Seals of Trust

Trust Services are defined as:

A set of professional assurance and advisory services based on a common framework (i.e., a core set of principles and criteria) to address the risks and opportunities of IT.

These services are categorised into Availability, Security, Processing Integrity, Confidentiality, and Privacy.
Many providers of these seals show on their websites testimonials that underpin the efficiency of such seals. In once case, the American Red Cross is cited for an increase in donations of 14% when adding such a seal. While it is difficult to measure an cumulative effect, many experts claim they have a positive effect on conversion rates.

A study* in 2002 showed that purchase intention and the display of WebTrust seals are positively correlated.

* Kaplan, S.E. and Nieschwietz, R.J. (2003). An Examination of the Effects of WebTrust and Company Type on Consumers’ Purchase Intention. International Journal of Auditing, 7, pp. 155-168.