Very true; it is actually a combination of many things. I have just had a look at the links and I think you offer great affordability.Everyone needs to check that out.
You raise a really valid point and my question then would be, what criteria would Google use to determine how 'credible' a website is? The sole reason I ask people to be thorough when creating and designing websites is the fact that if you get it right the first time, you are good to go.Designing your website matters a lot and it has implications on the way you're going to generate traffic. For example, if you are interested in being a Google Adsense publisher, one of the reasons you may get disapproved by Google is this. I mean, if your website is not well designed, you cannot get Google Adsense approval.
In my opinion, viewers tend to judge a website merely by the way it looks and so you are able to generate more traffic just by having a good layout. Nonetheless, I think this doesn't stop there; there should be a deliberate effort to create good content.
This is very true. There was this time when we were tasked with coming up with ideas for a website. The web designer did his part and we had the last word in as far as the layout was concerned. People didn't first appreciate it when we kept insisting that a good layout would create a good impression and increase traffic.They now appreciate our input because the website is doing really well.Like always, content will matter no mater what. But to humans, first impressions are what matter the most. And first impressions usually come from us seeing things and perceiving them in our unique way. That very well goes with web design as well. Seeing a nice site that has lots of good features along content is always gonna give a nice impression to people who come by. You just can't compare almost blank white website with only text to something that stands out with looks, elegance, good combination of text and images and such.