early rather than late. Clients will be surprised and delighted. They will tell others about how credible you are – they now trust you. You have built their loyalty.

I know that, as usual, I have only scratched the surface, but do hope that I started you considering your credibility. See you next month!

Do send your comments and questions to me at chris@creativekeys.biz. I love to receive feedback and will answer your questions in future e-zines.