Without your Website visitors' trust, you're toast.
You're doing all the talking. You offer visitors no opportunity to comment. "When your brand does all the talking on your Website, you’ve got a recipe for distrust," Feldman says.
You’re anti-social. You ignore social media.
You're writing for robots. "Keyword stuffing is a certain mistrust trigger," Feldman says. Write to motivate people, not to drive SEO.
You’re not helpful. Givers earn trust; the needy don't. "In the online world, the most fervent servants have the most loyal friends."
You're never home. Your Website omits contact information.
You’re never wrong. This is the cardinal sin of large companies and TV pundits. Don't commit it, too.
You’re never wrong. This is the cardinal sin of large companies and TV pundits. Don't commit it, too.
You're a mess. If your Website design stinks, "you’ll never even get the chance to develop trust," Feldman says.
You’re using bad words. Feldman doesn't mean profanities, but "spelling mistakes, poor grammar, blatant bastardizations of the language, clumsy sales pitches, clichés, and jargon-laden nonsense."
You're slimy. You're guilty of using the ultimate trust-busters: bait and switch tactics, fine print, aggressive cookies, fabricated testimonials, privacy policy violations, spam and missing unsubscribe protocols.
"You can’t beg, buy or borrow trust. If you want it, you have to build it one article, podcast, tweet, and headline at a time," Feldman says.
Learn more about building trust from my free white paper, Path of Persuasion.
