Even web novices know (via the media), that the web isn't a secure place to be.  They know their systems are open to hackers and viruses and so even new comers get tooled up with McAffee and Norton before daring to venture into the on-line jungle.

Now ask them to enter their credit card details, phone number, address, and mother's inside leg measurement - what do you expect?  Not alot is the answer.  Most on-line traders and affiliates don't get too far for this reason alone.

To maximise your (slim) chances of success it's important to bolster your site with as many security inspiring magic symbols you can lay your hands on.  Punters tend to trust off-line companies that now have an on-line presence for the simple reason they have a real-world face and accountability about them.  In the same way you can engender some good faith by registering with accreditation schemes that have an off-line existence like Which?. 

We've put together a small list of on-line schemes which are worth testing out to improve the comfort factor you offer your customers and visitors. 

Accreditation

Verisign  is the leading provider of digital trust services that enable everyone, everywhere to engage in commerce and communications with confidence. VeriSign's digital trust services create a trusted environment through four core offerings - Web presence services, telecommunications services, security services, and payment services - powered by a global infrastructure that manages billions of network connections and transactions a day.

Security

Secure Socket Layering (SSL) is the technology whereby the details your customers enter into your form fields are digitally encrypted before being broadcast round the web and finally hitting your server.  Make sure the merchants you advertise use this technology, or your              e-commerce service provider includes this as a feature. 

Not normally something you'd get into in detail yourself, but a minimum requirement with the payment services and shopping cart solutions currently being touted round the web trader circuit.


Content Rating

Chances are if you're bothered enough to worry about content rating your site, you're  a reasonable sort of a webmaster who is probably a bit more trustworthy than the one next-door who gives no thought to the subject at all.  Apart from our responsibilities as publishers, the very real concerns about what goes on via the web these days, mean rating systems are useful and can help to cast your site in a better light. 

Internet Content Rating Association  Web authors fill in an online questionnaire describing the content of their site, simply in terms of what is and isn't present. ICRA then generates a Content Label (a short piece of computer code) which the author adds to his/her site.

Users, especially parents of young children, can then set their internet browser to allow or disallow access to web sites based on the objective information declared in the label and the subjective preferences of the user.