Consumers and other stakeholders take a wary approach to corporate Web sites, according to a just-released study from Stanford University and Makovsky & Co. Although the
study shows that participants trust Web sites they consider useful, they have strong doubts about sites that mix editorial and advertising or even contain spelling errors.
Stanford surveyed more than 1,600 American and European Internet users from December to February. Items that can enhance your credibility online:
- Existing respect for your organization's brand
- Quick responses to questions
- Timeliness of content
- A contact phone number
- Broken links, poor navigation and pop-ups can discredit you with Web-savvy surfers. (Makovsky & Co.: Robbin Goodman, 212/5008-9620)