How To Increase Website Conversions With Effective Security
Make no mistake: online security is on every shopper’s mind.
Online shopping is already a major part of US retail sales culture, and cybercriminals have been quick to follow the money. Bogus online retailers have boomed in recent years, setting up fraudulent sites with Web addresses similar to legitimate eCommerce sites and exposing consumers to credit card and identity theft.
In response, online consumers have become more aware of key red flags, and are quick to steer clear of suspicious sites. The problem is that some of those red flags don’t always indicate fraud, but just a business that is small, or recently established. For example, many consumers use Google Street View to check out the address posted on an eCommerce website. If you’re working on a small operation at home, your business may not yet have a brick and mortar store, a shortfall that could cost you a sale.
In order to build trust in this situation, you need be open and transparent with the customer, and show that you are a real business that cares, not some fly-by-night operation looking to scam. One of the best ways to do this is by displaying a reputable security seal on your site, which conveys the message that your business has gone through a strict validation process, and associates you with the entity providing the seal.
Some seals illustrate that your company has passed an identity verification process, while others may show that a specific, trusted company is handling payments, or that your store is run through periodic vulnerability scanning for malicious content and malware. The type of trustmark you choose will depend on your specific business practices and needs, but there are four basic types to choose from:
Reputation – Reputation trustmarks offer a baseline level of proof that there is a legitimate business behind a website that follows proper business practices.
Privacy – Privacy trustmarks show that the merchant abides by a set of customer data management practices, as defined by the provider of the trustmark service.
Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) – A valid SSL trustmark tells users that the site uses SSL session encryption technology.
Security/Vulnerability Scanning – A security and vulnerability scanning service like the McAfee SECURE™ trustmark denotes the use of periodic security auditing and vulnerability testing for a website, aimed at protecting the site from malware, viruses, and malicious downloads.
Through these services, trustmarks help provide assurance to first time visitors who want to place an order on your website, and encourage those who may have doubts regarding the background of your business. By boosting customers’ confidence, security seals ultimately lead to an increase in traffic and sales – securing your bottom line.
Visit our website for more information on the McAfee SECURE service, and be sure to follow us on Twitter at @McAfeeSECURE for the latest in eCommerce news and events.
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