Readers of email messages designed to sell them something are much more likely to buy if the top of the email carries a security logo. This is the conclusion of a study performed by a publishing company.

What they discovered was the fact that if an email contained an isolated security logo at the top of the message sales went up by over 28%. In addition, click through rates were higher as were a whole load of other metrics.

This study clearly demonstrates the fact that buyers need reassuring that you are a bona-fide business. They want to trust you and a security logo helps them establish that psychological confirmation you are “OK”.

However, there’s a problem. You can only include logos in HTML (web page style) emails. Sadly these are the least successful in sales terms since they get blocked by many email systems and Spam checkers. The result is that text-only emails are the most successful in sales terms.

So how do you create trust in a text only email if you can’t show a security logo? I’d suggest having a line at the very top of your email message showing a link to the security verification services. I’d also have reassurances in the text about transaction security. In other words, take every opportunity you can to let your customers and potential clients know that your web site and ordering process is secure. It seems that people want to know this before parting with their cash.