How To Display Expertise And Position Your Business As An Authority

Your website is a fantastic asset for your business, not only for giving customers the chance to learn more about you and what you can offer them but also to establish yourself as an authority in your field. 

Having authority empowers your business, helps it to grow, and improves the effectiveness of your site and brand name as a conversion powerhouse. Here, we’ll explore the ways you can display your expertise on your website and position your business as an authority in your industry. 

Why focus on expertise and authority?

Authority is important to let your customers know that you’re a reliable and trustworthy business, which makes them want to buy from you. The authority principle relates to how people use judgment heuristics to quickly form opinions and judgments, and under this principle, customers believe that looking at businesses in positions of authority and falling in line with their views and decisions will make their own decision-making easier and more successful. 

What’s more, Google now values content that displays experience, expertise, authoritativeness or trustworthiness and takes these elements into account for ranking. The more you can show that your business is a go-to resource and an expert in your chosen field, the higher your website will rank and the more chance you have of increasing conversions. 

Create evergreen content

If you want to attract your target customers and demonstrate your expertise, it’s worth offering valuable, free resources that help them. Content marketing is vital for so many reasons in a business, from increasing your visibility online to promoting your products or services. But it’s also the perfect opportunity to display your expertise on a certain topic, so you can be a reliable source of information for your audience. 

The key to success is to produce content that won’t become outdated in a few months' time and to create content that answers questions your audience has or resolves issues they’re facing. This will help your business to become a go-to resource when a customer is having a problem or is in need of an answer they can trust. 

Utilize the ‘About Us' section

Your ‘about us’ section tells your company’s story and lets your customers know who they’re buying from. A faceless company doesn’t feel as trustworthy as one that is transparent and clear about who works for the business. It also ties in well with Google’s E-E-A-T guidelines, which implies that businesses should showcase their credentials and relevancy in their field. 

One example of this is Hamlyns Chartered Accountants, who have a very in-depth ‘About Us’ page detailing who the team is and their expertise, an in-depth list of the services they offer, and who they work with. It instills trust in its audience and makes it very clear to customers who they will be working with and why they’re the best business for the job. 

Show evidence of what you do

People buy from businesses that have a great track record, so in order to position yourself as an authority, you need to show your audience that you’ve achieved great work in the past. This applies to any niche, from web design agencies who need to display their style to luxury property builders who need to demonstrate the quality of their work. 

Having a case studies page to show off your very best work is a great way to show potential clients what you’re capable of and the standard of work you can provide them with, which is crucial for increasing conversions. Businesses need to ensure the work they include in their portfolio is the same as the type of work they want to do more of in the future, that the images are clear and high resolution, and that there are informative descriptions that explain the brief and how you delivered on those requirements. 

Celebrate your credentials

A business that has won awards or nominations within its industry is guaranteed to come across more positively than one that has not received recognition. You should be proud of the accomplishments you’ve achieved as a business, and show them off on your website to let your customers know that you have the credentials to back up your experience claims. 

Not every person landing on your website will necessarily be familiar with your brand, so having proof of where you’ve been featured and your successes will confirm to them that you’re a business to trust and that you have the expertise to offer value to them. 

Display social proof

Testimonials can be incredibly useful for building authority, so don’t overlook online reviews of your products or services, ratings from customers, and comments on social media. According to Oberlo, over 54% of online customers check at least four product reviews before they make a purchase, and 79% trust online reviews more than in-person recommendations, so it can go a long way to building trust, developing authority, and growing brand recognition online. 

Each engagement with your customers can serve as an opportunity to build your reputation and show potential customers why they should work with or buy from your brand instead of a competitor. Chances are there are brands you’re loyal to based on recommendation and reputation, and your customers are no exception to this rule. So the more you can display positive social proof, the more of an authority in your industry your brand will appear. 

There are several touchpoints for businesses to take advantage of to build brand authority, show off expertise and build trust with their audience. Focusing on creating high-quality, valuable content that’s relevant to your audience, making sure you build trust with transparency, and highlighting your recognition in your industry will all help to elevate your business above your competitors. 

In today’s digital age, you need to use your website and social accounts wisely to make the perfect first impression if you’re going to convince a visitor to buy from your business over another.