The Importance of Displaying Credentials
Strange, isn’t it, how a few letters after someone’s name can more or less make them appear instantly more knowledgeable. Watching the news, I used to wonder what makes me trust one expert’s opinion more than another’s, but it was often credentials. An ‘MD’ or ‘PhD’ staring back at me in crisp on-screen text and suddenly their words carried more weight.
On some level, we all buy into credentials and badges for the same reason - instant trust. People want to know that the person they are listening to or working with is worth their time, so on a social and professional level we’ve learned to seek out certain cues. If I want to trust an expert’s advice, I look for signs that they have academic qualifications or endorsements from respected industry bodies.
Sometimes, I guess even a testimonial will do. More or less. So what does this mean for us.
It means that the more easily accessible our credentials are, the better our chances of being trusted by potential clients. At the very least, those who do go on to work with us will feel surer in their decisions about us and about themselves. And that type of validation can add a fair bit of value to a professional relationship in today’s society. It seems like of course, as with most things, there is a right and wrong way to display credentials.
I think you want your badges and certificates to look impressive but be displayed tastefully. Too much bragging can come across as arrogant (it’s ugly) but humility often appears lacking in confidence (also ugly). More or less.
Visual Elements That Build Trust
Professional credentials and credibility can be built with all sorts of elements. And once trust is established, it can turn a casual browser into a loyal customer and advocate for your business.
In the digital realm, first impressions matter - a professional logo and high-quality graphics show customers that you’re committed to the craft. Trust often comes from visual cues, or at least that’s where the process often begins. It seems like a visually appealing website is relatively more likely to earn trust, but it doesn’t end there.
An intuitive layout, clear navigation, and balanced visuals can create an impression of ease and reassurance. It seems like professionalism is very much in the eye of the beholder. Professional branding can also be enhanced with security seals, testimonials, awards, and certifications - and these are easily displayed through visual means. People want to feel as though you know what you’re talking about - as though they’re in safe hands.
Your photos and videos should reflect this too. Images of awards or other credentials displayed in-store or on your website create a strong impression of authority. But let’s not forget that consistency breeds trust too - consistent branding and messaging across platforms can reassure customers that you care about every stage of their journey.
Every visual detail can increase the credibility factor by just a touch more (or less if done poorly). Visual elements help people remember your brand and website long after they’ve left - so don’t be afraid to inject some personality into your work so people find you relatable and approachable.
Utilizing Testimonials and Reviews
I find it interesting how much stock we put in other people’s opinions these days. Not just friends or family, but complete strangers writing reviews online. And why wouldn’t we.
Testimonials are one of the most compelling forms of social proof. It’s not quite as clean-cut as a professional qualification, but they carry weight – even when the review is seldom a bit garbled and clearly in desperate need of spellcheck. There are some fairly obvious ways to showcase testimonials.
You can display a few glowing ones on your website, right in front of customers’ faces. Or you can provide links to external sites like Google Reviews and Trustpilot so people know they’re legit (or at least being deleted by someone else). If I really thought about it, potential buyers would be looking for both positive and negative reviews, so only showing five-star reviews with nothing less than a ‘Thank you for being amazing’ comment might look suspicious. A 4-star review saying something like ‘I liked the product, I just didn’t love the colour’ seems more realistic than dozens of perfect scores.
As long as the negative reviews aren’t all about shoddy goods or customer service, you’re still building trust and authority. While testimonials often refer to products or services, there’s no reason you can’t have people singing your praises as a teacher or supplier too. And if it seems rude to ask someone to get on their knees and thank you publicly for changing their lives (which is absolutely what a testimonial does), there are plenty of ways to elicit feedback that you can share across social media and elsewhere without coming across all narcissistic and self-indulgent.
Certifications and Badges: What to Showcase
I was always a serial badge collector in school. I had a badge for perfect attendance (which is hilarious now because I am rarely on time for anything), one for being on the soccer team, and another one which I do not recall why I got but, I had it. These badges meant something to me at the time and I wore them with pride as it showcased my skills and achievements. Then, I lost these badges (thankfully) in the process of growing up and well, adulting and started collecting other badges like degrees and certifications.
And now, through digital certification programs that are available to everyone, we have a new wave of qualifications that are now social currency. Certifications are a fantastic way of showcasing your credibility as a professional with years of experience or newly acquired skills. If you’re wondering if you have done enough to show on your LinkedIn, the answer is yes, you can use even the smallest achievements or accomplishments to showcase your skill set as a professional through badges. There are two ways you can go about this - one is by using your academic qualifications to give yourself more credibility in your field and the other is by using digital certifications that showcase all the skill sets that go into making you, you.
Another way to approach this is through badges. Badges may seem frivolous but showcasing them can improve your chances of standing out on LinkedIn and being hired based on the skills that are important to the companies hiring on this platform. For example, you could have an Adobe badge if you are a designer that shows your proficiency in Photoshop or InDesign or you could have a Google Adwords certification if you are a social media specialist looking for new opportunities in an agency setting. These badges also show that you have tested your knowledge through examinations and understand what it takes to work with these products.
Just like there are many advantages to showcasing these badges and certifications, there are disadvantages too. If you are someone who doesn’t want to feel like they are constantly collecting certifications and skills just to be seen as ‘legit’ then this may not appeal to you as much. You may also get lost in the vast sea of certification completionists who spend their time collecting certifications from random platforms online making it seem redundant at times so tread carefully. It’s important to only get certified in things that hold value to your personal goals because ultimately they need to make sense for your professional growth.
Creating a Professional Online Presence
Social media is the new market square - an online presence acts as your digital calling card in a world where everything can be accessed at the click of a button. It is especially crucial for professionals who are interested in building a personal brand and establishing trust. If you aren’t on Google, do you even exist.
Well, in the minds of your clients, not really. The way I see it, social proof is sometimes a real thing that dictates perceptions and influences decisions. People want to see what others are saying about you or if you have received any certifications from credible institutions, before they place their trust (and money) in your hands.
For professionals looking to build a presence, the importance of sharing credentials on websites or social profiles cannot be overstated. From testimonials to badges and certificates, showcasing your qualifications can rarely set you apart from the crowd. It might feel like boasting sometimes but it really is just putting your best foot forward - it’s about telling people what makes you so good at what you do.
So display them with pride and make sure your certifications are up-to-date, valid, and relevant. Your current customers will appreciate this transparency as much as potential ones who are searching for qualified individuals online. It also pays to keep an ear to the ground to get feedback from users about how they view these digital signifiers of achievement or authority.
An updated LinkedIn profile or a glowing review from a client can also work wonders for professionals who want to increase their credibility in the eyes of clients.
Consistency Across Platforms
It's interesting how much we judge a person by their shoes. And handbags, if you’re the sort of person who notices such things. I Suspect it’s not about the brand or price but whether they have scuff marks or look like they’re cared for.
When I see someone’s shoes are clean and neat and it looks like they pay attention to their appearance - I have more faith in them. We don’t realise just how many subtle cues and hints we take from each other every day. It’s the same with business - but it happens online. Someone sees a beautifully curated Instagram page, but then looks at your website and wonders if it’s the same brand at all.
The logo looks different, there are quite a bit different fonts, colours - you know what I mean. You probably even know businesses that have done this exact thing. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a fashion label, a stylist or any other business - consistency across platforms is critical.
I don’t mean being rigid and never changing your mind about anything ever again because then people will trust you more than anyone else who has ever existed in the world of business. Not at all - staying current and updating with the times is important too. But once someone has started to trust your brand or business enough to engage with you on multiple platforms - having one consistent image is absolutely essential. It’s not about never making mistakes or using memes that are on-brand every single time.
It’s about being consistent with how you show up for your clients no matter where they find you. That builds trust more than anything else can, even impeccable taste in shoes.