Are you in doubt on whether to buy a product, because you don’t know if the site is credible? This happens most of the times when you visit a site for the first time and haven’t heard about it before. Many online shoppers get struck in this situation and so trust symbols come to their rescue.
Trust symbols are really effective in converting prospective customers into the actual customers. A few of which these trust symbols are BBB Accredited and provided by Google Adwords Certified Company.
A study conducted by Bizrate Insights has suggested that as many as 50% of the total online buyers used trust symbols for making a purchasing decision from a website. Therefore, adding trust symbols on a website can help the business touch new heights. It was also concluded in this study that trust symbols meant security for a total 66% buyers, reliability for 33% of them and trustworthiness for 45% buyers.
The online buyers comprise many intelligent shoppers; who purchase products online after comparing the prices and other required information. One of the factors, which determine whether your website will be their final shopping destination, is the presence of the trust symbols.
Bizrate survey also revealed that 40% of the total buyers clicked on trust symbols for verifying info. So besides the reviews and ratings given by the previous customers, trust symbols are also capable of boosting the business of an e-commerce site.
The picture shown above clearly indicates that majority of participants (41%) look for trust symbols; when they were not familiar with the retailer.
Once you have decided to add trust symbols on your site, you should do a bit of planning regarding their positioning on the website. Surveys and researches have suggested that most of the buyers look for trust symbols when they are making the payments. A good percentage of the total participants also look for these symbols on homepage and only after confirming, they move further.
Consumers are cautious of their security and don’t want their information to be leaked. So they make purchases from the sites which take adequate security measures.
These trust symbols are offered by third parties, which verify a website. If you use SSL (Secure Socket Layer) technology, it will signify that your site is secure and legitimate. But you need to shell out money from your pocket to get trust symbols. The seals that are known to be the most trusted cost you the most.
Trust symbols include security symbols and business symbols. Following are some common types:
1. Trust symbols like BBB (Better Business Bureau) are the most expensive of them and show that a particular website has been certified or accredited. It also shows that the site is associated with local business councils.
Also, you can get the symbols from the organizations that are related to your business and that could further ensure your customers about your legitimacy. For instance, for a travel portal, a seal from Tourism Board or a relevant authority could prove to be beneficial.
2. Second important trust symbol is of security, this tells your browser that your website is malware free and user’s information is safe there. For these trust symbols, you can contact online security providers.
These providers check if your site fulfill the criteria and provide a seal if you do. The names of the most trusted online security providers include McAfee Secure, Verisign and Truste.
3.If your company has receivd some awards in the fields that add to your credibility, do mention them on your website. They work very effectivly as trust symbols and improve the conversion rates.
4.Just like customer reviews about your products help the new browser to decide making purchasing from your site, their testimonials also do wonders. Just make sure that you keep changing them with time and keep them fresh.
Trust symbols with right positioning help the new browser to trust your website and transform visitors into customers. They also help in increasing the conversion rate at the checkout time, when many browsers just leave due to some confusions and security doubts.
Besides adding trust symbols on your website that help in improving the conversion rates, it is also important that the web designers do a simple design and navigation of your cart which is easy to understand. Many browsers just drop the purchase, if they find the cart link confusing.
Keep these factors in mind and wait for increased conversions and improved sales graph.
