SMBs Realizing the Benefits of Online Security

by Tim Callan, VP Product Marketing, Verisign

Face it, you might not be able to live at the address of Mick Jagger, Donald Trump or Bill Gates. Similarly, your small to medium sized business (SMB) might not be able to enjoy the status of a multi-national industry leader... yet!
 
But what if your business could enjoy that status in the critical area of Internet security - protecting your online customers the way the largest enterprises and brand names do?
 
SMBs need to earn their online customers' trust and confidence to be successful, especially in tough economic times when consumers are jittery and competitors are just a click away.
 
Several SMBs have realized great online sales results by implementing a security solution called Extended Validation (EV) SSL Certificates. These certificates provide an easy and reliable way to verify that a Web site is authentic and provide a secure environment for users conducting transactions. EV SSL triggers high security Web browsers to display a green browser address bar with the name of the organization that owns the certificate and the name of the Certificate Authority that issued it. This green address bar verifies that the organization owning the Web site has been authenticated as the legal entity it claims to be based on the most rigorous industry standards. The green address bar also means that any transactions made between the consumer's browser and the company's Web site is encrypted.
 
The EV SSL green address bar is the best weapon against phishing scams, which con consumers out of money and personal information by luring them to fake Web sites posing as familiar, legitimate brand sites. By verifying that the Web sites are authentic, EV SSL builds consumer confidence and trust.
 
For SMBs, this trust is critical to effectively compete with larger online businesses that have built trust among customers over many years. A number of SMBs have successfully used EV SSL to establish this trust and capture online business from their competitors.
 
And don't just take my word for the effectiveness of EV SSL.  For the 2009 tax season, the IRS developed new security and privacy guidelines recommending that all online tax filing sites implement EV SSL to protect the estimated 90 million U.S. taxpayers from phishing scams (online filings grew to nearly 60 percent of taxpayers in 2008). In 2007, tax filing service FileYourTaxes.com implemented EV SSL Certificates and has been using the green address bar to show that their Web site is authentic and as safe as its much larger, more established competitors. Customers followed, and FileYourTaxes.com realized a 16,000 percent return on its EV SSL investment as a result.
 
Other SMBs have also realized notable, measurable results with the EV SSL green address bar; the technology has been proven to reduce online shopping cart abandonment and increase transaction rates. Online editing house Scribendi saw a 27 percent increase in transactions and a 50 percent increase in online revenue with EV SSL. Also, e-commerce site Virtual Sheet Music saw a 13 percent increase in sales with EV SSL.
 
So while your business might not own the largest skyscraper in town or have its name on a sports arena, you can use EV SSL Certificates to establish the trusted relationships of more established brands, and through these relationships, achieve the online business results to help you get to that skyscraper.

About VeriSign EV SSL: http://www.verisign.com/EV-SSL
Extended Validation SSL gives Web site visitors an easy and reliable way to establish trust online. Only SSL Certificates with Extended Validation (EV) will trigger high security Web browsers to display a green address bar with the name of the organization that owns the SSL Certificate and the name of the Certificate Authority that issued it. The green bar shows site visitors that the transaction is encrypted and the organization has been authenticated according to the most rigorous industry standards.