Welcome to Zarr’s March newsletter. In this newsletter we look at how to increase trust in your organisation online. In many ways trust is the glue that holds all relationships together, both inside and outside of your organisation. Any business relationship involves an element of risk, which makes people vulnerable. So you need to bear this is mind, when it comes to what information you should have on your website and how it should be presented.

Consumers are nervous about transacting online so in order to beat this scepticism you must work hard to make your sales message risk free and credible. The good news is that this is actually quite easy to do with a couple of techniques on your website.

Firstly, you should use testimonials from satisfied customers. Testimonials from real people are very powerful, in particular for the older generation, who feel reassured by reading testimonials from people they relate to. Consumers don't like to be guinea pigs. If they've seen that someone else has really received the promised benefits, you'll have instant credibility. Including pictures of your endorsers, if you can get them, will increase the effectiveness of testimonials. Better still one of Zarr’s clients, logistics consultants, Key3 Partners, includes video testimonials on their website, and these are the real thing, not actors.

Set your visitors’ expectations accurately – for example on your website state your turnaround for delivery and your office opening hours – so they know when they can talk to your staff. To make this information really current you’ll need to update your site regularly for example to cover bank holiday opening and business shut down during the summer holidays or over the Christmas period. A content managed website allows you to do this yourself.

Another way to increase your credibility online is to ensure people have a number of ways to contact you, for example telephone, email and postal address. This gives visitors the option to use the contact method which best appeals to them.

Your choice of images on the website also gives prospective clients reassurance that your organisation has substance. Professionally taken photographs of your staff and offices will give visitors some reassurance that you do exist.

To demonstrate your organisation’s credibility you must ensure that your website has all the relevant legal bits on it. Please read the article on the business-lawfirm.co.uk website about making your website legal.

Finally to minimise any potential risk for your prospective client if possible offer a cast-iron guarantee. You should aim to provide as strong a guarantee as it is possible for you to do. Unfortunately, too many small business owners fear that their customers will take them up on their guarantees and they'll end up taking a big hit on refunds. It is a fact that guarantees are seldom exercised. So use a powerful guarantee – because if you're confident about the quality of the service you offer, you'll have nothing to fear.

Each of the above actions will help you generate trust and credibility in your product or service. And this will reduce the risks your prospects naturally feel when they are contemplating buying from you. But above all, be truthful and honest, and you won't go wrong.

To discuss ideas on how your website can instil confidence in visitors call Hannah on 01788 820900 or email Hannah@zarr.com.

Special Zarr Offer: Offsite Storage

Imagine if your PC died and the files on it could not be recovered? Have you got a back up plan which ensures that the information on your computer is copied and can be restored? If you want to have a regular back up plan in place Zarr can provide the facility for you to copy certain files from your computer to the backup area on the Internet. The information is secure and we can recall certain information over 30 days.

Costs
Zarr is offering 50 MB of storage for £10 +VAT per month or 100 MB of storage for £15 +VAT per month. Information stored can be retrieved for up to 30 days, provided it is saved on a daily basis.

To Order
To order yours call Ursula on 01788 820900 or email Ursula@zarr.com.

The Armstrongs: Your chance to ask questions If you are watching the The Armstrongs, on BBC2 on Wednesday night you may well have some questions to ask them. In addition to developing their U-Fit.co.uk website Zarr has also developed a forum for them, which the BBC website is actively promoting.

Special Zarr Offer:
Upgraded Content Management

In 2006 Zarr launched an upgraded version of our content management system. The new system allows site owners to optimise each page on their website by adding key words and descriptions. It also includes useful visitor statistics which include the number of leads generated through your site, where these leads have come from (e.g. what they typed into search engines), and where visitors enter and leave the site.

Costs
Until the end of March Zarr is offering an upgraded content management system for sites up to 50 pages of just £500 +VAT.

To Order
To order yours call Ursula on 01788 820900 or email Ursula@zarr.com.

Case Study: Students’ Mates & Dates Site is so Uni – que Students who think they have the ‘sex factor’ are flocking to appear on a pioneering new website developed by Zarr. Entrepreneur Richard Leighton, 22, has teamed up with Zarr to develop www.iloveuni.co.uk – an online university mates and dates service for students across the UK. The website allows people to create online profiles of themselves with photos that can be viewed publicly and privately by other users, send messages to each other and search for their ideal mate or date. Those who appear on the website are rated by other users on their sexiness – and their ratings contribute to a league table of the UK’s Most Sexiest Universities, which is updated daily. Richard, a graduate in fashion design management from the University of Leeds, set up the website to try and create a national online student community. He said: “One of the things that I found about university was that most students hung around for three years in their individual cliques. The i love uni mates and dates service was developed on the basis that it would allow students to meet all sorts of new and interesting people at their university and others across the country, diversifying their university experience. “The ‘Sexiest University Countdown averages students’ rating from each of the universities in the country and positions their academic establishment accordingly. So if you’ve ever wondered just how sexy your university really is in comparison to the rest or if your university is sexier than your local counterparts, now’s the time to get involved and find out.” Hannah Reynolds, Director of Zarr Internet Services, which has developed the www.iloveuni.co.uk website, added: “Richard’s notion of developing an online student community is an excellent idea. All the info and pictures are moderated and the site is regularly updated for users. We are delighted to be working with Richard and helping students from all over Britain make contact with one another.” The www.iloveuni.co.uk service, which also sells clothing merchandise and raises awareness of the Make Drinking History campaign, is completely free to use until September 2006, when i love uni will charge a nominal fee to cover running costs, as well as to develop additional online services to help promote student talent.

Coming Soon
Zarr’s April Newsletter features a website commissioning checklist.

Contact Zarr
If you are interested in finding out how your business can benefit from the latest web technology or if you need help with your online business strategy contact Zarr Internet Services on 01788 820900.

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