Split Testing with McAfee Secure Trust Seals

There are several ways for online businesses to boost conversion rates. You may be able to think of some of these ways, but I have a couple more that you should consider.  Trust seals from businesses such as McAfee Secure will help boost sales and conversion rates. This is because when your customers see the trust seals on your site, they know that they can trust it more than other sites, because it has been verified by a third party.

In doing some research, I have found another great way to improve your conversion rate. This is split testing.  By using split testing, a business can determine the best spots on their websites to put things, including trust seals.  Simply changing the color of a link, or putting it on the opposite side of the webpage, can truly increase the amount of people that click on it.  This does seem pretty amazing, but people have short attention spans, and if they can’t find what they are looking for right when they want it, they will just go to another site. Split testing will show you how effective your site is and will help you to be able to get the highest conversion rate possible.

The most frequently used type of split testing is A/B split testing.  A/B split testing lets you compare two versions of your website against each other.  You will be able to determine which version is most effective. Many businesses have used split testing to test the effectiveness of trust seals. They compare a version of their site with trust seals against one without. The outcome has been reported is that the use of trust seals has doubled conversion rates.  This is great results, and totally worth it.

So, if you are looking to improve your conversion rate, think about trust seals from companies such as McAfee Secure.  And don’t forget to try split testing as well.  Not only will you know how to better arrange your site so that customers will want to visit, but you will see the results of how trust seals can help.  Good luck!

BBB Online Trust Seals for Website Security

The ultimate goal of the BBB Online is to generate a standard of trustworthy business practices. The BBB online knows customers want to be sure that they are shopping on websites that are safe and secure. They don’t want their private information falling into the wrong hands.  The BBB online and trust seals are the answer.

The BBB online has set up some recommendations to help online business owners stay on track.

Be Honest in Advertising – Follow an honest standard of advertising and selling.

Be Transparent – Plainly identify the nature, place and ownership of your business.  Obviously reveal all policies, guarantees and procedures that influence a customer’s decision to buy.

Be Responsive – Address marketplace disputes speedily, professionally, and honestly.

Honor Promises – Obey all written agreements and verbal representations.

Safeguard Privacy – Safeguard all data collected against mishandling and fraud.  Gather personal information only as needed and respect the preferences of customers regarding the use of their information.

Embody Integrity – Approach all business dealings, marketplace transactions and commitments with integrity.

Tell the Truth – Truthfully represent products and services, including clear and satisfactory disclosures of all material terms.

Build Trust – Maintain a positive track record in the business world.

The BBB online wants to promote trust and confidence on the internet by providing trust seals.   A trust seal is an image that is placed on a business website to show proof that the website has been verified and meets the program standards for good business practices online.  As an online business owner, you should have trust seals posted on your website to prove to your customers that you are a legitimate business. Look for trust seals, such as the BBB online, to help your online business.

The Importance of PCI Scanning

Lately I have been doing a lot of research into PCI scanning and PCI compliance. It can be quite a confusing subject with a lot of information that seems overwhelming. I would like to share with you just same basics that I have found about PCI scanning so you might have some of your own questions answered.

You are required to follow PCI compliance if your business or website is processing, receiving or storing credit card information in any form. PCI Scanning comes in as part of this compliance. PCI scanning is when an approved scanning vendor scans IP addresses that the public has access to that have to do with your website or the transaction process.

The type of PCI scanning and whether or not you need it depends on which merchant level you belong in. There are four different merchant levels, and basically, only one of these levels gives you the option to have PCI scanning, and even then there are additional things you need to look at.

So what it basically comes down to is that PCI scanning is important. Whether it is required of you or not, it is definitely a good idea. The best way that you can gain more customer trust is by being PCI compliant.

One company that I found to be efficient and affordable is Trust Guard. They offer quarterly and daily PCI scanning and loads of information about becoming PCI compliant. The best thing about Trust Guard is that they also offer trust seals so that your customers will know that you have completed the PCI scanning and are up to date. When a customer is sure that they can trust your site with their personal information, they will be sure to come back time and again. This will result in more sales for you.

The topic of PCI scanning can be a bit complicated, but hopefully this article has helped answer a few questions. PCI scanning is important and is definitely worth looking into if you own or are planning on owning a website that processes credit cards.

PCI Compliance

You may be wondering exactly what it means to be PCI compliant. I have been wondering the same thing, and so I have been doing a lot of research on the confusing subject of PCI compliance. Allow me to give you the basics about what I have learned.

First, PCI DSS stands for Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards. These are technical and operational requirements that were created by the Payment Card Industry to help businesses that process card payments prevent credit card fraud, hacking and other security vulnerabilities and threats. These standards are part of your merchant agreement that you sign when you choose to process card payments. In order for a business to be PCI compliant, they have to meet each of these requirements.

The 12 requirements of PCI Compliance are:

1. Install and maintain a firewall configuration to protect data.
2. Do not use vendor supplied defaults for system passwords and other security parameters.
3. Protect stored data.
4. Encrypt transmission of cardholder data and sensitive information across public networks
5. Use and regularly update anti virus software.
6. Develop and maintain secure systems and applications.
7. Restrict access to data by business need-to-know.
8. Assign a unique ID to each person with computer access.
9. Restrict physical access to cardholder data.
10. Track and monitor all access to network resources and cardholder data.
11. Regularly test security systems and processes.
12. Maintain a policy that addresses information security.

Second, in addition to these 12 requirements, you most likely will be required do have quarterly or daily scans of your site performed to protect it from vulnerabilities. PCI Scanning entails having an approved scanning vendor (otherwise known as an ASV) scan any IP addresses that the public has access to that have to do with your website or the transaction process.

Last but not least, you should check with your acquirer (an acquirer is the company with whom you signed up with to process cards) to find out any more specific requirements that may be expected of you. If you are confused or unclear about your liability as a merchant, verify it with your acquirer to find out what they require from you to be PCI compliant.

One company that I found to be affordable for PCI compliance and scanning is Trust Guard. They are now offering PCI Scanning as a new service starting January 1, 2009.

McAfee Secure for Website Owners and Consumers

McAfee Secure, which was previously known as Hackersafe, provides a number of services for website owners. Some of these services include web applications and daily scanning, so that website owners have the latest information about their vulnerability. Not only do third party verification programs help website owners, but they also help consumers. When a customer sees the McAfee Secure trust seal verifying the site, they will know that their personal information is safe and this builds trust. Which means more business for the website owner.

Some of the ways that McAfee Secure protects your website are as follows:

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>Vulnerability Management Portal and Alert System – McAfee’s vulnerability provides secure access to weaknesses and information from any location on how to fix these problems. The security tools will enable you to launch scans, examine vulnerability details, create network device groups, track trends, configure alerts, and generate customized report.

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>Payment Card Industry (PCI) Scanning – High tech scanning technology which performs daily scans of your website to make sure you are safe from vulnerabilities.

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>Data Security – McAfee is third-party certified to the standards set by Visa International. You can display this security standard on your site with the McAfee Secure trust seal.

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>.Customer Support – Included is McAfee’s unlimited online, email, or telephone customer support from highly certified security professionals. They promise to provide quick and accurate assistance no matter your level of expertise.

So if you are a website owner, you should make sure that your site is protected by a third party verifier such as McAfee Secure. As an online shopper, know that it is important to look for trust seals such as McAfee Secure. Then you will know that your personal information and purchases are protected.

BBB Online Verification

As an online business owner, there are certain steps that should be taken in order to prove to your customers that you are operating a legitimate business. Customers want to know that they can trust your site to keep their personal information private. Something that you should consider in order to keep customers coming back to your site, are trust seals. Many companies offer trust seals, but the one I am going to mention now is the BBB online (Better Business Bureau online).

The BBB online is a non profit organization. According to their website, their mission is to promote trust and confidence online through the use of their BBB online trust mark. The BBB online allows web site owners to display the trust seal if they have been evaluated and confirmed to meet the program standards for good business practices online.

In order to qualify for the BBB online seal, you must first be sure that you are an accredited BBB business. You can apply to become an accredited business at the same time you apply for the BBB online seal. You must also meet all of the BBB online standards, which are as follows:

• Your business must be based in or have a physical presence in the United States or Canada.
• You must have been in business for at least one year.
• You must provide the BBB with information such as management, address, and phone number that can be physically verified by the BBB.
• Your business must have a satisfactory complaint handling record, and respond promptly to any customer complaints.
• Your business should agree to participate in BBB’s advertising self-regulation program, and comply with their code of advertising.

Once your site has been reviewed and your business has been approved, you will receive an email with instructions on how to install the BBB online trust seal on your web site. Before you know it, your site will be more secure and your customers will know they can shop on your site safely. This means increased sales for you! So check out third party verification and trust seals like BBB online for your site. It really works.