The Internet has two good properties, there is a lot of content about several topics on the Internet and it is also easy to access the Internet. This is even more true since now there are more users on the Internet that are using their mobile devices. This coupled with the fact that there are a increased number of smart phone users and thus more people accessing the Internet means there is content from many sources.

It has thus become almost second nature to look up any issue or inquire about some fact on the Internet that many of us tend to believe just about any that we find on the Internet. So much so that many do not think twice about sharing an interesting story on the Internet no matter how ridiculous it may sound.

Thus web credibility is slowly beginning to become an issue of sorts. Here are what the statistics tells us:

• There are over 33.5 million Wikipedia articles now published, with that figure on the rise

• There are approximately 670 million hits on Wikipedia daily.

• There has been a 700% increase in the number of Internet users from 2000 to 2014 as per the Internet World Stats published in 2014.

Thus the statistics clearly displays how more number of people are depending on information found on the Internet. It is easy and quick to do so and as far as it is a reliable source that is fine too. However this does raise the issue of the credibility of the information found on the Internet.

The users find their information from several sources on the Internet. For example websites, blogs, wiki pages, e-news, e-books, e-libraries and even e-journals. The cost of information in general has drastically reduced since the advent of the Internet. With more number of people depending on the Internet for the Information on various fields and many different sources there could be some serious consequences of following the wrong advice.

Online Information – Concern about Credibility:

There are more chances of find the right solution or information on the Internet than not and considering the fact that many of us will usually consult more than one website for information means the chance of it being right are high. However there is always the possibility that it isn’t. Here are a few examples of what the consequences of getting it wrong could be:

• Consider a person who is sick and searching for what his symptoms mean on the Internet. The person happens to find an logical answer for his symptoms on some website and it also has mentioned the remedy. Procuring medicine without prescription is not the hardest thing in the world. However if the advice turns out to be wrong or a prank of some kind it is likely to make the sick person in even more sick.

• False news or fake news is one of the biggest and most common reason for embarrassment on the Internet. It does often happen that some news flash found on the Internet may seem very cool, hip, happening or shocking that you instantly share it without considering the credibility of the source. With such news events; there always big chances that it is a fake news item.

Steps to take to ensure website credibility:

• Publishing photos: There are many benefits of publishing photos of yourself and your team on the website as well. A photo may not mean much and the visitors may not recognize you however it does improve credibility.

• Be more contactable: By creating a contact page with accurate information about the physical address as well contact phone numbers; the visitors are likely to trust the website even more.

• FAQ Page: A visitor or a client visiting your website is usually looking for information on some topic or want assurance on how the business deal is likely to turn out. Creating a FAQ page will help in a big way. Because by the way it is possible to publish the answer to almost all the common questions and concerns of the client or visitor what eve the case may be.

• Verifying Information: Publishing information that has no basis is of no benefit. For example if publishing statistics it would be a good idea to include the source of information.

• Usefulness’: A website that is of some use to the visitor is likely to develop more trust and ensure the visitor returns for more.

• Regular updates: A website that is developed needs to have constant updates. In most cases if a website is left untouched after development hoping they will get a lot of hits, realize the hard way that there are very remote chances of that happening. Actively updating the website with current and relevant information and content is very important to gain the trust of the visitor. At the same time it is also important to make sure your design or website layout doe not below to the middle ages. By which I mean that if your website design is along the line of the 1990s trends and not what s current in 2015 for example; that too will make the visitors think twice before exploring the website any further.

• Professional and aesthetic: A website is likely to reflect the face of an organization. This may not be true in all the cases but is likely to be true in most cases. What this means that a good office building and a well organized arrangement has the ability to create a good impression on a client which helps boost his confidence and trust. The same applies to your website too. Hence keeping it professional and making it aesthetic will certainly boost the confidence of your visitors.

• Mistakes can be costly: The content matters but it also needs to free of errors. Even grammatical or spelling mistakes will make the visitor think twice before continuing to browse your website. Besides which the more sever the mistakes like functionality bugs or layout issues are sure to drive traffic away from your website.

• Testimonials: It pays to have testimonials thus you should encourage clients to give their testimonials of their good experience and the product or service there were satisfied with.

Conclusion:

It is quite apparent that the journey from having no internet presence to being the most popular business on the Internet is a long one. But this article provides a good insight to make you better prepared to face the hurdles that come your way and even smoothen the process. It is really true that knowledge is power and if you as a business man are equipment with the knowledge of how to go about doing this you will be much better off. The website once designed also needs to be hosted, thus you will also require some server space.

Alakmalak is web development company that has been in existence since a very long time and since then has completed more than 2000 projects successfully. It has clients from all around the world with a continuously growing client base. By trusting Alakmalak with the development of your website you can rest assured that you are in safe hands.

• Significance of web credibility assessment
• Web credibility assessment: affecting factors and assessment techniques