Editors Note: Planet Marketing uses Trust Guard. Check it out by clicking on this link!
Disclaimer: Planet Marketing is affiliated to some of the companies that are mentioned in this article. However, that does not mean we are biased. This post is based on real data from real customers (us included)!
Do you have a security seal on your website? If not, then you have definitely been missing out! Most people do not understand that website seals are not simply there for show. Okay, most of them really look good on a website, but behind that glitz, there is a service that assures visitors to your site that none of their data is going to be lost in the dark corners of the World Wide Web. Anyway, before I get carried away, let me begin by telling you what this article is all about;
- This blog post helps you understand what website security seals.
- It also gives you a list of some of the best website security seals that can be found out there.
What are website security seals and why are they important?
Most people do not realize that website security seals are more than just the badge. Overall, website security seals do the following;
- They help protect your visitors’ identities
- They secure your website, which helps increase sales,
- They help build trust in your business,
- They are also instrumental in boosting conversions.
It’s all about building trust
From website protection from hackers to web vulnerability scanners, the security seal you choose for your site should convey trust and peace of mind from your prospective buyers. One of the biggest – and easiest – ways to foster loyalty in your customers is to give them peace of mind at the point of purchase with a website security seal.
Whether your customer is buying a $10 book from you or a $500 watch, they want to know their financial information, such as credit card numbers and address, will be kept private and confidential. With the number of identity thefts rising every year – the Bureau of Justice Statistics says 17.6 million U.S. residents experienced identity theft in 2014 alone – you have to be more diligent than ever as a business owner to get your customers to trust you. As a business, you also can’t afford a data breach that could cost you thousands or millions of dollars.
Best companies to get security seals for your website
The best way to achieve security on your website, especially an e-commerce store, is to sign up with a website security company. There are two main reasons to get a seal on your site: 1) You don’t want to end up with a lawsuit because of a security breach 2) Increase consumer confidence which leads to an increase in sales. The following are some of the best companies to get you security seals on your website;
Trust Guard
Depending on your budget, you can get the Quarterly, Monthly, Weekly, or Daily Scanning Plan from Trust Guard. They will scan your site and server for more than 75,000 possible vulnerabilities. You will get a full report of what you passed or failed. As with all the other website security scanners, once you pass you can feel confident you’ll receive an increase in conversions. The following are some of the threats that they are on the lookout for;
- Website Malware Scanning
- PCI Compliant Scanning
- Web Application Scanning
- A Detailed Report
- Free Live Chat/Phone Support
- Month-to-Month
- Lowest prices in industry
Pricing
(Disclaimer: Planet Marketing is a partner with Trust Guard.) We have worked out the following amazing Trust Guard deal;
Trust Guard + Planet Marketing – * $49/mo Trust Guard Daily Scanning
*In addition to getting the Trust Guard Security Seal, you’ll get the Business Verification Seal and the Privacy Seal. This is what Trust Guard’s 3 seals look like. Go ahead and click on them:
You can read our Trust Guard Review here.
You can watch Trust Guard’s YouTube video here.
Planet Marketing has been working with Trust Guard for several months now. However, there are many companies that offer this, but we like Trust Guard in particular when it comes to website protection because it offers a variety of Security Scanning Seals, Privacy Seals, & Verified Business Seals that convert better than the competition, with satisfaction guaranteed or double your money back. Also, it’s month-to-month.
SiteLock
Sometimes a website security company will give you “free” service if you are using a certain web hosting company. SiteLock is one such company. I got this message 3/24/2016 from our web hosting company, Bluehost. See Here.
SiteLock Lite is a free malware scanner that searches for malware by scanning the sitemap of your website for infections.
Don’t get the free version of SiteLock (or any company). Scanning your sitemap can be done by any program. Sitelock is a good company, but the strength of it is in the paid programs. If you own a company that needs website protection, consider SiteLock. It’s much better than McAfee SECURE.
- Daily Malware Detection Scan.
- Vulnerability scanning options.
- File Change Monitoring.
- Database SQL Scanning.
- Targeted Attack Blocking.
- Malicious Bot Protection.
- Reputation Management (business, phone number, spam, ssl, domain, or postal mail verification).
- SiteLock CDN or Web Application Firewall.
- Access to the SiteLock Dashboard.
Pricing
The screenshot above shows SiteLock’s current pricing. Three plans are available: SecureStarter, SecureSpeed and SecureSite. What I really like about SiteLock is there “SQL Injection Prevention” feature in the SecureSpeed plan.
You can watch SiteLock’s YouTube video here.
McAfee
McAfee SECURE is probably the most popular of all the website security companies and it’s operated by a company called PathDefender. When I hear the name McAfee, I personally think of computer anti-virus, not website security. McAfee SECURE has a good video on their home page showing their seals in the footer, product pages, and checkout.
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Security monitoring
- Certification trustmark
- Website diagnostics
- TrustedSite ratings
- Security scanning for malware, viruses, phishing attacks, and other malicious activities
According to McAfee SECURE, it thoroughly checks a website for malware, viruses, phishing attacks, and other malicious activities. As web developer here at Planet Marketing, this sounds like the McAfee SECURE program goes through the source code and looks for malicious code. It doesn’t sound like it tries to prevent it from happening like Trust Guard and SiteLock. All McAfee Secure does is “scan” for problems.
Pricing
You need to enter Your URL for McAfee SECURE pricing here. FYI, Planet Marketing would have to pay $149/mo.
You can watch McAfee SECURE’s YouTube Video here.
Trustwave
Trustwave does a lot more than provide security seals. Trustwave’s ‘Trusted Commerce’ seal shows customers that a site has passed the highest level of encryption available. It also shows a website has passed an extensive validation process which allows Trustwave to guarantee the site’s identity with a warranty of $500,000. The Trustwave program proactively scans applications, databases, network for vulnerabilities to protect your data. It does WAY more than McAfee SECURE. Trustwave is for medium to enterprise sized businesses.
Trustwave helps businesses fight cybercrime, protect data and reduce security risk. We give organizations the services and technologies they need to transform the way they plan, prepare, integrate and manage their information security and compliance programs.
- Global network of Security Operations Centers available 24/7/365
- Managed anti-malware
- Two factor authentication
- Cloud-based management portal called TrustKeeper for real-time view into program status
- Increase customer confidence during checkout.
- Decrease shopping cart abandonment.
- Provide proof of PCI compliance.
You can go here and check out Trustwave’s seals: https://ssl.trustwave.com/support/siteseal.php
Pricing
Pricing – None is displayed on their site. You’ll need to get a custom quote.
Watch can watch Trustwave’s YouTube Channel here.
Qualys
Qualys has a full spectrum of auditing, compliance and protection of your website. It covers a lot more than security seals. However if you only need it for the Qualys SECURE Seal, you can buy it a la carte. Once Qualys determines a website is free of malware and critical vulnerabilities, the Qualys SECURE Seal will begin to display on your site and your customers can rest assured it’s safe to shop on your site. Here are the features:
- Perimeter Vulnerability Scanning
- Web Application Scanning
- Malware Detection
- SSL Certification Validation
- Website Security Seal
Pricing – $495/yr upfront.
https://www.qualys.com/enterprises/qualysguard/secure-seal/pricing/ (click on “Seal”)
You can watch Qualys’ YouTube video here.
Conclusion
Website security works in building credibility for prospective customers, especially at the checkout. Try not to use the free versions because they really don’t go into depth when scanning for vulnerabilities. Any of the above companies will increase sales. Put your security seal in the header or foot, product pages, and in the checkout.
If price is a factor in your decision, check out Trust Guard and use our partner link instead.
Trust Guard Quarterly Scan $29/mo Pricing
Trust Guard Daily Scanning $99/mo Pricing.
For most companies, Trust Guard , SiteLock and Qualys will work. Trustwave is for companies that are more complex with a bigger budget. McAfee is the most known brand, but it offers the least amount of protection against security breaches.
If you have any question, contact us on Live Chat or ask in the comments area below.
