It is incredibly hard to gain credibility as a home business, especially if it is internet based. Some tips I have:

1. register as a member of the Better Business Bureau.
2. become Paypal verified.
3. have solid references.
4. clean all skeletons out of your closet, make sure you have nothing to hide. You're the face of your home-based business.
5. say what you mean and mean what you say, don't make claims you can't back up or promises you can't keep.
6. if you have an offer that seems to good to be true, explain clearly how it is feasible.

Anyone care to add any? This is by no means comprehensive.

You have provided a great list of tips which explains how to gain credibility. I for one agree with all the points you have highlighted. However the one that I agree with the most is the first to, to register with the Better Business Bureau and become paypal verified. This is integral as clients will depict your image as a professional business and not some sham. I would also input to add some testimonials on the home website for other clients to observe to hear experiences from customers.

I agree with what you've said about testimonials. The only problem with testimonials is that so many people fake them, sometimes they are hard to take seriously. One way to remedy this is to provide some sort of solid reference link: not a home telephone number or anything like that, but if you served someone with a business or a website, for example, say what it is! At the very least, provide the credentials of the person whose testimonial you are posting. Otherwise, it can end up looking like a lot of this:

"So-and-so did a great job! I loved it!"
-John Smith

And who's going to believe that?

A really good list. Credibility always has to be verified by your clients. If they say that you are credible, then you have achieved your goal. You may work very hard to attain credibility but unless someone verifies it - it is of little use.

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Milly
www.goonj.info

Good list, thanks so much for taking the time to write this. It's great that there are people willing to take the time to share the information that they have with others. Keep up the good work.

Credibility is everything when it comes to any business whether it is home-based or not. I would have to agree with Milly that your credibility has to be verified by your clients. Remember, they are the major voice that will affect your business' future. The tips were good tips that can be followed to help strengthen your credibility, but, just as it was said above that unless someone verifies your credibility it isnt't much use. Use the best voice you can, your clients.

Hypnotique

What about if you have traded online for years and have good trading refrences, would this work as being credible? like ebay and auction sites and mommy trading boards?

I have found that a great way to make a customer believe in me and my service is to make it very clear with strong examples of my work, that I can do the job. I also always say I will rework a piece until it is satisfactory, and i always do inital draft delivery a day or two before the inital draft would be due. This just makes me and my work look better to my customers.

A good list of tips. For you to have a credible reputation online you should think like your customers. In doing so you would be sensitive in what they would need and what they actually want to see. Credibility is a priority in any business.