Syed Balkhi / 8 Mins Read
Updated: December 19, 2023
Boost online sales with trust badges. Gain customer trust, increase conversions, and protect sensitive information. Discover how!
Do you sell products and services online but don't know why people aren't buying? One of the biggest reasons for low sales is a lack of trust. After all, there are plenty of scammy sites out there, and no matter how good your site looks, it may not be enough to get people to hand over their hard-earned money.
However, there's one small step that any business owner can take to drive up conversions, especially sales. That step is to feature trust badges on your website.
Readers or shoppers who see authentic trust badges feel more comfortable sharing data and adding credit card details to your site. Let's learn more about trust badges and some easy ways to add them to your site!
Trust badges are digital seals or logos representing different third-party verifications that your site is trustworthy, secure, and legitimate. They can also express your high-quality, good service claims, and more.
You can place your trust badges on your website's product pages, checkout pages, and footers.
You've likely encountered several examples of trust badges while browsing the internet. Some examples of trust badges are:
And so many more.
Such trust badges show that existing reputable companies and institutions have authenticated your website and company. They also tell people that your website is safe, that you've followed best practices, and that your products and services are reliable.
You can also create trust badges without needing third-party validation. Some trust badges are visual representations of your company's promises and values.
The simple reason why you should add trust badges is that it adds credibility to your website. And they are a proven means of boosting conversions. Adding a trust badge increased payment conversions by 42% in one case.
And a survey found that 48% of respondents agreed that trust badges were critical in building trust. You'll also see a boost in your brand image and online authority.
Many direct and indirect ways trust badges help, which is why you should add them. Especially if you run an eCommerce website where conversions are the lifeblood of your business.
Let's look at how you can add or feature trust badges on your website. Many of these options are easy to implement, and you can likely add them to your content immediately.
Do you offer full refunds if customers aren't happy with their products or experiences? In this case, you can easily add a '100% money-back guarantee' seal to your site. It's as simple as creating a graphic and adding it to the correct pages.
For example, ensure it's on your landing page, checkout pages, or website footers. You can also download a premade graphic for free or pay for one on various vector art websites.
If you have pride in your customer service and are confident that your products will satisfy users, you should add a satisfaction-guaranteed badge.
Like the previous trust badge, you can add this to your website on your own. Create a graphic seal using design tool software. Or simply find a free vector graphic site to download an attractive seal for free.
People love getting things for free. They also perceive 'gifts' like free shipping as a sign of credibility for a business. If your business offers free shipping, you can create a badge that shows customers they won't have to pay extra costs when ordering from you.
This will encourage customers to shop and purchase from your store, knowing they don't need to worry about extra charges after checkout.
A simple badge that shows customers you use the best quality materials, processes, or ingredients for your products is a great way to showcase credibility.
You've likely seen this on luxury products, organic foods, or handmade items. Add an attractive graphic logo on your site and help customers feel confident that they'll get the best quality products from you.
Carmine County features the premium quality of its vanilla products with simple badges. Check out the badges in the image above and how they inform customers that the product is chemical-free, made of natural ingredients, and so on. Use similar trust badges to help customers say "yes" to your products.
You can also use premium quality badges to distinguish between the different levels of quality you offer. This helps customers understand the value of each product clearly and concisely. For example, if you sell organic products, use a badge that states the products are certified organic.
If a product is handmade, let customers know this as well. This helps differentiate between the various levels of quality and adds value to each product.
SSL or Secure Socket Layer is a digital certificate that proves your website is secure and encrypted. Previously, this was necessary only for eCommerce sites that carried out payment transactions. Or for websites that collected user data.
But today, having an SSL certificate has become a must for any website that wants to be trusted.
Having an SSL certificate establishes a basic level of security. You can get an SSL certificate for free or pay for it from hosting platforms and vendors that offer them specifically. Add a graphic badge featuring this information once you have your SSL certification active on your site.
For many customers, made-in-origin information is the deciding factor when making purchases. If your company manufactures products in any specific country, incorporate a badge or seal that indicates the origin of your product.
This will help customers know that the item they're getting is authentic and not a knock-off or cheap imitation. They'll also feel good supporting local artisans or businesses.
Mentioning your country of origin is a great way to add a trust badge to your site. These are some trust badges you can easily feature on your website. Stand out from the competition, showcase legitimacy, and gain the trust of your customers.
One of the best ways to get people to trust you is to let them know about your previous or existing customers. And this step to adding trust badges to your site involves adding your customers' brand logo in a prominent part of your website.
For example, on your home page so that new visitors to your website immediately trust that you're a legitimate business.
Just adding client logos go a long way toward using trust badges effectively. For added credibility, you can also feature customer testimonials or reviews with their company's logo.
The Better Business Bureau, or BBB, is an independent organization that evaluates the trustworthiness and integrity of businesses.
The BBB standards include eight principles of trust that you must meet to get an accredited seal. Some of them include transparency, responsiveness, and telling the truth.
It would be best if you also were in the US, Canada, or Mexico to get BBB accreditation. Head to the BBB website and submit your details to complete the verification process. The organization will vet you; you'll have to pay a fee once they approve of your business.
You'll then get the right to display the BBB seal on your online and offline content and showcase that your company is trustworthy and has integrity.
Entering your credit card details online can be an uncomfortable experience for many people - especially if they're buying from you for the first time. Secure payment badges can help put customers at ease and increase conversions.
Secure payment processors like PayPal, Stripe, and Apple Pay typically provide these badges. For example, to use Stripe's 'Powered by Stripe' logo, you can download it for free and add it to your checkout page.
However, you do have to be a Stripe partner for it to be authentic. For PayPal, you can copy and paste code to embed the 'Secured By PayPal' sign on relevant pages. Similarly, if you've partnered with Visa and other payment gateways, you can use their brand mark or logos on your website.
These secure payment badges will act as a visual reinforcement that customers can shop from you safely. The knowledge that your website uses trusted and well-known payment processors will give customers the confidence to complete their purchases.
Have you won any awards or been recognized by a leading industry organization for your business? Then add those trust badges to your website as social proof. People are more likely to buy from businesses acknowledged by respected authorities.
You can also feature any local-level award if it's relevant. For example, if you won an award for being the best local restaurant, adding that badge to your homepage will make customers feel confident about buying from you.
Another way to boost customer confidence is by featuring certification badges on your website. Associations or organizations that certify businesses for meeting specific safety and quality standards in their respective industries typically provide these badges.
This could be the ISO Certification for quality management systems, a green certification badge for eco-friendly products, or any other relevant certifications. These trust badges show customers that you take extra steps to ensure the highest standards in terms of safety and quality.
Today, people rely on user-generated product reviews and ratings to help them make their buying decisions. They often head to crowd-sourced review platforms to learn about a brand, product, or service.
For example, TrustPilot allows users or customers to review brands in various categories like pet stores, banks, or travel insurance. Yelp features local business reviews. And platforms like G2, Clutch, Capterra, and others allow people to review software, online services, and more.
If your business is on such platforms, you could leverage your reviews and ratings on your site. For example, this design agency was rated the Top User Experience Company on Clutch.co for seven years in a row. They featured this accomplishment on their homepage.
Similarly, if you're on any review platform and made a positive impression, you should feature this wherever possible. You can showcase how many people downloaded your plugin, how many 5-star ratings you got, any awards, and so on.
Don't just slap trust badges all over your website. Place them strategically, like on the home page or product pages. Please ensure they're visible but don't clutter up the site. Also, remember to link each badge to its source so people can verify it if needed.
Being strategic about your trust badge placement helps you maximize critical touch points in your buyer's journey. They'll make the difference between surviving and thriving, especially if you run an eCommerce business.
Getting people to trust your website is a complex process. Your audience only needs to experience discomfort before quitting their purchase on your site. You want to ensure that you remove the obstacle of distrust from your content and product pages. And adding trust badges is the way to go.
I've shared several ways you can add trust marks to your website. They're primarily simple steps to create or download a graphic and add it to your pages. However, there are some areas where you need to pay and get third-party approval.
In these cases, your authority skyrockets as you demonstrate dedication to transparency. It's worthwhile to feature a membership badge from your professional association or to get accredited by a security platform. Doing so will give your conversion rate a much-needed boost.
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Syed Balkhi is the founder of WPBeginner, the largest free WordPress resource site. With over 10 years of experience, he’s the leading WordPress expert in the industry. You can learn more about Syed and his portfolio of companies by following him on his social media networks.
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