1. Present a Real Face

Showing your web site is a legitimate physical business you will boost your site's credibility. The simplest way to do this is by providing a physical address and telephone number for voicemail contact. It also helps to post a picture of yourself or your office and place a list of memberships you belong to such as the chamber of commerce and professional organizations for your business field.

2. Provide Authority

Give authority site links to research and information you present. Even if the reader does not check your information, seeing the respected source of your statement instills trust in your information and your site. And just the opposite - don't link to outside sites that are not credible. Your site becomes less credible by association.

3. Highlight Your Staff

People like to know who runs things behind the scenes. Offer brief "about us" information for your staff, even if it's just you and your partner, freelancer, or virtual assistant.

4. Share Your Experience and Expertise

Are you an expert on some topic? Make that known on your site, in your About Us page and wherever appropriate in articles and resources. List your education and accomplishments in specific areas of knowledge and training.

5. Be Reachable

People like to feel there's a real person there to communicate with. Give a personal email address and answer promptly. Provide a physical address, telephone number and fax number if you can. A customer help desk is a good addition for a busy site too. But most importantly, respond to their needs as soon as possible.

6. Present a Well Designed Site

Lots of people judge a website by its cover. Provide a professional look but keep it user friendly and consistent. Your design should be appropriate for your business and inviting to internet users of varying experience.

7. Keep it Simple

That snazzy flash page may dazzle some but for many others it will simply be overboard and they will click on by. Use the basics that load quickly and perform well for all internet users and don't require them to update their computer software to view your pages. People are looking for information and they want it quickly and easily and don't want to upgrade to get it.

8. Provide New Content Regularly

A site with the same content your visitor saw last month or even last week will give a feeling of absence or abandonment. Keep things current. Place new content weekly if you can. A blog is a great way to do this and you can schedule the content delivery to make it easy.

9. Keep Ads to a Minimum

Advertising should be for products or services you stand behind and should not constitute a large part of your site's presentation. Featuring a new product or service every month or even every week can be fine. Just don't bombard your reader with ads. It conveys a feel of your selling interest superseding your sincere interest in your customer

10. Present Clean, Error-free, Functioning Content

Spelling mistakes and broken links are a real turn-off. As an internet business owner you rely mostly on the written word to convey information and professionalism about you and your business. It is important that you present the best you can for your visitors and that it be functional and accessible when they need it.

Use these ten steps to establish your business online. Not only will you gain trust and respect online, you will gather a devoted audience that will spread the word. That's the best advertising online that no money can buy.