How Using Trust Badges on Your Website Can Increase Conversions by +60%

How much do customers (both potential and dyed-in-the-wool) trust your online business?

What if there were a way to instantly increase their trust with you in specific situations, such as:

• Checking out/making a purchase
• Signing up for your newsletter
• Downloading content
• Filling out customer surveys

Furthermore, what if there was a way to drum up more business and conversions as a result of increasing trust?

Well, there IS a way. They're called trust badges, and they can do a heck of a lot for your business.

What Are Trust Badges?

Trust badges, also called "trust seals," "trustmarks," or "trust logos," are small graphics you can display anywhere on your website.

What sets them apart from just another banner, advertisement, or design element, however, is the trust they convey.

These badges require certain standards which you must uphold to display them on your website. In addition, sometimes you have to pass certain security tests, requirements, or get certified by an outside party before you can add a trust badge to your site.

For example, to display the ChamberofCommerce.com Verification Badge, you need to enroll in the Platinum Membership and go through a verification process. After that, ChamberofCommerce.com will review your business, provide continual monitoring, and rate you based on quality standards.

Finally, you'll be awarded the Verification Badge. Customers will see the seal and automatically know you measure up to ChamberofCommerce.com's high standards.

All that conveyed through a little badge on your website - that's huge.

How Do You Get a Trust Badge?

There are a lot of trust badges out there to choose from. Each has its own set of requirements as set by the badge distributor.

To view the requirements, apply for a trust badge, and more, you should check out the website of the trust seal you want to display.

Where to Display Trust Badges

In many cases, placing your trust badges in the right areas can help increase conversions further. For example, the more noticeable a trust badge is in relation to where customers need to enter sensitive details, the more likely they are to complete that action.

For example, placing your trust seals near a form or in a noticeable spot is a better strategy than hiding them on your "about" page or sticking them at the bottom of your home page.

When in doubt, make them noticeable.

Now that placement is covered, which seals are worth your time and investment?

Trust Badges That Convey a Lot of Trust

These are some trust-evoking badges that are sure to help your customers feel safer about doing business with you.

1. The ChamberofCommerce.Com Verification Badge

One trust badge you should consider is the ChamberofCommerce.com Verification badge. Displaying this seal on your home page or sales page shows you're affiliated with a trusted online brand.

Plus, signing up for a Platinum membership gets you additional perks like a premium listing on the CoC website, additional visibility in the business directory, and discounts with partners like HP, Office Depot, and LegalZoom.

2. Norton Secured Seal/Verisign

According to research from Baymard Institute, the seal that gave customers the highest sense of trust with the business that displayed it was the Norton Secured seal. In particular, this seal increased trust levels during checkouts.

3. PayPal Verified Seal

An Actual Insights survey revealed that the PayPal brand name signifies a lot of trust with consumers, too. Most participants (29%) said the PayPal Verified logo gave them the most reassurance when they saw it on a checkout page.

4. Better Business Bureau Accredited Badge

As we explored above, the BBB badge instills a lot of trust in consumers because of its rigorous standards and reputation. When you display this badge on your site, you get the automatic reassurance that the BBB Accredited seal provides to customers.

How Does Using Trust Badges Increase Website Conversions?

According to a survey from Econsultancy/Toluna, a majority of consumers (48%) said that trust badges helped them the most when making a decision to trust (or not to trust) an unfamiliar retail website.

Some case studies echo that statistic and actually prove how trust badges increase conversions. Sprout Social highlights a bunch of these, including one from Blue Fountain Media.

1. Blue Fountain Media: Conversions Increased by 42%

The company did a split test of their "request a quote" page to see which would perform better: A version without any trust badges, or one with a Verisign trust seal. There were no other differences between the two pages.

As you can probably guess, the page with the Verisign trust seal increased sales by 42% - a major jump in conversions.

2. Parenting.com: Sales Increased by 14%

Another case study comes from Parenting. According to ConversionIQ, the business increased conversions by 14% after they configured the AllClear trust seal between two highly trusted seals, the Norton Secured seal and the McAfee Secure seal.

The reason conversions jump on pages with a trust badge is obvious - consumers see the seal, associate your website/business with the trusted name on that seal, and thus feel safer about doing business with you.

You'll have to invest a little up front to be able to display these badges, but the results are more than worth it.

Invest in Trust Badges on Important Web Pages and Reap the Rewards

Investing in a trust seal is a relatively simple action that can lead to big results for your business.

Trust seals and badges help customers feel assured, safe, and secure when carrying out transactions on your website.

If you're able to guide them toward a profitable action for your business through something so simple, why wouldn't you?