Is the Better Business Bureau Worth It?

So here’s the thing: I had this idea to write about the Better Business Bureau. You know, just a simple post about how great they are. I mean, who doesn’t love the BBB, right?

Well, turns out not everyone feels that way. I posted on Twitter about becoming accredited by the BBB, thinking I’d get a ton of support. Instead, I got a surprising response from someone I really respect, Denise O’Berry. She basically said that the BBB was a waste of time. And that got me thinking…

Getting Accredited by the Better Business Bureau

Hey there, I’ve got some exciting news to share! USamerica.US LLC has officially received accreditation from the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and the BBB Online. Cool, right?

Now, let me tell you how all of this happened. To become accredited, I had to go through a few steps. First, I filled out an application and provided references from other businesses I work with. Then, I paid the membership fees and showed that I have a privacy policy for my website. Oh, and to top it off, I’ve been in business for over a year and have zero outstanding BBB complaints. Can’t forget that!

But wait, there’s more! The local BBB office even wanted to meet with me in person to learn about my business and make sure I’m the real deal. It was kind of like a mini-interview.

After going through that whole process, I am proud to announce that this site is now authorized to proudly display the BBB insignia. It’s a symbol of trust and excellence in the small business community.

Why I joined the Better Business Bureau has everything to do with trust online. I want to give you even more reasons to trust this site and the business behind it.

I spend a lot of time online, searching through information and looking for new trends. I’m really tired of all the spammy and anonymous websites that seem to be everywhere. They’re like rabbits, multiplying and wasting your time. The information they provide can be misleading, and sometimes they’re just scams that are out to take your money or infect your computer. It’s like a wild jungle out there.

Signs of Trust on the Internet

• When I visit a website, one of the first things I want to know is information about the company and the people behind it. That’s why I always look for the About page. I like to see if the About page talks about the business and if it includes a street address. If it doesn’t have a street address, that’s okay too, because some people run their businesses from home and don’t want to share their address. But it’s important to me that there are real people identified by their full names. The About page matters more to me than the design of the website or how fast it loads.
• Another thing I pay attention to is the copyright notice. If a website doesn’t have a copyright notice, I become suspicious right away. I also look to see if the copyright notice has been updated for the current year. This shows me that the website is likely to be kept up-to-date and not just something that was created and then abandoned. I also like to see if the copyright notice mentions a person or a business with terms like Inc, LLC, or Ltd. This tells me that the website is more than just a blog.
• Contact information or form is crucial. Can you find a way to reach out to someone through the website? It surprises me how many sites I come across that have no means of contact. This is especially common with websites that are created solely for generating ad clicks or for shady purposes. Such sites don’t want anyone reaching out to them.
• Do they have a privacy policy? Is there a clear statement on how they handle your personal information?
• How old is the site? Sometimes you can determine its age by checking the copyright date (for example: Copyright 2004 – 2008). In the case of blogs, you can sometimes find out by looking at the archives. Another way is to search for the site in the Internet Archive and see how long it has been active. Personally, I find a well-established site more reliable than one that seems to have been set up recently.
• Do they have approval seals like BBB Online or Verisign Secured Seal?

How Reliable is the BBB as an Indicator of Trust?

Can we fully trust these approval seals? Well, not really. It’s possible for anything to be faked.

However, scammers and fraudsters don’t typically bother with setting up extensive signs of trust like the ones I mentioned. Even if they do try to fake a few things, their deception usually doesn’t hold up under close examination. Something will seem off. Eventually, they are exposed and their scheme doesn’t last long.

Denise O’Berry brings up a valid point. She wonders how much quality control the Better Business Bureau actually has over its members. To be honest, Denise, I’m not sure about that. I think the BBB probably only takes action when someone files a complaint against a business.

But let me tell you something, if you have any complaints about a business and they don’t do anything about it, everyone will know. Nowadays, before I hire a new vendor, I always check if there are any complaints against them at the Better Business Bureau (BBB). So, in the end, I believe the BBB is important, even if they don’t actively regulate their members. Moreover, the fact that a business is a member shows that they care about what their customers and the public think.

The Importance of the BBB on the Internet

I’m not alone in thinking the BBB is valuable. In fact, Bloom Marketing shares their reasons for becoming accredited by the Better Business Bureau on their blog — they wanted to promote trust. On my radio show, Khalid Saleh of Invesp Consulting pointed out that having a Better Business Bureau seal or another respected seal of approval on your website can greatly increase conversions (as long as you have the right to display it).

In this imperfect world, the Better Business Bureau might not be a foolproof measure of trust. However, it’s another piece of evidence to consider. When it comes to websites, the little things matter. Sometimes, just one small sign of trust is all it takes.

That’s why I believe that being accredited by the Better Business Bureau and displaying the BBBOnline badge hold value, even for online businesses without a physical store.