Threats that put your website and visitors at risk just keep getting more sophisticated. AKA: They’re getting a lot sneakier. That’s why you have to help your site’s visitors feel safe surfing and sharing with you.
Whether you’re running a personal blog or a high-traffic WooCommerce store, earning and displaying a website security seal can help build trust with your audience and signal that your site meets rigorous security standards.
At BigScoots, we’re proud to support the Secure Hosting Alliance’s new Trust Seal Program. This initiative will set a new standard in hosting transparency and accountability, helping site owners protect their digital spaces and visitors. The Trust Seal represents a shared commitment to a safer, more open web. Let’s take a look at how website security seals work and why they matter.
Understanding Website Security Seals
Website security seals are visual indicators, like badges or icons, that you put on your website to show that it meets specific security or privacy standards. These seals act as trust signals, showing visitors that your site is actively monitored and protects their data. When people see a trust seal, they’re more likely to feel safe submitting sensitive information, like contact information or their credit card number.
Other benefits of using security seals include:
- Enhanced Metrics. Trust badges can contribute to longer session times, increased form submissions, and reduced shopping cart abandonment. In other words, when people trust your site, they stay there longer and are more likely to do business with you.
- Higher Trust Scores. Some platforms assign trust scores based on the presence and type of third-party verification. These scores can influence SEO, referral partnerships, and perceived reputation. In short, these security seals can help you get traffic and partners.
- Conversion Rate Improvements. Adding a verified security seal to key conversion pages can increase signups and sales.
Competitive Advantage. Trust is a differentiator. Displaying security seals can set your business apart from competitors who don’t help site visitors feel safe.
4 Types of Website Security Seals
Website security seals come in different forms, each serving a specific purpose in establishing trust and verifying aspects of your website’s safety, legitimacy, and compliance. Understanding the distinctions between them can help you choose the right mix of seals for your site.
1. SSL Certificate Seals
SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate seals indicate that your website is using HTTPS, a protocol that encrypts data transmitted between a user’s browser and your server. Some different SSL certificate seals are:
- Verification of HTTPS Implementation. These seals confirm that your site uses a valid SSL/TLS certificate, a key factor in safeguarding sensitive transactions.
- Padlock Indicators. The padlock icon in the browser address bar signals a secure connection. When paired with an SSL seal, it reinforces user confidence.
- Certificate Authorities and Validation Levels. SSL certificates can be issued at different validation levels: Domain Validation (DV), Organization Validation (OV), and Extended Validation (EV). Each of these offers increasing levels of scrutiny and trust.
2. Security Scanning Seals
These seals show that your site undergoes routine security checks to identify and remediate vulnerabilities. Types of security scanning seals include:
- Malware Scanning Certifications. Displaying a malware-free badge indicates that your site is regularly scanned and found to be clear of malicious code.
- Website Vulnerability Assessment Badges. These badges reflect ongoing assessments for potential weaknesses in your site’s code, plugins, and third-party integrations.
- Web Application Firewall Indicators. These seals signify that your site is protected by a Web Application Firewall (WAF), which helps block malicious traffic before it causes harm.
- Regular Security Practices Verification. These seals typically require continuous monitoring or scheduled assessments to maintain active status, ensuring ongoing protection.
3. Business Identity Seals
People do business with companies online that they may not have heard of before. They often feel the inherent risk in going somewhere that isn’t tried and true. Business identity seals help confirm that your company is legitimate and operates transparently.
These trust signals include those from business verification services that cross-check business credentials, such as legal registrations, contact information, physical location, and whether a website truly belongs to the named business. This type of third-party verification not only shows your visitors that you’re trustworthy, but it also aligns with SEO goals.
4. Privacy Seals
You’ll want to gather some information from your customers, and you want them to feel comfortable sharing it with you. Privacy seals communicate your commitment to responsible data collection and usage practices. These seals include:
- Data Protection Compliance Indicators. These seals verify compliance with data privacy regulations.
- Privacy Policy Verification. A verified privacy seal often includes an audit of your published privacy policy to ensure it meets legal and ethical standards.
- Consumer Data Handling Practices. These seals indicate that your site manages personal information with care, transparency, and consent. They may also reflect safeguards in place to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive user information.
Seal Implementation
You want users to feel safe using, interacting, and sharing on your website, but you don’t want your site to start looking like one of those cars that’s covered in bumper stickers. So, how do you decide which seals to use and how to use them effectively? The key is understanding how to properly integrate and present these seals.
One bumper sticker sends a strong message. Ten stickers may make people around you question your sanity. When it comes to actually putting the seal on your site, consider:
- Choose Appropriately. Consider your site’s needs and strategically select seals that align with your risk profile and audience expectations.
- Evaluate Providers. Work with reputable certificate authorities and third-party security vendors. Look for providers with a track record of reliability, clear validation processes, and robust support. Not sure where to start? Take a look at what your competitors are displaying.
- Consider Cost. While some seals are available for free, others involve annual fees. Weigh these costs against the potential benefits.
- Plan Integration. Think about how you’ll put the seal on your site. Security seals are typically added via a code snippet provided by the issuing authority.
- Place Properly. Seals placed near critical user interaction points, like on checkout pages or login forms and in footers, tend to be most effective. The goal is to present the seal where reassurance matters most, but also to use them consistently.
- Allow Verification. Reputable seals are clickable, allowing your visitors to view real-time verification details, making them feel even more secure.
- Know the Authentication Processes. Behind each trusted seal is a set of protocols confirming your site’s credentials. These may include server checks, database queries, and real-time status updates to ensure authenticity. Make sure you know what these are and that your site is compliant.
Challenges and Considerations When Using Trust Seals
Website security seals can significantly enhance trust and perceptions of security, but they also present important challenges and caveats. You want to consider them thoughtfully before adding them to your site.
Trust seal challenges and considerations include:
- Fake Security Badges and Identification. Not all seals are legitimate. Cybercriminals often mimic well-known trust marks or create fake security badges to trick users into a false sense of safety. Don’t get duped.
- Phishing Site Mimicry. Phishing websites frequently copy real brand designs, including trust seals, to appear more authentic. Without proper validation mechanisms, visitors may not realize they’re being deceived.
- Misrepresentation. Even genuine seals can be misused. Displaying a seal without fulfilling its requirements or failing to keep it up to date can backfire and undermine user confidence.
Why BigScoots Supports the SHA Trust Seal Program
The Secure Hosting Alliance’s Trust Seal Program will set new ethical, security, and transparency standards for hosting providers, and BigScoots is thrilled to support it.
The SHA Trust Seal offers:
- Robust Standards. Built through collaboration among leading hosting providers, including BigScoots, this seal will require adherence to best practices in security, privacy, transparency, abuse handling, infrastructure reliability, and government data-request protocols.
- Real-Time Verification. The SHA Trust Seal isn’t just a one-off badge. It’s licensed and can be revoked if a site falls short. Visitors can verify a provider’s current compliance at any time.
- Industry-Leading, Ethical Hosting Credentials. This seal, which launches in August, is crafted to showcase what’s most important in responsible hosting, which is why we wanted to be involved with it.
Trust Is More Than a Symbol
Trust is fragile and security threats are constant online. A website security seal represents accountability, transparency, and a commitment to best practices. From SSL encryption to third-party scanning and business validation, these seals provide visible proof that your site takes protection seriously.
BigScoots proudly supports the Secure Hosting Alliance’s Trust Seal because it reflects the same safety and trust principles we bring to every site we host. Want to learn more about BigScoots? Check out our Managed WordPress Hosting.
