VeriSign Trust Seal FAQ

Questions:

What is the VeriSign Trust Seal?
Is this the same seal I see at checkout on big name Web sites?
Why does my Web site need a seal to be trusted?
What types of businesses benefit from displaying the VeriSign Trust seal?
How is the VeriSign Trust Seal different from other business seals?
Can the VeriSign seal really help increase my online sales?
Can the VeriSign seal help increase traffic from search engines?
What is malware?
What does blacklisted mean?
How do I to get a VeriSign Trust Seal?
How do I manage or renew my VeriSign Trust Seal subscription?

Answers:

What is the VeriSign Trust Seal?
The VeriSign Trust™ Seal brings trust to businesses by helping them establish credibility online. When you display the VeriSign Trust Seal on your Web site, it means that VeriSign has verified your identity and that you are the rightful owner or operator of your Web site. Visitors may click the seal to confirm your information. The seal also means that your site has passed a daily malware scan and visitors can click on your site with confidence.

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Is this the same seal I see at checkout on big name Web sites?
Yes. The VeriSign Trust Seal is an enhanced version of the established and highly trusted VeriSign Secured® Seal. Like the VeriSign Secured Seal, the VeriSign Trust Seal shows that a site is authenticated by the high standards of VeriSign. However, the VeriSign Trust Seal provides additional information in more places to help assure your customers that your site is safe from search to browse to buy. The VeriSign Trust Seal is free with the purchase of any VeriSign® SSL Certificate. It can also be purchased separately for web sites that do not require SSL for securing online transactions. The VeriSign Trust Seal provides a cost-effective way to establish trust on your site without installing an SSL Certificate.

Note: If your Web site uses SSL, you must use VeriSign SSL in order to display the VeriSign Trust Seal.

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Why does my Web site need a seal to be trusted?
Growing concerns about fake sites, viruses and identity theft have made consumers reluctant to do business with Web sites they don’t know and brands that are not familiar to them. As a result, small businesses struggle to draw traffic to their Web sites and to generate the confidence to buy, click, and sign-in online. The VeriSign Trust Seal tells Web site visitors that the most trusted brand on the Internet has verified your identity and that your site has passed the VeriSign malware scan.

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What types of businesses benefit from displaying the VeriSign Trust seal?
Trust is important for all Web sites, not just ecommerce. If you are a publisher with an ad-based revenue model, you need traffic to thrive and your site to be trusted so visitors will click through your ads. If your Web site serves as a brochure for your local business, you are asking customers to trust you based on the content of your site. In almost any case, a small investment in a VeriSign seal shows your site visitors that you are trusted by the leader in online trust and gives them the confidence to click.

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How is the VeriSign Trust Seal different from other business seals?
Only the VeriSign seal is backed by the most trusted security brand on the Internet (VeriSign Brand Tracking Research, 2009). On average, the VeriSign seal is displayed up to 650 million times per day on over 100,000 Web sites in 165 countries. The VeriSign seal has an 86% recognition rate among consumers (VeriSign Brand Tracking Research, 2009 ). In fact, 97 of the 100 largest SSL-using banks in the world, 81% of the largest ecommerce sites in North America and 93% of the Fortune 500 rely on VeriSign (including VeriSign, its subsidiaries and affiliates) to secure their Web sites. As the brand trusted by major banks and retailers, the VeriSign seal helps build confidence on all types of Web sites.

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Can the VeriSign seal really help increase my online sales?
Yes. Customer case studies have shown an average increase in transactions of 24% (ranging between 10% - 36%) when the VeriSign seal was displayed. Many small businesses use third-party shopping cart software that is secured by VeriSign and the VeriSign seal is displayed on checkout pages. To maximize click through to your shopping cart, show customers that they can trust the link, trust the site, and trust the transaction with the VeriSign seal present at all stages of the buy process.

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Can the VeriSign seal help increase traffic from search engines?
One of your biggest challenges is standing out in search so that potential customers, viewers, members, etc. actually click your link to see all that you have to offer. The VeriSign Trust Seal includes Seal-in-Search, a feature that allows enabled browsers to identify VeriSign trusted sites and display the VeriSign seal next to your link in search results. See how the VeriSign Trust Seal is displayed in search results, download the free AVG LinkScanner to enhance your browser.
In addition, daily web site malware scanning helps mitigate the risk of becoming blacklisted by search engines. If your site is blacklisted, it may be blocked entirely or flagged with a security alert to discourage click through. In addition, anti-virus plug-ins to popular browsers can detect malware and block access to infected sites.

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What is malware?
Malware is a general term for malicious software and is a growing problem on the Internet. Hackers install malware without your consent by exploiting security weaknesses on your server and gaining access to your Web site. The malware code is not visible or easily detected, and may infect customers' computers when they simply browse your Web site. Hackers use it to spread viruses, hijack your computer or steal sensitive data such as credit card numbers or other personal information. Learn more: Malware FAQ

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What does blacklisted mean?
Because of the potential damage caused by malware, Google, Yahoo, Bing and other search engines place any site found with malware on a blocked list or blacklist, excluding it from search results. If your site is blacklisted, it may be blocked entirely or flagged with a security alert to discourage click through. In addition, anti-virus plug-ins to popular browsers can detect malware and block access to infected sites.

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How do I to get a VeriSign Trust Seal?
Simply enroll online: Buy VeriSign Trust Seal.

VeriSign will first verify the information you provide. Your Web site must be legally registered and you must either own the domain name or have exclusive rights to use it. Next, we conduct your first malware scan. If malware is detected, you will receive a notice with details about the type of malware and the infected pages for removal. When you pass the malware scan, youll receive an email alert with a link to a download page. VeriSign Trust Seal is a small script that you copy and paste into your Web site. Learn more: Where to Put Your Seal.

Note: If your Web site collects information from visitors, you need to protect transactions with a VeriSign SSL Certificate.

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How do I manage or renew my VeriSign Trust Seal subscription?
When you purchased VeriSign Trust Seal, an account was automatically created for you in the VeriSign Trust Center, a Web-based, self-service console with complete and secure access to manage all your account services. With a single sign-in, you can renew and manage your trust services and update your payment and account settings.

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