If you're like most new webmasters your largest problem is a lack of sales. A million hits a day and the best prices around will not do you any good if the visitors aren't buying. A contributing factor in this problem may be that visitors are unfamiliar with your company and therefore reluctant to purchase. Don't take it personally, web surfers are suspicious by nature. For whatever reason, the feeling is that they will have a bad experience or worse yet get ripped off by an unknown "dotcom".

One remedy for this problem is getting a "seal of approval" from a reputable site monitoring organization. A small emblem placed throughout your site that shows it's trustworthy and can significantly increase your credibility. Potential customers are reassured by these symbols. Clicking on the image allows consumers to confirm your membership and view any complaints from others.

Some companies offer a service of this type for free. However, there are two downfalls in going this route. First, some of these groups do not allow you to place their symbol on your site until you've achieved a special status through customer feedback. As you can see, if you're just starting out this could be difficult. The other problem is that customers must fill out a survey during and after their purchase. The results are then automatically available to the public. One consumer complaint could effectively cripple your business.

I recommend going with a paid organization that allows you to resolve complaints before they can do any damage. The fees are not all that bad and in my opinion well worth it. These organizations allow approved members immediate use of their emblems. One of the most well known is of course the Better Business Bureau Online. However, it requires that your company be in business for at least one year before approval which may also be a problem. Other organizations such as the Internet Trade Bureau offer approval in as little as 24 hours.

The first step to increasing internet sales is increasing customer trust. If customers are unsure about your site they'll go somewhere else. Some of the organizations I recommend and their minimum annual membership dues are listed below:

Better Business Bureau Online ($100.00) (bbbonline.org)
Internet Trade Bureau ($26.95) (internettradebureau.com)
Web Assured ($180.00)
Association of Ethical Internet Professionals ($59.99) (aeip.com)
Net Check (195.00) (netcheck.com)