Trust Badges: Why You Need Them

As more and more people transition to online shopping, customers have become more self-aware of their purchases. They pay close attention to details more than ever, meaning businesses must adapt to this behavior to obtain the trust of their consumers. One way to achieve this is through trust badges, which help reinforce the trust factor and put customers at ease with their buying decisions.

It’s only natural for people to have concerns when buying online. They fear that their credit card details may get stolen or their personal information used against them. With trust badges, you reassure your customers of a safe and secure transaction, putting their minds at ease and encouraging them to check out your product.

This article will discuss the different types of trust badges and how you can use them to maximize your conversion rates.

Why do you need trust badges?

Trust badges play an important role in helping your customers follow through with their intention to buy. The e-commerce space is vast, and fraudulent activities are more prevalent than people think. While online shopping is highly convenient, it comes with inherent risks that customers want to avoid, like identity theft, malicious links, and more.

As a business owner, it’s your responsibility to protect any sensitive information that customers share when buying on your website. When you use trust badges, you instill in the minds of your consumers that your website is legit and you’ve taken the necessary steps to secure their shared data.

Around 50% of shoppers say they’re likely to trust a website when it displays a trust badge. Those numbers alone are enough for small and mid-sized enterprises (SMEs) to consider adding a trust badge to their website.

Cart abandonment is a common issue that many brands face, and it’s because first-time buyers are hesitant to purchase from a brand they’ve never heard of before. You can significantly reduce your cart abandonment rates by adding a secure checkout badge to make customers feel confident with their purchases.

What are the different types of trust badges?

There are plenty of trust badges that you can use to boost the credibility of your website. When used in combination with one another, you can create a worry-free shopping experience that your customers will surely appreciate. Let’s take a look at the different types of trust badges available:

1. Safe checkout badge

The most important trust badge you need to display on your website is the safe checkout badge. Business owners can obtain this trustworthy seal from a certificate authority (CA) to prove to customers that their checkout process is safe. An SSL (Secure Socket Layer) certificate keeps online transactions secure through data encryption and verifies ownership of the website.

Such a badge can help boost your conversion rates as it encourages site visitors to check out the item with zero fear of data breaches. Perhaps the most common checkout badge comes from Symantec, which comes in the form of LifeLock or Norton.

As people become more sensitive to the data they share, adding a safe checkout badge is a great way to build trust with your customers. These badges are most effective when used on your checkout page for maximum conversions. For example, you can place it near your CTA, like the Add to Cart button, to ensure a safe checkout.

2. Accepted payment badges

Most customers appreciate a flexible payment option when it comes to online purchases. Thus, it makes sense to boost your website’s credibility by using accepted payment badges on your checkout page. Visa and Mastercard badges are some of the most recognizable trust badges out there, and using them will instill confidence in your customers when buying.

Surprisingly, older customers prefer to pay via PayPal compared to millennials, which is worth considering if your business caters to the Baby Boomer generation. By using accepted payment badges, you offer customers a variety of payment options while complying with the stringent security requirements of payment corporations.

3. Guarantee badges

Guarantee badges are unique in that they don’t require any certification or verification from a third-party company. These badges assure the buyer of a worry-free shopping experience thru satisfaction or money-back guarantees. The best part is that you can make these badges yourself or download free templates online.

The concept behind these badges is to eliminate the risks of buying products online, like quality control issues or misleading advertisements. Customers will also trust your business more, knowing you’re willing to replace or refund their money if they’re not satisfied with their orders.

When using guarantee badges, you want to place them in a prominent position on the checkout page to make them easier to notice. Brands often use guarantee badges and safe checkout badges to improve their conversion numbers further.

4. Free shipping and returns badge

Everyone loves free shipping as it adds significant value to a customer’s purchase. It also highlights your store’s policy and entices customers to meet your minimum free shipping threshold, which leads to more sales.

By offering free returns, customers have a safety net they can fall into if they experience an issue with your product. Much like the guarantee badges, free shipping, and returns badges are 100% free, and you can download templates online to use for your website.

Free shipping badges are more flexible in that you can place them beyond the checkout page. You can create a header on your website’s homepage that says ‘free shipping on orders above $xxx’ or create a dedicated page for your free shipping and returns policy.

5. Endorsement badges

Endorsement badges are the most powerful of trust badges as you’ll only see them on the websites of well-known brands. If a third-party corporation vouches for your products/services, it’s wise to take advantage of that and create an endorsement badge. People inherently trust what others have to say about your business, and an endorsement badge is one way to display your excellence.

Endorsement badges come in many forms, including awards, recognitions, certifications, and accreditations. One example is the Accredited Business badge from Better Business Bureau, a non-profit organization aiming to improve marketplace trust in the e-commerce space.

It will do wonders for your conversion rates if you can secure an endorsement badge and eventually put you ahead of your competitors.

Where to place trust badges on your website

It’s one thing to use trust badges, but knowing where to place them is crucial to maximizing effectiveness. Here’s where you can place trust badges on your website:

1. Site footer

Adding trust badges to your website’s footer is a simple yet effective way to maximize visibility. The badges will appear on every page, reminding customers of the value you add to their every purchase. Of course, you don’t want to overpopulate your site footer with trust badges as they’ll look clunky. We recommend using the safe checkout badge and guarantee badge on your site footer for a clean look.

2. Product pages

Product pages are also a great location for trust badges as it gives customers a boost of confidence when making a purchase decision. Place the trust badges near the checkout button to give site visitors added push to complete the transaction.

3. Navigation menu

As site visitors navigate your website, you want to remind them of your brand’s value and credibility. Your free shipping offers and secure checkout procedures will stay on your customers’ top of mind by placing trust badges on the navigation menu.

4. Site header

Not everyone will scroll down to see the bottom of your website’s pages, so it’s worth placing trust badges on your site header to make them more visible. Endorsement badges are a perfect fit on the top section of your website to remind customers of how others perceive your brand.

5. Checkout

Lastly, most people should find your trust badges on the checkout page. Seeing that trust badge at the end of the buying journey can make a huge difference in a customer pulling the trigger or abandoning their cart. Make sure your trust badges are near the CTA to secure the consumer’s trust and eliminate their doubts on check out.

In summary

Trust badges do more than earn consumer trust; they impact your conversion rates and lower your cart abandonment rates in ways you’ve never imagined. If you haven’t used trust badges on your website, now is the perfect time to add them. Take the time to secure and create these badges, and see how much it affects your website’s ability to close a sale.

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