E-Commerce Trust Symbols – Advice For Etailers

Whether you sell auto parts and accessories, or cute little artisinal soaps, you know that online consumers don’t always trust the websites they do business with. Many etailers have experienced consumer skepticism in the form of suspicious questions like these:

• “Is your website part of a legitimate business, or is it just some guy in his basement?“
• “How do I know that you’ll send me the part I ordered?“
• “If you send me the wrong part, what guarantees do I have that you’ll make things right?“
• “How do I know you won’t steal my credit card number?“

Etc. Consumers wouldn’t ask these questions if they completely trusted your website, right?

While you can’t “make” people trust your website, there are some things you can do to inspire consumer confidence. One of these trust-inspiring actions is to add trust symbols to your website.

What Are Trust Symbols?

A trust symbol is a logo, icon, or symbol that gives consumers a sense of confidence. A Better Business Bureau logo, for example, is a recognized trust symbol in the world of retail (online or off)*. An SSL security badge or padlock icon is a good example of an e-commerce trust symbol too.

In the world of auto parts e-commerce, logos of well-known parts brands are also trust symbol. Nearly everyone who works on their own car has heard of brands like AC Delco®,TRD®, Goodyear®, Bosch®, etc. If you retail parts from a well-known brand, by all means associate yourself with that brand logo.

*Not to besmirch our friends at the Better Business Bureau, but we would strongly caution any e-commerce business from joining the BBB specifically to get the BBB trust symbol on their website. In our own testing, we have seen very little evidence of BBB logos boosting conversions. What’s more, serious questions have been raised about the veracity of various BBB offices. See Better Business Bureau: The Best Ratings Money Can Buy and Why The Better Business Bureau Should Give Itself a Bad Grade for more info.