A recent study found that four out of five Internet users claim that their ability to trust the information on a website is the number one component in their decision to visit or make a purchase on a site. Establishing web credibility is very important to the success of an Internet business, and one of the best ways to do that is by using third party verification and privacy seals. A privacy seal will reassure your customers that their data is protected and that making a purchase with your company will be a positive and safe experience.

You might be wondering “Can’t anyone fake a privacy seal?” The answer is yes, and this is something you definitely need to be aware of.  It costs money to verify a website, and check out the business and its owners.  It costs money to review a privacy policy and to make sure that the website is actually secure.  As a business owner, look for good deals, but make sure that you are getting the real thing.  As a consumer, make sure that the privacy seal displayed on the website is current, meaning it will show the current date on the seal and that it has been verified as of that date. A legitimate company offering privacy seals will conduct a thorough examination of the website and its privacy policy to make sure that it meets its standards of trust and safety.

Truste offers several types of privacy seals.  These are: Web Privacy Seal, E-mail Privacy Seal, EU Safe Harbor Seal, Japan Privacy Seal and Children’s Privacy Seal.  If you want to learn more about any of these seals, check out their website.