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  Quality Assurance: Backing up Your Word with a BBB Seal
Sunday, January 10, 2010

So you've just started up a brand new e-commerce company, you've finished with the domain registration and worked out the web hosting details and you want to know whether or not having a BBB seal on your front page would be a good idea. The first thing that we will need to do is talk a little about what the BBB is. Once that is done you can decide for yourself whether or not it would be prudent to have their support in your e-commerce endeavors.

The Better Businesses Bureau is an organization that oversees the quality of any companies that claim membership in it. For instance, if you have a company that is a member of the organization and fails to meet the quality standards that they have set forth for themselves, then the BBB can either drop them or charge a fine if they do not correct the situation.

On the other hand if you have decided to use a company that is not governed by the BBB, there is no one to watch over their actions. They might follow through, and they might choose to not follow through. It really depends on the situation and how that company is feeling. Then again it might be the best company in the world. You'll never know unless they decide to have the BBB seal on their website.

Essentially the BBB seal is allowing your customers to see your dedication to their satisfaction. It lets them know that your company conforms to the standards that the BB has set forth. In order for you to get a BBB seal on your website, there are a few things that you will need to do. For instance you can start with becoming a member with your local BBB.

Once you become a member, you are going to have to pay some sort of fee. The fee you pay will depend on the size of your business and what you can afford. Before you start the process, you can always check out the BBB's website and find out exactly how much you will need to pay. But receiving your seal is only half of the process. Yes, you will gain the trust of your customers, but you need to follow through.

You will have to begin answering your customer's questions and support calls promptly and leave no one waiting. If a customer is not satisfied they can always report you to the BBB, which means you can get in trouble. The last thing you want to do is lose your BBB membership and lose the trust of your customers. This can actually spell disaster for your entire company! If you are a good business owner however, this should not bother you in the least.

When you are buying online, don't you expect the best from the company that you buy from? Wouldn't you like them to provide you with the technical support that you deserve? After all, there is nothing more frustrating than to buy a product and have no support for it. More than one person has experienced this in their lifetime, and you hate being one of them. If that is true, then you should have no trouble understanding why others would expect the same from your web based business.

If you want to take it a step further, you could try applying for the BBB seal of Privacy. You will need to post a privacy policy on your website, and make sure it adheres to the guidelines that the BBB has set down. You will be monitored by the BBB to ensure that you are complying with their standards, but this will let your customers know you plan on protecting their privacy, which can sometimes make all the difference in the world.

These are seals that can propel your business forward. It may not be cheap, and it may not be easy to comply with some of those BBB standards, but in the end won't it be worth it to have that seal and have the huge customer base? This is an investment that can and probably will further your company, so make sure you give it a chance. Don't dismiss it as something you don't need, because you certainly do need it.

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