Hacker Safe, Trust Guard, and Security Seals |
11/3/08 - 1pm |
We’ve run both on our sites.
To make it simple, it is unlikely that you will see a significant conversion increase with either of these. The best candidate for these services are sites that appear inherently suspicious. However, if this description fits your site, your time would be better spent elsewhere. After running on multiple sites, it is apparent that there is little to gain from having these seals. However, as there is little negative side effect of having them, it is could be worth it if the cost is minimal.
Hackersafe (now McAfee Secure) is ~$1690/year for 2 domains.
TrustGuard is $200/year for the first domain & $100/year for every subsequent.
TrustGuard simply verifies the existence of your business through an address check (post card with an activation code mailed) and a phone call. Hackersafe tests your site daily for different technical vulnerabilities. These tests can be helpful if you are planning on accepting credit cards directly and need PCI Compliance. However, if PCI Compliance is your main concern, this verification can be found elsewhere for much cheaper. Hackersafe is a marketing/hard sales company attempting to hide under the guise of a being on the forefront of internet security. The best thing we got for our money was their fridge magnet.
In conclusion, real world A/B testing for both of these services shows a minimal advantage. The only way to have a shot at any ROI using these would be to use Trust Guard. You get less with their service, but you get the only important thing: the badge.