CPA WebTrust | WebTrust Facts | Helping Your Business Grow | WebTrust FAQs Why should your business be interested in electronic commerce? The number of internet users in the U.S. is growing at phenomenal rates. In 1994, there were less than 5 million users, in 1997 there a was about 19 million users and by the year 2000, there is expected to be more than 33 million internet users. As more consumers make the internet part of their daily lives, they will rely on the convenience of the internet for many of the purchases they had made at your or your competitors' stores. Witness the explosion of Amazon.com. This company and its online catalogs has exploded in popularity and is now a dominant force in the book industry. They simply took a product that was readily available at the local shopping mall and made it accessible to everyone in their homes 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The demand for books did not fuel the growth in Amazon Books, rather it was the convenience of online shopping that made the company a success. Their customers and more like them have accepted the benefits of electronic commerce and are willing and able to purchase your product over the internet. Don't let one of your competitors use this valuable sales channel to your disadvantage. What are the benefits of opening a virtual store? your product and catalog is available everywhere, anytime a virtual storefront can replace or supplement your existing sales channels a virtual store has reduced overhead; no need for rents, utilities, costly displays or unproductive sales staff reduced transaction costs; automatically process orders reduced time bringing new products to market; customer convenience enhanced corporate image How will the WebTrust seal benefit my business? Studies have shown nearly one-half of online shoppers say the WebTrust seal would make them more likely to purchase products and services online. The WebTrust seal will let consumers know you have met rigorous standards for electronic commerce and you conduct your business with the legitimacy and integrity that they expect. Too many times a sale is just one click away but the customers stops because they concerned about their privacy and protection of their personal information, including credit cards numbers. With a WebTrust seal, you will let the customer know that you have effective controls in place to ensure that their information is protected and that they can place their orders with confidence. The WebTrust seal will allow your business to compete on a level playing field with your larger, name brand competitors. No longer will you risk losing a sale because the customer is unsure whether your business is legitimate. The WebTrust seal will let the customer know that a CPA has examined your e-commerce business practices and that your business is for real. Back to our WebTrust page