How to Boost E-Commerce Credibility with a Website Trust Seal (Part 1)

One of the biggest considerations of online businesses is building and maintaining credibility, not only of their brand, but also of their website. This is particularly the case when it comes to e-commerce sites with hundreds, if not thousands, of products to sell. Why, you ask? This is because online shoppers will hesitate to purchase a product when they see that the website does not have any form credibility, even if they like the item being offered.

What Exactly is a Trust Seal?

A trust seal is a type of recognition granted by a web verification company to a particular website or business, in the form of a seal, that is meant to be displayed or “stamped” on a website for visitors to see. It acknowledges three main aspects of a brand or company’s credibility, which are the following:

• Privacy – A privacy seal basically informs site visitors that a particular website responsibly employs exceptional privacy practices.
• Business Identity – A business verification seal or a verified existence seal among other names, serves as a reliable, third-party verification of a business’ existence and legitimacy. It gauges a company’s credibility through various parameters, which includes primary business information, number of complaints, management details, and more.
• Security – A security seal, on the other hand, make up the most of trust seals. There are two types:
  • One that verifies the server on which the site operates , usually performing regular scans of the host server so make sure that the site is well-protected and can withstand security attacks.
  • And the other verifying the site, ensuring the domain is owned by the business and that customers are protected from common website security vulnerabilities.

The requirements vary depending on the company providing the trust seal, but mostly concerns strict privacy policies, safe and secure methods, and legitimate use of business and/or product name/s. Trust seals are sold to online businesses for a certain fee, which will be discussed later on. These are then validated after creation and will be effective for a limited period of time, which has to be re-validated once expired.

Businesses Need Trust Seals More Than They Realize

Many of the seasoned internet buyers and bargain hunters are likely to bail out from their orders if they find out that a website is either suspicious, or has incomplete contact details. Sites without trust seals or those that make use of their own checkout process are more likely to lose potential customers than those with verified website trust seals.

This is particularly why the demand for trust seals among web companies is steadily increasing.

More and more have fallen prey to internet fraud, with over tens of thousands of websites being created by hackers every week. It is easy to get fooled by sites that claim to be legitimate banks when they are indeed clones. Some also pretend to be e-commerce sites that are affiliated with Western Union and eBay.

Despite the continuous efforts of search engines to remove these fraudulent sites, these hackers remain steadfast in deceiving innocent consumers. The only solution that business owners can take advantage of is by utilizing website trust seals to further establish site credibility.

Consumers are getting wiser, learning from past mistakes and beginning to recognize fake websites and seeing beyond overindulgent marketing campaigns that tend to fool many. With a trust seal, web shoppers can now determine whether a website is worth investing their time and money on. Not only will business owners see an increase in sales and conversions, but they can also protect their customers’ assets.

A third party stamp of approval is much more reliable and trustworthy than a company’s own assertions of quality and dependability. Even client testimonials won’t work as effectively to influence a buyer from actually purchasing a product as much as a website trust seal.

Entrepreneurs who have spent so much time growing and cultivating their e-commerce business would greatly benefit from a site seal, as it has become the modern-day and web version of a first impression. If you want to send a firm, honorable handshake to your would-be clients the moment they land on your homepage, a trust seal is your best option.

They say it takes years to build a reputation and only seconds to destroy it, so it would make a lot of sense for business owners to invest in the best marketing strategies and credibility boosters that are available for them. Once you have convinced visitors that you are indeed trustworthy, then they are more likely to become new customers. There is, after all, no such thing as too much trust.