If you shop online or give your personal information to a website, it’s important to know whether it’s legitimate. It could save you from a scam that steals your financial or personal information.
There are many different ways that bad actors can falsify websites and obtain sensitive information illegitimately. This includes phishing and other fraud techniques that target consumers.
1. Look for a Trust Seal
One of the best ways to know if a website is legitimate is to look for a trust seal. These icons display an organization’s security information and can be clicked to view details.
Having these seals on the checkout page, for example, can help reduce hesitation and instill confidence. This is especially important for users entering sensitive information like payment information and home phone numbers.
These icons also work great for SMEs who may not have the brand recognition of larger companies, resulting in a higher level of credibility for their sites. However, it’s still important to ensure the seal is legitimate by clicking on it and navigating to the verification page.
2. Look for a Secure Padlock
The padlock symbol is a pretty good indicator that your connection to the website is secure Click Here. You should always look for this when entering any sort of sensitive information like your passwords, credit card number, or social security number.
This means that any data that is sent between your browser and the website is encrypted to prevent eavesdropping on your information. The padlock icon will usually be green and the URL will contain https instead of http.
You will also sometimes see a tune icon in place of the padlock, which is used by websites that use extended verification certificates. This is an extra step that shows that the site has been verified to be a legitimate business.
3. Look for Social Media Icons
Social media icons are easy to recognize and can easily direct a visitor to the website’s social media pages. These can be found at the top or bottom of the page and are a great way to encourage visitors to connect with the brand and share content with their friends.
Using these on your site is a great way to increase social engagement, but it’s important to make sure the icons aren’t too large and don’t compete with your logo. It’s also important to ensure the icons are evenly spaced to maintain a professional look and feel. Social media companies also stress the importance of maintaining a consistent amount of clear space around their logos and icons.
4. Look for a Contact Page
If a website has a contact page, it means that the company wants its visitors to reach out. This is an excellent way to increase your credibility and build trust with potential customers.
Some people may have questions about a product, delivery, or customer service that need to be answered right away. For this reason, it is important to include a form on your contact page that allows them to reach you immediately.
Dubsat framed their contact information nicely with a question asking why they should be contacted and a dropdown menu that personalizes the form. This is a great example of how to create a beautiful and functional contact page.
5. Look for a Privacy Statement
Legitimate websites will display their privacy policies clearly on their website. These privacy policies will detail the types of personal information that a company collects and how it is used.
The privacy policies should also include the process by which customers can access their personal information. They should also disclose any third parties that have access to the customer’s information.
The privacy policies should be easy to read and free of legal jargon. They should also contain a link to a more detailed document. Many countries have laws requiring companies to provide this information to customers. The privacy policy should also explain what happens if a business changes its policies.
6. Look for a Verification Page
Website verification is a great way to make sure your website is legitimate. It’s a simple process that involves adding a meta tag to your site and then verifying it with Google Search Console.
You can also check the owner of a website by using a service like Whois Lookup. This will show you the name of the registered individual or legal entity that owns the domain.
Scammers often try to spoof security protocols, so you should always perform a thorough inspection of a site before making any purchases. Check for things such as misspellings and grammatical errors, and make sure the website uses https (though this isn’t a guarantee that it’s secure). Additionally, look for non-reversible payment methods.
