On e-commerce Web sites, giving your customers a sense of security and trust can mean the difference between a dropped shopping cart and making a sale.  Today, Web shoppers are savvy — they have a better understanding of online security, and they want to know that their personal information is protected.

For the honest Web shop owners, especially smaller unknown companies, this can be a problem.  A study commissioned by McAfee, Inc. (conducted by Harris Interactive) revealed that nearly half of consumers have terminated an online order or abandoned their shopping cart due to security fears at check-out time.

This guide is designed for e-tailers who are currently interested in partnering with a trust service. In this guide we’ll discuss different types of trustmark services you can consider and what is required to enroll in the programs.

Learn the Lingo: What is a Trustmark?

Trustmarks are little badges — images or logos — that you can display on your Web site to indicate your business is a member of a professional organization, or to show that you have passed security and privacy tests. When you display a trustmark that reflects a well-known company or industry organization, it can give customers confidence and can encourage them to do business with you.

In the electronic commerce industry there are a number of common trustmark programs, including those for SSL security, the Better Business Bureau, Chamber of Commerce, hacker-free and others.

Why E-tailers Use Trustmarks

One of the ways an e-tailer can alleviate consumer privacy and security fears is to enroll in security programs and display trustmarks on their e-commerce Web site.  This is especially important for small, lesser-known online businesses that compete against larger online retailers with a corporate name that consumers already trust because they are familiar with the brand.

It’s not all bad news for small e-tailers, though. Study research offered by McAfee also showed that one-third of consumers would rather buy from a smaller Web site with a trustmark than a larger, more well-known e-tailer. 

When you join a trust and security program, it can benefit your business in two ways. First, you will create a feeling of trust with your consumers, which in could help boost sales. Another benefit can be found in security trust services. These trustmark programs help you to better protect your business and your customer's sensitive data.

• Ecommerce-Guide Tips:  Survey Says: Trustmarks Increase Sales for E-tailers

Things to Consider When Choosing a Trustmark Program

When choosing a trustmark program, you need to first consider how recognizable the trustmark program or the organization backing the trustmark is. Since it would be fruitless to display a trustmark that people are not familiar with, you need to look for an organization that has a recognizable name and logo. 

You also need to consider that there are different types of trustmarks.  Some may show that you are a registered business in good standing, while others show you have a secure or encrypted Web site. Trustmarks can be broken down into four types:

• Identity trustmarks validate you.  Generally, issuers of identity trustmarks ensure that the Web site is owned by a legitimate business.
• Privacy trustmarks verify the accuracy of your site and your business privacy policy. They may also be used to show that you abide by customer data management practices as set out by the trustmark issuer, or that your Web site is PCI-compliant.
• Security or vulnerability scanning trustmarks certify that your Web site is free of vulnerabilities that could be exploited to steal customer data and sensitive information such as credit card numbers.
• Secure Socket Layer (SSL) trustmarks verify that your Web site is secured with Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption technology.

Think of a trustmark as a way to communicate with customers, and then decide what message you want to give when they visit your Web site.  In some instances you may want to enroll in more than one program to show your customers that your identity is valid, that your site uses encryption technology, and that is it “hacker safe.”

Vangie Beal is a veteran online seller and frequent contributor to ECommerce-Guide.com. She is also managing editor of Webopedia.com. You can tweet with her online @AuroraGG.

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