The most important thing is that, it will affect your business is your credibility. People buy only from a company that they think is trusty and credible. This is the reason why people prefer to go for branded goods because these goods mean that they are coming from a reputable brand.  

Now the question is how can you build credibility for your business on the internet? The answer is consistency. Consumers like consistent behavior. In case there is a news letter that you publish for your consumers every month, then it is important that you are consistent with it. It is important that the quality of the news letter remains the same. You should also ensure that the frequency of the issues is also the same; an irregular issue will cause distrust and confusion in the minds of the consumers. 

Consistency means that you are consistent in all the aspects. If you are providing a guarantee period for your goods, then it is advisable that you do not change the guarantee period too often, also try and provide goods that have a standard quality and price. 

To gain trust there are a lot of things that you can do. Some software companies give a free trial of the product to the consumer, before they can buy it. Others also give a “share ware” version of the product to try. This enables the consumer to see if the product will do the job that it promises to do. 

Another way of gaining credibility can be by sharing your knowledge. It can be easily done by monitoring discussion boards and lists that your customers visit frequently. You should answer the questions that are posted this way you will be able to gain the trust of the customers. 

It is important that you do not make over the top claims about your products on the web. Write things only that are true and the things which the customers will find believable. Telling the truth is always the best way.

It pays to think not as seller and to think as a customer. Try and think of all the features that you would be looking in a product before buying it, and try and include it in the advertisement.  

Testimonials are also a great way to increase your credibility. Testimonials are statements from happy customers rating how the product has helped him and how much he liked it. Before publishing a testimonial you have to take permission from the author to publish it. Also it is wise not to make up testimonials as more often than not you will be caught and will create a bad impression in the minds of prospective customers. 
 
Remember that to gain credibility you have to provide value for money. You have to be accessible and solve all the consumer problems to be in their good books. 

William King is the director of Australia Wholesalers - Australian Wholesale Dropshippers & Suppliers Directory: http://www.australiawholesalers.com, France Wholesalers - French Wholesale Dropshippers & Suppliers Directory: http://www.francewholesalers.com, Wholesale Suppliers Dropshippers & Dropshipping Wholesalers Directory: http://www.dailytrader.com and Karachi Real Estate & Property: http://www.zameen.com/Homes/Karachi-2-1.html . He has 18 years of experience in the marketing and trading industries and has been helping retailers, entrepreneurs and startups with their product sourcing, promotion, marketing and supply chain requirements.