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Trust seals and Internet safety for webmasters and store owners.
As a fellow webmaster we know that building consumer trust is necessary in today’s world of ecommerce. Statistics have shown that trust, privacy and security are the main concerns for consumers who shop, browse and participate on the Internet. With so many fraudulent pranksters and scammers on the web its hard to find out where the safe, secure and trustworthy ecommerce site are.
Part of my job as a webmaster and storefront owner is to make my businesses safe and to protect my customers from Phishers, Spoofing, Identity theft and to make sure if they purchase a product or service from me their sensitive personal information is safe from hackers and thieves.
Recently businesses have sprouted up to verify the legitimacy of websites, their content, security and customer service measures and their primary owners and management. The results are then published online by the independent third party and visible to the customer stating that the site has been verified, is legit and safe to shop from all while displaying the websites customer service emails, phone numbers and policies for maximum transparency. Upon Approval the webmaster then gets what is now being called a Trust Seal to display on their webpages to put the customer at ease and to ensure them that their privacy, safety and security is of great importance to them.
A trust seal is a
seal awarded by proprietary companies to business web sites to display in an attempt to increase consumer confidence and improve online sales and conversions. There are several well-known trust seals from different companies, and the requirements for the displaying merchant vary, but typically involve a dedication to privacy, solid security practices, fair trading and the use of secure methods for transactions, such as Secure Socket Layer or SSL. The trust seals that actual verify a legitimate site, its owners and its privacy policies are a very valuable service to both the consumer and the webmaster. It enables the Store owner to comply with security and customer services practices which will ultimately result in more sales and it creates a safe and trustworthy environment for the consumer… a win win situation. You will see in the months to come a rise in Trust Seals and overall safety parameters being measured as more sites try to become safer to encourage the reluctant browser into a buyer.