When a potential customer looks to a website to make a potential business relationship decision credibility is a major factor. Big companies are great at making a powerful brand and name recognition by investing in online marketing and PR.

While the internet does somewhat level the playing field for a side-by-side comparison for small businesses against large established corporations, the little guys need to work harder to establish the sense of trust.

So what can a small business do to accomplish this?

Website Design The first thing a visitor will see when they come to your site is your design. If it looks old, dated and unprofessional you could loose a lot of credibility. Make sure your website design is up-to-date and to par in your industry.

Reviews Testimonials, third-party endorsements and media plugs can go a long way to establish credibility. Work with your PR team or agency to achieve some press.

Awards When your website has received an award a visitor know that you have been reviewed and meet some sort of professional standards. Get that logo and place it on your site - it’s credibility.

Search Engine Rankings Having a Google PageRank and being found in search results is important. If your lackign with of these, invest in a search engoine optimization firm who can bring you online presence - it’s credibility.