Curious as to why most startups fail to impress online?
It’s not always the product.
It’s not always the funding.
And it sure as heck isn’t always their marketing budget.
It’s their website.
Almost every startup founder puts every waking hour into building a product while neglecting…the number one thing visitors, customers, investors and partners see first…website credibility.
And here’s the crazy part…
An amateur website won’t just fail to impress. It will actually repel visitors and kill credibility before any conversations can even take place.
Here’s what you’ll learn:
- Why Digital Credibility Matters
- Website Credibility Defined in 50ms
- 4 Fundamentals Every Startup Website Needs
- Website Redesign Cost vs ROI
Ready to take your startup’s digital credibility to the next level?
Let’s dive in.
Why Digital Credibility Matters to Your Startup
Approximately 90% of startups fail.
We see that stat tossed around all the time and its something that really hasn’t changed in the past decade.
But what very few people talk about is…
Startups that don’t prioritise their online presence are 50% more likely to fail than those that invest early. HALF AGAIN. And yet, website credibility is still one of the most neglected components of building a business.
Think about it. Before they give your startup a call. Before they fill out that contact form. Before they add your page to their feed. They see your website.
Your website has to be doing the heavy lifting.
It needs to establish trust. Quickly.
It needs to showcase your brand and showcase that you know what you’re doing.
Without trust, visitors won’t stay. And they sure as heck won’t be back.
Website Credibility Defined in 50ms
Website credibility boils down to one thing:
Trust.
But how do you build trust in less than a second?
It’s simple.
Appeal to sight.
Visitors will judge whether or not they can trust your brand in just 50 milliseconds.
50ms.
That’s HALF of a second.
And during that slither of time, visitors make snap judgements about your website based on little more than how it looks.
75% of consumers decide if a website (and therefore business) is credible solely by looking at the design. Three quarters of people will take one glance at your website and make instant assumptions about your startup.
That right there is why your website needs to look professional from day one.
If you’re bootstrapping your startup against larger, more established brands, you don’t get the luxury of catching up. You have to impress instantly.
An amateur website built with an outdated template is never going to cut it.
You need credibility, and you need it now.
That’s why investing in quality web design matters.
If you aren’t running around with professional photographers, real writers, and developers on your founding team then you need to invest in a professional website redesign.
It’s the best decision a startup can make to ensure their website isn’t holding them back.
The First Impression is The ONLY Impression
What Most Startup Founders Get Wrong
This is not to say that most startup founders care about web design.
Far from it.
We’ve seen time and time again that founders are incredible at building products but absolutely butcher their credibility online by making some critical website redesign mistakes.
Here are the five most common credibility killers:
- Treating the website as an afterthought. Throw it together with a free template. Fill it with stock images. Boom. Website.
- Overlooking mobile visitors. Don’t optimise for mobile. 57% of internet users say they won’t recommend a business with a poorly designed mobile website. That’s over half of your visitors.
- Neglecting basic trust signals. Where’s the call to action? How can we contact you? Who have you worked with? Provide proof that you know what you’re talking about.
- Cramping pages with buzzwords. We know you LOVE your product. But so do every other founder on the planet. Write for your visitors, not yourself. Make it obvious what your startup does.
All fixable with a website redesign.
We’re talking are-second-younger-brand kinda stuff.
And that friendliness you convey with a thoughtful layout and nice pictures? That translates to trust. And trust equals credibility.
The 4 Fundamentals Every Startup Website Needs
What makes a website credible?
We mentioned earlier that website design is the single most important factor. But what aspects of design matter most? Here are the fundamentals every startup website needs to be considered credible:
- Clean and modern design.
Visually, your site needs to exude professionalism. If your site looks like it was hand-coded by Jeff in 1999 chances are visitors won’t take you seriously.
Oh and lots of white space. Don’t be afraid of it.
- Fast loading speed.
Websites that take ages to load are annoying. Period. If your site can’t load quickly enough for visitors you’re telegraphing that you don’t care about their experience.
And once again, that right there screams amateur hour.
Google even punishes slow sites with lower search rankings.
- Clear messaging.
Do you know who you are? What you do? And who you serve?
If you aren’t confident in answering those questions in 10 words or less then your website won’t be either.
Make your value proposition abundantly clear on every page.
- Social proof.
Humans love to follow the crowd. We’re wired that way.
Showcase testimonials, case studies, logos of clients you’ve worked with, and reviews to establish credibility through social proof.
Website visitors should have no reason to trust you over your competitors. Make it easy for them to trust YOU.
Bonus Points:
Make sure your website is mobile responsive. There is literally no excuse for having a broken mobile website these days.
Is your website easy to navigate? Internal linking, frequently asked sections, and search functionality are all nice bonuses.
These are the must-haves. Start here, and you’ll be well on your way to building a website that competes with the big dogs.
Website Redesign Cost vs ROI
Okay, okay. Time to stop preaching and start explaining.
We get it. You’re a startup founder. You don’t have money to throw at these problems.
But here’s the thing…
You also don’t have money to WASTE.
We spend most of our day telling entrepreneurs why they NEED a professional website redesign. But let’s flip the script.
What does a startup founder gain from taking website credibility seriously?
First and foremost, you get trust.
Visitors will have more confidence in your brand. That allows you to…
Convert more visitors into leads and clients.
You’ll rank higher on search engines.
Meaning more eyeballs on your content.
Which means…
You’ll beat the competition who are too scared to invest in their website.
And when more visitors become leads and more leads become clients, that equals BIG returns on your investment.
That, friends, is how you will never “have enough money” to redesign your website.
You just need to allocate your budget smarter.
And remember: your website works 24/7..
When you wake up and open your browser, your website is working.
When you’re watching Netflix your website is working.
It never sleeps. So why aren’t you investing in making it better?
Pulling It All Together
Congratulations! You’ve now come to realise the importance of website credibility.
Sure, you came here thinking you were going to learn how to design a website.
But we’re not designers…we’re obsessives.
Design isn’t our goal, it’s the tool we use to reach our goals.
Website credibility can be the difference between a startup that survives and one that doesn’t.
Your website is your chance to make a great first impression.
Do yourself a favour and don’t forget it.
Here’s a quick recap:
- Digital credibility is the difference between life and death for your startup
- Website visitors will decide if they can trust your brand in less than 50 milliseconds
- Put too much focus on anything other than your website and you’re guarantee credibility problems
- 4 fundamentals of startup website credibility: clean design, fast load times, clear messaging, social proof
- You don’t need money to redesign a website. You just need to spend your money smarter.
Get your website right, and customers will do the rest.
