Every day, new people make their first online purchase. It could be a physical product that will be shipped, a download, a service, a membership, or any number of things that are for sale online.

Some of the purchases are small, and dont appear to be risky on the surface: a 7 dollar membership, or a 19 dollar ebook. But even for these minor purchases, the buyer has to take a leap of faith that when they hand over their hard earned money during a cyber-space transaction, they are really going to get something in return.

There are several ways to establish your credibility so that prospects feel confident they are making a legitimate purchase and wont end up being hoodwinked or disappointed in the end.

The first step in establishing trust is obvious, but it needs to be said because it is the foundation for all the rest: Start by making sure that your sales copy is truthful. Of course, you want it to be persuasive, but dont be tempted to exaggerate or mislead in any way. When what you say is true, it rings true.

Then there are the details that make you believable because they are real and sound real. For example, rather than rounding off or estimating when using numbers, be specific. Instead of saying, More than 60, say the exact amount, 67.

Make sure there is a human presence on the site. A personal photograph, contact information, and so on.

Become a real person to the shopper by giving verifiable evidence of your expertise and legitimacy. For example, if you have written and published articles on topics related to the product or service, or if you have related credentials, include a reference to them.

If you have favorable materials from 3rd party sources, use them. This would include reviews from magazines, awards, independent test results, or quotes from experts about the benefits and value of the type of product or service you are offering. These are effective evidence of legitimacy.

And finally, use testimonials. Online, these should come early in the sales copy. Audio is proven and tested to increase results, but if text is what youve got, use them. If you havent been collecting testimonials, start now.

A good way to begin gathering testimonials is to ask people who are already your customers for feedback. If it is a new product, give a fr`ee trial with no strings attached, and ask them to give you a testimonial only if they feel it is deserved.

Here are some characteristics of good testimonials. They have a first and last name: Carol M. doesnt cut it for credibility. If you can include state, city, type of business and/or business name, even better. The testimonial should be short and focused on something specific. It should be about measurable results whenever possible.

If you use some or all of these strategies to establish credibility and trust, you will greatly increase your chances of making a sale because no matter how good your offer and how wonderful the benefits of your product, if the prospect doesnt believe you, none of that matters.