Now more than ever, e-commerce is big business.
The number of U.S. consumers shopping online has grown from about 209 million in 2016 to more than 230 million in 2021.
But just as e-commerce is on the rise, so is the need to build trust with your website visitors. Data security is a top concern.
In March 2020, about 88 percent of online shopping orders were abandoned (not converted into a purchase), and about 18 percent of consumers who abandoned their online orders said in a study that it was because of security concerns.
Online customers not only are looking for the best price for any particular product, but they also want the best price from a website they can trust.
Embedding a trust badge (or more than one trust badge) can be one of many ways to help build trust with your customers so that they can feel more confident about their purchase with you.
A trust badge is a sign of third-party verification (in the form of an emblem) that is intended to instill trust in prospective customers on a website. You’ll often see trust badges during the checkout process, but they also are commonly embedded on homepages, product pages and even About Us pages.
It’s about additional credibility for your website, and their use can help increase your website conversions.
The following are five types of trust badges you can consider obtaining for your website and ways to get them. (Spoiler alert: Several cost some amount of money.)
Security trust badges
A trust badge ensuring a “safe checkout” shows that a website’s checkout process is secure, meaning that customer financial data is protected and not vulnerable.
The Norton seal is one of the most popular. PayPal, TRUSTe and Shopify badges also are commonly used.
For maximum impact, display this type of trust badge near the “Add To Cart” link on every relevant page.
If you’re looking to embed the Norton badge, you start by purchasing the Digicert TLS/SSL certificate for between $332.50 and $399 per year, depending on the length of contract you choose.
The McAfee Pro security badge pricing is actually based on the amount of traffic your website gets. You can actually get the badge to show for free to the first 500 visitors each month. Start by registering with McAfee. If 500 views isn’t enough, you can get an estimate on how much it would cost you either monthly or annually.
Of course, other potentially more affordable security badges are available.
The Comodo emblem certificate starts at $88 per year, while Trustlock features three different badges (each starting at $9 per month, or you can bundle all three for $20 per month).
Payment trust badges
This type of trust badge shows customers that your accept various forms of payment, including (but not limited to):
- Visa
- Mastercard
- American Express
- PayPal (one of the most trusted brands for online payments)
This can also be taken a bit further with various merchant programs, such as Visa Secure (and its related trust badge), which protects consumers against fraud.
Any of these payment badges traditionally are embedded at the bottom of relevant webpages on your site.
Both Visa and Mastercard have guidelines related to the use of their emblems. You can obtain the PayPal badge from its website. If you accept Stripe payments, you can visit their website to obtain that badge.
Of course, there also are websites out there that can help customize the payment emblems you need all in one place, such as Merchant Equipment Store.
Endorsement trust badges
This trust badge typically involves an application process and review of your website through a third party for their endorsement of your business and website.
The Better Business Bureau and Google Customer Reviews badges are two of the most popular of this type. Having been around since 1912, the BBB’s A+ rating is still respected today. The Google Customer Reviews badge is likely more recognized by younger customers.
Guarantee trust badges
This trust badge includes “30-Day Money-Back Guarantee” and “Free 1-Year Warranty” emblems.
These policies and badges can significantly increase your sales by reducing the perceived risk of making a purchase on your website.
It’s about standing by your product and showing all website visitors that you believe in the quality of your product.
For maximum impact, be sure to embed these badges near your checkout button in the shopping cart of your website.
Shipping trust badges
These trust badges are similar to the guarantee trust badges, except that they relate to your shipping and/or returns.
Whether it’s “Free Shipping” or “Hassle-Free Returns,” you’re standing behind the process of a customer being satisfied with the shipping process tied to purchasing your product.
In conclusion
Remember, trust badges are only one method of building a relationship of trust with your potential customers. In addition, you should consider seeking out:
- Customer reviews
- Influencer recommendations
- Brand mentions
On top of that, trust badges don’t just happen for anyone. You want to first ensure that:
- Your website design is clean and without issues
- Your copy is accurate
It’s about showing any third party offering a trust badge that you are worthy of its endorsement. And it’s usually not a one-time deal. Most third parties will regularly audit where their badges are appearing and if they’re deserved by the website.
For badges that show you endorse either your product or shipping (or something else), you have many options for free downloads that you can use on your website, including:
- Convertful
- Freepik (free with attribution)
Are you a business trying to survive the new normal brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic? Find out how DailyStory can help. Then, schedule a free demo with us today.
