A logo has always been important to build a brand, recognition, and attract the attention of consumers.

But logos can also affect consumers’ sense of trust and even make them rethink their purchase decision!

To deeply understand the impact of trust logos on consumer purchase behavior, we surveyed a large number of US-based consumers of various age groups. We found that a significant proportion – 55% of consumers didn’t shop online due to missing trust logos.

So, trust logos can be as important to a business as good customer service. The survey included 20 different trust logos and specific questions related to them, and the findings are noteworthy.

Key Takeaways

• Out of 20 logos, the most trusted logos were PayPal, McAfee, and BBB with 14%, 11%, and 10% of the consumers selecting them, respectively.
• 32% of the consumers chose “PayPal Verified” as the trust logo that gives them the best sense of trust.
• 76% of consumers said that trust logos affect their sense of trust for a specific website.
• 55% of the consumers reported that they abandoned a purchase online due to missing trust logos.
• 58% of consumers reported quitting a purchase online as they were not able to recognize the trust logos.
• 78% of consumers said that they pay attention to the trust logos in the URL address bar while shopping online.

Trust Logos That Were Included In The Survey

Trust Logos That Consumers Trust

Question 1: While purchasing online which trust logos do you trust the most?

In this question, we gave consumers the option to select multiple logos that they would trust while making a purchase online.

As far as trust goes, many brands seem to do well, PayPal led the way with 14% of shoppers who selected this logo, McAfee ranked second with 11% of consumers and BBB came at third with 10% of consumers who selected its logo.

10% and 9% of consumers said that they trust “VeriSign” and “TRUSTe Certified” logos and would make a purchase if they see them on a website.

PayPal Verified Is The Single Most Trusted Logo

To identify the single trust logo that online shoppers trust the most, we asked them the question below.

Question 2: Which single logo gives you the best sense of trust?

When we asked them to select a single logo that gives them the best sense of trust, the majority – 32% of shoppers chose PayPal verified as the logo that gives them the best sense of trust.

After PayPal, our survey recorded a significant drop in the consumer trust levels, McAfee gave the best sense of trust to 15% of consumers, Verisign and BBB logo gave the best sense of trust to 11% and 13% of consumers respectively.

Only the above 4 logos gave the best sense of trust to a significant proportion of online shoppers, while the remaining 16 trust logos were chosen by merely 1-4% of consumers each.

Trust Logos Affect Consumer’s Sense Of Trust For A Specific Website.

Our survey recorded a significant effect of trust logos on consumer’s trust for a specific website. To know the exact proportion of consumers whose trust got affected, we asked them the question below.

Question 3 – Do trust logos affect your sense of trust for a specific website?

A large majority – 76% of consumers reported that trust logos affect their sense of trust for a specific website.

On the other hand, a mere 24% of consumers said that trust logos don’t impact their sense of trust for a specific website at all.

While trust logos can affect consumer’s trust in a website, our survey indicates that an absence of trust logos can also discourage consumers from making a purchase online.

How Trust Logos Affect Consumer Purchasing Decisions?

Question 4 – Have you ever not purchased something because trust logos were missing?

A significant proportion – over 55% of shoppers reported that they didn’t complete a purchase because trust logos were missing.

On the other hand, almost 45% of shoppers said that they made a purchase online in the past even though the trust logos were missing.

It appears to be a significant takeaway for all the online sellers and websites out there, to consider collaborating with a trusted company that provides an online payment system and verification of their business.

But what if consumers don’t recognize the trust logos? Our survey revealed that a consumer’s failure to recognize the trust logo can also put a significant impact on their purchase decision.

Recognition is more important than mere presence.

Question 5- Have you ever not purchased something because you did not recognize any of the trust logos?

Almost 58% of shoppers reported canceling an online purchase in the past because they were unable to recognize any of the trust logos.

On the other hand, over 42% of shoppers said they bought something online even after failing to identify any of the trust logos.

The important thing to note is – The proportion of consumers that reported quitting a purchase due to “failure to recognize the trust logos” was greater than those who reported canceling a purchase decision due to “missing trust logos”.

So, in terms of the impact of trust logos on consumer purchase decisions, recognition is more important than mere presence.

Consumers Pay Significant Attention To The Trust Logos In The URL Address Bar.

To know if consumers pay attention to the security protocol (that a website uses) and the URL address bar trust logos, we asked them the question below.

Question 6 – Do you pay attention to URL address bar trust logos when purchasing online? For example “padlock icons” or “HTTPS”.

A large majority – 78% of shoppers said they do pay attention to the URL address trust logos while purchasing online, while just 22% of shoppers said they don’t.

So, for a website, whether it’s e-commerce or any other website, having an SSL certificate or using HTTPS is crucial. Otherwise, it can affect the sense of a consumer’s trust in a website through which they’re interested in making a purchase. Some browsers and search engines can also mark your website as “Insecure” just because your website doesn’t use HTTPS, ruining your website’s reputation.

Bottom Line

Our survey indicates that trust logos are a key factor that influences consumer purchase decisions, and consumers are highly concerned about safety and security while making an online payment or purchase. More than half of the customers might end up leaving an online store’s shopping cart without completing a purchase because they’re unable to trust or identify its online payment system or trust logos.

Just placing trust logos or partnering with any of the online payment systems out there won’t work or can even make things worse. In our survey, the proportion of shoppers who reported quitting a purchase online due to failure to identify trust logos is larger than the proportion of shoppers who reported the same when trust logos were missing. So, a website should collaborate with an online payment system that’s popular and trusted by consumers, like Paypal Verified.

While purchasing online, a large majority of consumers also do pay significant attention to the trust logos or padlock icon in the URL address bar. So, a website must use SSL or HTTPS, else it can act as a cause of changing consumer purchase decisions.

Survey Details

Helplama team surveyed 500 US-based online consumers to have a precise idea about their security concerns and the impact of trust logos on their purchase behavior.

Gender

The survey included a fair split of men (50.8%) and women (49.2%).

Age groups of Consumers

• 18 – 24 (9.05%)
• 25 – 34 (29.86%)
• 35 – 44 (46.38%)
• 45 – 54 (14.71%)