Is Your Site Secure? Putting Your Customers at Ease

posted on: February 19, 2007

The biggest deterrent to shopping online is customers’ fear of having their private information compromised. A newsletter subscriber asked “is it worth it to display an emblem on my web site from Hacker Safe® or some other security certification service? They can be very expensive. And if I don’t have an emblem, how do I reassure my customers?” Great question!

The Security Certification Business

Hacker Safe® is the industry leader in the business of providing protection to web sites “from hackers and certify their security to their customers and business partners.” The company does a security assessment of your web site and if it is deemed safe, you display a Hacker Safe® logo on your site. Hacker Safe® boasts a client list of over 75,000 web sites. There are glowing testimonials from clients who feel safer.

What does that mean to the end user? I have looked and found nothing outside the company web site which says Hacker Safe® or other security certification systems work. Please understand, I am not saying these services don’t work, but you would think you’d find at least some third party positive reviews if they did work.

On the Contrary…

When people see the word “hacker,” what do they think? You just thought it yourself I’ll bet. When you see “hacker” you think hackers. Customers who might be leery to begin with now may be more suspicious. One web site dedicated to internet security discussions agrees. (Visit InternetSecurityGuide.com/ internetsecurity/hacker.htm for more information..) I have talked with Solid Cactus clients who use Hacker Safe®. None of them have noticed an increase in conversion rates. Most said they felt it was better than nothing.

Affordable Alternatives

The fact is security services cost significant money. Some e-commerce sites may benefit from this expensive solution, but for many web sites there are numerous ways to give your customers the security they seek at a fraction of the cost. Identity theft is a real fear, and you should prove that your web technology is secure for your own protection and that of your customers. But that’s only half the battle. You also have to convince your customers that not only are you secure, but that you operate a business of high integrity that will deliver the product as described on your site.

• A Good “About Us” Page Helps. Display your numbers, faxes, physical address, etc. Show pictures of the owners, let us see they’re real. A picture of the warehouse does the same. Tell us your history and mission statement.
• Yahoo! Stores are Safe! Brag about your store. You should! Provide this link so customers can read for themselves. http://help.Yahoo.com/help/us/store/aboutms/aboutms-14.html.
• Display Your Solid Cactus Secure Shopping Graphic. Put it on every page of your site. Display it on your shopping cart and checkout page.
• Rotating Testimonials. Let satisfied customers speak about their shopping experience.
• Product Reviews. Also written by customers. No one has higher credibility than the customers who have already shopped your site. Use their good will to good end.

Services like Hacker Safe® may work, but ask if a comprehensive and expensive solution is really the best strategy to reassure the few genuinely worried shoppers. There are many inexpensive ways to get the message out that your site is safe for your shoppers. I urge you to try them.

Hacker Safe® is a registered trademark of Scan Alert, Inc.