Increase Your Website's Credibility and Conversion Rate With Security Seals Using Trust Seals to Boost Online Sales	Visited: 595 Not rated Rate: Select 1 - Terrible 2 - Poor 3 - Average 4 - Good 5 - Outstanding
by C. Cook December 06, 2007

Enhance Your Website's Credibility and Conversion Rate With Trust Seals

Everyday there are thousands of new internet users online. Regardless of the fact that more people are buying things online, a great deal of consumers remain uncomfortable with the process and consequently are afraid of shopping online. Today's consumers are smarter, safer and more shrewd about what can put them in danger. Internet consumers need to feel confident that their vital information is secure and safe and that their privacy is guaranteed under any circumstances.

These days, it's the responsibility of online merchants to provide consumers with a secure place to make purchases. Web sites that are honest and ethical can not only offer consumers fantastic merchandise and services, but also build the confidence they have in the online purchasing process itself. By using a trust seal program on their websites, online merchants possess the ability to increase consumer trust and enhance website credibility. Trust marks and seals have the ability to increase conversion rates and sales by a large margin--sometimes 15% or more.

As a website owner, an important asset for you is the credibility and confidence your website puts across to prospective customers. It might seem like a minor detail, but if visitors trust you and your website, they will more likely buy something, and the more credibility you've got, the more sales you will make. Bottom line, website integrity pays off. It is a fact that putting trust marks or trust seals on a website and providing third party verification of your site's credibility converts to sales.

Trust seals or trust marks come in various forms and from many companies, but usually seals will be found in one of three categories:

Business Seal: For this seal, the company's address is confirmed and verified through United States or Global Priority Mail, as is the company's customer service e-mail address and phone number. Generally, qualifying for this particular seal requires a business address, customer service phone number and e-mail, URL, and company name. A lot of trust seal companies also require a managing member of the applying company to give a e-mail address, phone number and valid address to be awarded a business verified seal.

Privacy Seal: A privacy verified seal is awarded to websites with a privacy policy that meets the standards and specifications defined by the third party. Enforcing a privacy policy and following it is an important part of developing customer trust. Privacy policies typically promise that private information won't be transferred, sold or exchanged for any reason, that information won't remain on file for longer than a specified time frame, and that customers won't get e-mail correspondence from the company without their consent.

Security Seal: With regard to a company's privacy policy and SSL certificate, placement of this seal documents the security of a website. Websites that are awarded a security verified seal have had customer check in and out page's security as well as their SSL certificate verified and confirmed in addition to meeting the specifications of the seals mentioned above.

Trust marks and third party verification can help to change the uneasiness that many consumers feel about whether they can trust sites with their private and vital information. Site credibility and authenticity can make a huge difference in conversion rates and online sales. The purpose of trust mark programs and third party verification is to help verifiable and dependable website owners to create the credibility they need to make their business a success.