I get into conversations a LOT with business owners who don’t know why their site isn’t generating more enquiries. When I look at the site, I can immediately see that they have a big credibility problem:
No proof of results.
Customers need results, not vibes.
Look. You may have developed a 5-step framework, have a compelling lead magnet, and created packages that are perfect for your ideal clients. That’s great. But showcasing all of this on your website is essentially talking the talk - not walking the walk.
You need to do both if you want website visitors to trust you enough to buy from you.
How to prove that you’re as good as you say you are
Testimonials are great. I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you to add (more) testimonials to your website. But if you really want to build trust and prove that you can walk the walk, here's one way to take it up a notch:
Tangible results, backed up by case studies
To build trust immediately, you can use what I like to call ‘Results Snippets’ - powerful hype bombs with actual proof to back them up. Here’s how to create them:
Step 1: Gather the data
If you haven’t done this already, it’s time to get your investigator hat on and figure out some real, tangible results you achieved for clients in past projects.
If you can, pull out measurable stats - the kind of before-and-after figures your ideal client actually cares about - and phrase them as quick, confidence-building proof points.
The idea is to make them so concise and skimmable that a visitor automatically takes in the information without having to read too much.
💡 Tip: If you’re struggling to phrase these concisely, ChatGPT is great at this kind of thing. Explain a client project in a couple of paragraphs, and ask it to create a one-liner that highlights the wins. It does have a tendency to over exaggerate/make stuff up though, so make sure the final result sticks to the truth!
Here are some examples:
➡️ If you’re a Google ad agency, you might write:
"Tripled client website clicks in just 3 months, without increasing ad spend."
➡️ If you run a nutrition consultancy, maybe you can say something like:
"Helped a client go from daily IBS symptoms to symptom-free, after just three online sessions”
➡️ If your business is smart-home installation services, you could say:
“Helped a client save £1500 by installing a bespoke smart-home system”
If hard numbers aren’t realistic for your business, focus on concrete outcomes instead - real, visible results your clients care about:
➡️ You’re a brand designer:
"Created a visual identity for a high-street brand, helping them launch in 100+ retail locations with a consistent, recognisable look that boosted customer trust.”
➡️ Your business offers landscaping services:
"Transformed a small city garden into double the entertaining space, while cutting weekly maintenance in half."
➡️ If you’re a messaging strategist:
"Recommendations adopted as the core strategy for a national fundraising campaign, helping the charity exceed its annual donor target three months early.”
Side note: If you didn’t gather results data during or after a project, don’t assume it’s lost forever. Reach out to past clients and ask what’s changed for the better since working with you. Often, they’ll be happy to share specific wins or information you can use (with their permission) as proof points on your site.
Step 2: Link to a case study
To really raise the bar here, you need to back up these claims with case studies.
Linking from a ‘result snippet’ to a specific case study where you walk through what you did to get that result for your client, is a sure-fire way to show that you walk the walk, as well as talking the talk.
Yep, I know I suggested that proof from the client is more important than showing how you got the result… but here’s the thing: Impressive stats are thrown around a lot, and we all know how easy it is to fake/exaggerate them.
Messaging guru Stacy Eleczko recently wrote about how cynics are becoming more cynical - and what to do about it - in a recent edition of her fantastic newsletter. Read it here.
By linking to a case study where you explain the result, and how you got there, you’re boosting your own credibility and proving to any cynics that it’s not just hype - you actually are as good as you say you are.
Writing case studies doesn’t have to be hard. Here’s my guide on how to create a high-converting case study.
Don’t skip step 2. Linking to a case study is the difference between the kind of overblown claims you see all over the internet, and solid, evidence-based proof that you can deliver.
Under each result snippet, add a link to the specific case study page, like this:
Transformed a small city garden into double the entertaining space, while cutting weekly maintenance in half. Read the case study →
Where and how to display your results snippets
Honestly, you can put these quick snippets front and centre on your website, because they do so much heavy lifting, addressing the most important things your website visitors care about:
- They prove that you can get real results for your clients
- They immediately demonstrate the kinds of problems you fix
- They give an example of the types of clients you work with
Here’s a visual example if you need some inspiration:
I’d recommend adding a section like this to your homepage, if possible, and you can also add relevant results snippets to your service pages, if you have enough of them.
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This is part 1 of my mini-series on how to use your website to build undeniable business credibility. You can also read part 2: Make your social proof bulletproof, and part 3: How to turn your blog into a Knowledge Hub.