Increasing Internet Advertising Effectiveness With Credibility Principles
August 2007

      Just a short five years ago, I taught basic advertising at our local private university. My textbook raised some interesting predictions about Internet advertising accountability and the value of Internet advertising.

     One prediction was made by William Esrey, Chairman and CEO of Sprint at an American Association of Advertising Agencies annual conference. He said that, "clients are going to hold ad agencies more closely accountable for results than ever before (with Internet advertising.) That is not just because we're going to be more demanding in getting value for our advertising dollars. It's also because we know the technology is there to measure advertising impact more precisely in than you have done in the past."

     A few years, Edwin Artsz, former chairman and CEO of Procter and Gamble held an Internet summit because he said that advertisers, like P&G want to know what they are getting and what it costs when they place an Internet ad. "Does anyone notice these ads, or do people click right past them?" Further, "How do you use this medium to build brand relationships?"

     This article addresses small and big business needs for measured Internet accountability which is tied to value, attention, and brand building. My research in credibility-based communication persuasion gives the framework and tools to address these issues. At the heart of websites and Internet ads is the company logo. If the logo is not credible, people skip past the company website and Internet ad anyway.

     Here is how credibility-based logo design, website design and Internet ad design works.

First Glance Web Optimization

     When visitors land on a website, the first thing they do is mentally evaluate in an instant whether they can trust the information on the site enough to continue. Like all information, this is a matter of whether or not the source of the information can be trusted to overcome perceptions of risk, uncertainty and even possible identity theft. Trust or no trust happens during the visitor's initial impressions or "first glance" at a website when visitor is still unfamiliar with the vendor.

     In people to people interaction, we evaluate the person doing the talking before we accept the person's message. On a website, we evaluate the company behind the information. The company is evaluated at "first glance" during the first three seconds of a website encounter.

     But on a website, the initial period of trust is not based on personal experience with the vendor. The visitor and vendor do not have a personal relationship history. The visitor makes a trust evaluation on what information, verbal and visual, is available. Otherwise, the vendor is faceless.

     Trust is one part of credibility. Expertise is the other. A website cannot have credibility unless both parts are there. The following suggestions will increase website credibility and conversion rates. Some are based on Dr. Fogg's work; some are based on my PhD work. (For those interested in more about the research findings, please email the author at bill@haigbranding.com.)

1. Show that there is a real organization behind the website, as an honest trustworthy company.

   This is done most effectively with a credibility-based logo design sm representing the company. The credible company logo is usually in the upper left hand corner of the website. Perception theory in communication persuasion suggests that people immediately want to know the source of the message which follows. Just like when we often look first for the name of the person on an envelop or post card.

   Similarly, visitors to a website look at the company logo, or search for the company name if there is no logo, at "first glance."

   Then, simultaneously,

2. Show that there is a credible organization behind the website with an appropriately designed credibility-based home page.

   A company website home page must be designed with the same appropriate credibility traits as in the company logo. This will also give consistency in credibility traits important to the company behind the website.

   Logos and home pages are perceived almost simultaneously. People perceive the "whole" before they perceive the parts. Although the eye will go immediately to the company logo or name (as a part) after perceiving the "whole" or overall visual character of the home page. Thus, the company credibility-based logo design and the home page design must have a consistency in credibility design "look." For example, the logo cannot have a contemporary design and the home page a dated design.

   The bottom line with first impressions is that the whole visitor perception, logo and home page, must communicate credibility to assure the visitor continues at this initial web experience --- at "first glance." These first impressions are key to trust building and continued visitor conversions to being a customer. For more on credibility-based logo and home page design, visit www.powerlogos.com.

3. Show that there is a credible company behind the Internet Ad.

   Guess what? It works the same way! First, the logo and home page give "first glance" credibility (or not). Then perception research shows that visitors go to secondary elements on the page such as Internet advertising. But, like logos and home pages, the Internet ad must also be perceived as coming from a credible company. It the ad is from a branded company, this is easier that if the company brand is unknown.

   Like home page design, the Internet ad must have design motifs which further the advertising company's credibility traits. This is also called the ad layout including typography choice. It can also include credible spokespeople who have credibility traits themselves appropriate to the Internet ad.

   Often an Internet ad does not appear on the company website. The ad runs the risk of visitor deletions at the beginning. But, if it makes it through "first glance" impression of the given website, it must now prove credible itself with a credibility-based logo and credibility-based layout. What the message says will be enhanced with company credibility.

   How does company credibility in communication persuasion work as a company logo, company home page and company Internet ad? Let's stop here for a moment. You have probably been stymied about how to look credible visually through design creativity. Here is a quick tutorial.

Credibility-based Logo Design Process.

     Source credibility in communication persuasion means that the source is expert and competent AND believable and trustworthy. A credible company must achieve an image in people's minds that it is expert and competent in its field, as well as believable and trustworthy. It cannot be just one without the other. For example, some companies feel that being "liked" is enough. We all like some people to but would not trust these same people with computer repairs or restaurant advice if they know little about these businesses. Remember: Credible = expert + trustworthy.

     Credibility based logo design projects the company as being an expert in their business symbolizing the company core competence and communicates the company as being trustworthy and believable with design motifs appropriate for the company expertise. That is, a company must be believable at being able to do the work for which it claims to be an expert.

     Expertise and trustworthy define the two import credibility traits for a given company. Take Housen Painting, a small house painter in New York. House paint is the company's business, and filed of expertise. The main symbolism is "house" and "painting". This is the Housen Painting logo which is more fully discussed in the next section.

Continue reading Increasing Internet Advertising Effectiveness with Credibility Principles

© William L. Haig, Ph.D. or Bill Haig, Ph.D. 2007

This is an original work of the author. All rights reserved. Copyright registration will be applied for. No part of this article may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical photocopying, and recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of the author.