Anyone can slap up a website. People aren't stupid. Result? People don't instinctively trust websites.
You've got to earn that trust. The best way is to use the human herd instinct. If it looks like you are in demand, people will want a part of it. To do this, devote prominent space to:
Testimonials
Reviews
Awards
FAQs
Case studies
Previous clients
Here are a couple of sites that do it well:
Example 1:Salesforce.com have a fantastic website that almost persuades me to signup for an E-CRM system, whatever that is. Visitors immediately see that Salesforce.com is highly rated by customers, by journalists and by analysts. Most websites in this sector would either trumpet their technical superiority (too boring, if you want to do it convincingly) or yak on about their 'depth of professional knowledge and unrivalled commitment to quality' (which everyone claims and no one can verify). Showing you are in demand is the way to do it.
Example 2: Newsletter Business Bricks was recently redesigned by Mint Digital. A number of features combine to make the site feel in demand: testimonials, a bustling user directory, the number of subscribers, lots of example content.
You've got people believing. How do you make them buy?
You've got people believing. How do you