Opinion on EV SSL Certificate and green bar?

[webstuck]

What's your opinion on the EV SSL Certificate and the green bar? Do you feel that it gives consumers more trust in the security of the website and therefore increases sales> Or is it just not worth the extra money?

[ssgumby]

My .02, I dont think its worth the cost. I have two sites that sell similiar items. One with EV, one without. They both have pretty equal conversion.

[Planet13]

Some larger sites don't bother with it because of all the resources it takes (apparently it makes a call to the SSL site's server).

FWIW.

[brokaddr]

I've never been turned off by a merchant for a non-green bar.

I work on a few e-commerce sites of polarizing differences in products, never had a buyer email and say they didn't order because the SSL bar wasn't green.

I also do not think its worth the cost.

[lorax]

The perception of it's value to the user has been oversold IMHO.

[Planet13]

...never had a buyer email and say they didn't order because the SSL bar wasn't green.

Interestingly, I did have a customer email us because there was no "Green Checkmark" on our site.

I was wondering what she meant, and then realized that she didn't see any GRAPHICS on our site that looked like the graphics a site with a secure SSL would have on it (like a graphic of a padlock with a green check mark, or something like that).

This was despite the fact that we DID have SSL at the time and we DID have A graphic on there clearly stating that - it just didn't LOOK like the type of graphics she was used to seen previously.

For what it's worth...

[brokaddr]

Planet13, are you referring to a "SSL badge"?
If so, that's very interesting.

One of the bigger sites I work with don't even have an SSL badge, but use regular $20 SSL cert - in 10 years we've yet to hear a complaint about the SSL security.

I'm almost wondering if the buyer's perception of SSL is related to the type of products sold. For example, the bigger site I am referring to; their target audience is teens, who may be more savvy (or simply don't care) about web security. An older crowd may have a different perception.

[Planet13]

Planet13, are you referring to a "SSL badge"?

Yup. We had an SSL badge, but it wasn't similar to ones she had seen in the past.

and yes, she was "older" as well.

[jrockfl]

I just installed my ev cert today. We are in the process of creating a mobile version of the web site and our previous ssl cert was close to expiring.

I got one with geo trust and I can use it on a total of 5 domains (main and 4 sub domains)

Just got our first sale after install :)

[pbradish]

The perception of it's value to the user has been oversold IMHO.

Agreed. I researched this best I could a few months back when we had some SSL's on the verge of expiration and I just couldn't find enough real data to show improved conversion rates.

I checked the competition and only one out of the top ten was using the Extended Validation certificate. I have a feeling others passed on it for similar reasons.

[ssgumby]

Let me add more, my one site that had EV was set to expire, so I didnt renew and went with a much cheaper standard SSL and ive seen no reduction in conversion rate.