People buy products and employ services from companies they trust, and a trustworthy company is one that knows every aspect of the product or service from top to bottom. It’s no secret that a number of products are often associated with a brand name – this is because the company likely had many years to perfect their brand and gain the respect that keeps them in business. When customers need to ship items, they may turn to FedEx or UPS; likewise, when people shop for bread they may choose Wonder or Merita based upon their reputations for good product.

As a newer company or an established organization just coming to the Internet, you have a shorter window of opportunity to attract attention. Once your initial site is built, it is important to establish your immediately as an expert in your field in order to gain the trust of your visitors. In doing this, you also help your SEO through steady building of content and proper saturation of keywords under which you wish to be found.

Show What You Know

Being an expert doesn’t mean you have to give away any secret recipes or your entire plan of attack. However, if you want to show visitors exactly why they should choose your products or services over others you must provide some information to prove your validity and authority:

• Write Articles: Whether your sites promotes pest control or sells auto parts, a series of well-written, keyword rich articles can build a online library for visitors wanting to know more about what you do
• Podcast: If you work in consulting or another field which lends itself to promotion in other media, consider creating a weekly or monthly podcast about your services and the condition of your industry. Include tips and maybe success stories about current and previous clients to create a compelling broadcast.
• Video: If the products you sell would better be served with video demonstrations, consider not only embedding short video on your site but create accounts at social sites like YouTube for maximum exposure. Link back to your main site to improve link popularity and lend an interactive look to your site that can also help improve your results in blended search.

The more you know and share, the better your chances of being found online. Don’t just be a salesman, be an expert at what you know.