6 Ways to Establish Authority or Expertise Through Your Website
Your website is an incredible asset for your business. It not only makes you look more legit, but it gives potential clients and customers a way to learn more about you and what you offer.
Although having a beautiful and cohesive website can feel empowering, there’s a few key aspects that can really help boost the effectiveness of your website in converting leads and sales.
In this post, I'm going to be discussing six ways to establish authority and expertise on your website.
Let's dive in!
1. Testimonials
It’s crucial to gather words of praise from past clients and showcase that on your website.
Think of physical products you purchase - there’s a high chance you’re checking out the rating before you add it to your cart and check out.
If you are just starting out and you haven't really worked with any clients, consider doing a small project for free in exchange for a testimonial or getting words of praise from former coworkers or supervisors.
There's definitely ways around that so that you can still have that social proof on your website.
A couple of great places to include testimonials besides a standalone page is on your homepage and on your services page.
On your homepage, you can include a short snippet of a few testimonials so site visitors can get some quick insight. And on your services page, you can add full testimonials below your pricing.
2. Press mentions
The truth is...getting press makes you look like a “big deal.”
Including logos to publications you’ve been featured on, TV interviews you’ve given, or podcasts you’ve spoken on can be a great addition to your website.
You don’t have to wait until you get featured on the big players like Forbes or Business Insider to display press mentions to visitors.
Any feature or interview you’ve given is worth including on your website since it enhances credibility and gives site visitors a chance to learn more from you.
When you receive mentions, there’s a few different places you can put them.
If you just have one or two, consider linking them somewhere on your about page.
When you have at least four or five, I would suggest making them present on your homepage. You can insert a media bar directly below the banner image at the top of your website, or add it later on down the page as its own section.
If you’re taking PR seriously, consider adding a press page to your website with an official bio and photos that the media can use.
Here are a couple examples...mine is below followed by my client, Cait.
3. Showcase your work with a portfolio
If you’re an online coach, this point won’t apply to you.
But if you’re a creative or service provider, like a photographer, designer, or copywriter, you’ll want to take note!
Showcase your work on your website so potential clients can see what you’ve done for others and get a feel for what you offer.
Especially for visual work like photography or designing, this is crucial to getting site visitors to take the next step.
When adding items into your portfolio, only include the type of work that will attract your ideal clients. For example, you’ll notice that my website design portfolio doesn’t include all 40+ websites I’ve ever designed. It includes mainly feminine and minimal designs specifically for coaches and creatives who I want to attract as a result.
4. Blogging
Creating blog content that solves your client's problem is extremely helpful in allowing your readers to gain more trust in you and see that you’re a trusted expert in your field.
When you provide readers with a small win, they're more likely to hire you or at least opt-in and learn more about what you have to offer.
And the other best part?
Blogging paired with an SEO strategy allows you to get found in Google by ideal clients and grow your leads on autopilot...for free!
The residual effect of getting found on page 1 of Google is that people automatically see you as an expert because you’re on page 1.
If you feel strapped for time, consider repurposing your social media content for your blog. I recommend this for all my clients.
You can either start with a blog post and break it up into social media captions from there or do the opposite.
5. Video marketing
Video marketing is extremely powerful in giving your audience a chance to see who you are and experience your personality.
Not to mention it’s an incredible way to establish a connection between you and your audience.
If you have a YouTube channel, be sure to embed those videos onto your website.
You can have a dedicated page for your videos, or you can repurpose them into blog posts.
If you go this route, be sure to alter the audio transcription so the blog post content is not word for word. Since Google owns YouTube, and YouTube understands the audio in each video, you want to avoid having duplicate content between the video itself and the individual blog post.
6. Podcast marketing
Having a podcast for your business is a great way for potential clients to learn from you on the go, not to mention it’s an incredible way to showcase your expertise.
If you are publishing podcast content weekly, I would recommend that you (at a minimum) add show notes on your website so that they’re visible when people land on your online home.
I’m actually not a fan of show notes because they don’t provide much info. I prefer (and recommend to all my SEO clients) that podcasters transcribe this content, clean it up to remove any transition/fluff words, and publish it as a blog post.
This allows site visitors to consume the information by reading it on your website and giving them the ability to listen by embedding the audio player at the top.
Read more: Have a Podcast for Your Business? Here’s 4 Reasons to Ditch Your Show Notes
But more importantly, the reason is because Google can’t read any of the podcast content unless you publish it as a blog post. So it’s another easy way to repurpose that content so that it lives on your website.
As a recap, you can establish your expertise on your website by:
Including testimonials from past happy clients
Showcasing press mentions and features
Incorporating past pieces of work into a portfolio
Writing blog post content
Adding podcast content
Embedding YouTube videos
I would suggest that at a minimum, you showcase testimonials. Beyond that, you want to have at least one kind of content marketing on your website, whether it’s written blog content, podcast content, or video content.
Drop in the comments below which one(s) you’re using for your business, and if you have any questions :)
Need a website overhaul? Look no further! I help powerhouse coaches and creatives build a conversion-focused website that speaks to the soul of their ideal clients so they can make more sales. Let’s chat!
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