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85% of Online Shoppers Avoid Unsecured Websites

85% of Online Shoppers Avoid Unsecured Websites

Like every year in the run up to Christmas, online shops are increasingly trying to catch the attention of potential online-shoppers. That’s not surprising, as nowadays Christmas sales add up to nearly 20% of the yearly revenue (Source: Internet Advertising Bureau).

The number of online shoppers also keeps rising from year to year. Currently 75% of holiday shoppers are planning to purchase presents for their nearest and dearest through the click of a button. For Christmas 2014, the average household in the UK for example, plans to spend a whopping £775 (Source: Digital Strategy Consulting).

But why do some shops manage to grab a fair share of the £775 chunk, while others fail in the competition for the oh-so important boost at the end of the year?

In a recent survey*, GlobalSign asked survey participants what makes them decide to buy from one website, but neglect another? For many shoppers, security was one of the top concerns, placing third as an overall reason people choose one site over another.

So how can you make your website stand out and give your customers the feeling of security?

  • HTTPS

HTTPS stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure, and shows that the data transmitted between client and server is encrypted and secured. To connect over https, a digital certificate is needed. SSL certificates are provided at three different levels of vetting: Domain Validation, Organization Validation, and Extended Validation.  

  • Padlock symbol

The padlock visualises what the HTTPS already announces: the data sent through the website is encrypted and secure. By clicking on the padlock symbol the user gets further information about the certificate: which trust level it is (DV, OV or EV), which encryption level was used to issue the certificate, which root certificate it’s based on, validity period, and validated company details.

  • Green address bar

An EV SSL certificate also activates the green address bar – a visual reminder about an especially secure connection. Our survey shows that while some people don’t necessarily know which security signs to look out for, nearly all associate the green address bar with a secure connection. In fact, 85% of web users state they wouldn’t buy through a website where they weren’t certain their data was being transferred securely. This illustrates how important it is to have clear and visible security settings so customers will click the “Buy Now” button with confidence.  

green_bar_nobg

  • Company name in address bar

The company name in the address bar shows that the SSL Certificate in question is an EV certificate. On the one hand the company name demonstrates the high security settings, but it also serves as an emotional assurance. According to our survey, customers automatically trust a page more if clear contact details are given. The company name in the address bar thus appeals to customers in two ways.

  • Site Seals

There are a variety of site seals which are considered trustworthy by customers. A site seal allows customers to trust a website, and with the respective logo, visualizes that transactions and data transfers are secure on a website. 

The internet has now grown into a vast shopping area, in which customers decide within seconds whether they trust a website and thus are happy to hand over their personal information and payment details. Securing your website is both good practice and can increase consumer confidence in your site. As end users increase their knowledge on security, websites with secure connections will continue to be the first choice for shoppers. 

We have compiled further information about SSL Certificates in our Whitepaper ‘ExtendedSSL certificates: Securing online data and increasing customer confidence’

EV SSL White Paper

*The GlobalSign survey was conducted in November 2014 with 6,000 respondents in Germany, France, the UK, the Netherlands and Scandinavia to assess the general knowledge of internet security in Europe. All statistics and facts in this post, except where other sources are given, are relying on data from the survey.

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