As consumers are constantly bombarded with messages that their online security is threatened, they can be hesitant to trust any kind of online transaction. If online transactions are your goal, the solution is to add trust signals to your Web site, such as those outlined in this white paper.
WHITEPAPER
Grow Your Business by
Building Consumer TrustWHITEPAPERpage
+ IntroductionBuilding a successful small business web site is a huge challenge. Whether the site is merely promotional or a full-service e-commerce enterprise, you-the SMB owner-have to create an attractive and functional place with compelling content that is frequently updated. If you are new to online retailing or have only recently launched your company's online presence, some of the questions you may have asked yourself probably include:
. How can I improve incoming traffic from search engines? . I don't have a big name brand, how can I get people to trust my web site and do business with me? . Should I really worry about my web site getting attached by malware?
This paper will not only answer the questions above (and many like it), it will help you learn to establish a strong online relationship with your customer that is built on trust. After all, trust is what nurtures customer loyalty.
Even great search engine optimization (SEO) can't help if users don't perceive your site as credible. They will not share valuable personal information or make a purchase if they aren't absolutely convinced of your site's authenticity. Even the most enthusiastic users can be driven away by a single virus or Trojan at-tack, should your site ever be compromised by hackers attacking your readers.
Now more than ever, small businesses need to implement strategies that build and improve consumer trust. Users want to be sure they haven't landed on an impersonator's counterfeit site right away. If they don't feel safe, they'll leave, and the chances are high they'll never come back.even if nothing has neces-sarily gone wrong.
+ This where the VeriSign Trust Seal comes in VeriSign's Trust Seal, which is displayed more than 175 million times per day and is recognized by nearly 86 percent of consumers, can help build this sense of trust by bolstering security and authenticating your site. WHITEPAPERpage
+ Consumer trust is more important than ever You don't have to be the savviest tech person around to know that online se-curity threats are a very real thing. Just think of the various security breaches you've read or heard about in the news. Meanwhile, there is no shortage of advertisements suggesting the best products and services that can protect con-sumers from online fraud and other scams.
The fact is consumers and business owners understand that threats to online security are a very real thing requiring action.
. As many as 40,000 web sites are compromised per week (Google, 2009) . $800 billion in consumer e-commerce could be at stake if not protected (IDC, Sept. 2009) . One in 10 US adults online have been victims of identity theft or have suffered financial losses due to their personal data being comprised, either on the Internet or offline, during a 12-month period (Forrester, Aug. 2009) The good news is the security strategies businesses and consumer have imple-mented are working. Moreover, consumers are getting better at spotting the telltale signs of a compromised site and keeping as far away as possible.
. In 2008, nine out of 10 online users in the US reported that they had not been victims of fraud our identity (Forrester, 2009)
Better-educated consumers are helping to reduce online security attacks, but the services available for spotting fraud and taking action immediately to stop it are also major contributors to online safety as well.
One company taking advantage of those services is Merchant Circle, the larg-est social network in the United States for connecting small businesses and consumers. A small business itself, its members are provided with a web page listing and blogging, email, and newsletter applications, among other features. It estimates its membership at 1.3 million.WHITEPAPERpage
Though the company has had success in increasing its membership numbers, since its founding in 2005, and official launch in 2006, trust among its member-ship is still critical to the continued success of Merchant Circle and its 1.3 million members.
Each one of Merchant Circle's members will be able to display the VeriSign Trust Seal on their Merchant Circle profile, as part of their membership, as each indi-vidual member's site is verified by VeriSign.
Merchant Circle believes this new collaboration with VeriSign will g... [download for more]
