Web User Experience Blog

Things We Check

2010-03-15T20:40:58Z

Here is our cool new TV ad on Things We Check. The spot talks about the everyday things we all 'check' including the VeriSign check when we are online to stay safe.

Check it out:

Impact of Design On Trust

2010-03-08T23:01:18Z

We attended RSA 2010 this week where VeriSign was a Platinum Sponsor. Executive Chairman, Jim Bidzos, gave a Keynote Address on the 'Internet and Trust' explaining that without trust, people are less likely to freely share information or transact online.

This is very true in the creation of Websites. Good design is critical for good user experience which is essential to building trust. A Website is our face to the world and its design creates that first impression which people judge it by. Also, every interaction a user has on a site impacts the trustworthiness they associate with that site. So, poor design and rampant content errors, for instance, take away from the credibility and trustworthiness of sites. However, a well-designed site which is functionally sound with a clear navigation system and good content goes a long way to building trust. Additionally, the presence of trust marks, data encryption, and other elements also help to lend credibility and trust to Websites.

VIDEO: Watch the keynote address!

PHOTOS: Highlights of the booth action:

Launch of VeriSign Trust Seal

2010-03-01T20:15:15Z

With the launch of the VeriSign Trust^TM Seal last week, we introduced a new section to the Website dedicated to the Trust Seal. The Seal enables Websites to communicate that they are a trusted site to do business with and that does not compromise consumer safety.

The site pages utilize a balanced combination of multimedia video and rich graphics to visually communicate the content.

The Product Details page provides a tabset overview of the key information relating to the seal.

The Where to Put Your Seal page illustrates via screenshots specific recommendations on where to position the seal on your site.

And, in case you have questions as to which seal is right for you, there is an at-a-glance comparison table on the Compare VeriSign Seals page with key differentiators and inline explanations.

A persistent element across the pages which follows the content of each page is the "What would you like to do?" box. This provides users with easy and always-available access to options available to them.

So if you haven't already, check out the new VeriSign Trust^TM Seal and what it can do for your Website.

New Video Player Experience

2010-02-09T22:49:49Z

Videos on www.verisign.com have a new look and feel. Users will experience an improved delivery of videos that are optimized for their available bandwidth.

During playback when hovering over the video, users now have the ability to quickly share (e-mail, Digg, tweet, post on Facebook, StumbleUpon, and FriendFeed) or embed the videos onto their blogs and social media sites.

Check out this implementation on our new corporate video:

Contributed by Rich Lam.

25th Anniversary of .COM

2010-02-08T19:16:11Z

This year marks the 25th anniversary of .com (dot com). In March 1985, the first .com domain name was registered, www.symbolics.com, igniting the birth of the consumer Internet that, 25 years later, continues to transform communications, commerce and our society as a whole.

And to commemorate this silver anniversary, a Website -- www.25yearsof.com -- has been launched to celebrate Internet innovation as well as to showcase the innovators and entrepreneurs who have shaped the Internet.

As part of this celebration, VeriSign will soon announce the top 75 people and companies who have made the most notable impact in shaping the Internet and ultimately, our world. From this list, a distinguished panel comprised of some of the Internet's most important influencers, will select the ".com 25." Winners of the .com 25 will be announced at a gala event later this spring in San Francisco.

Twitter: Keep up with our latest news at @25yearsofdotcom.

Facebook: Friend us at facebook.com/25yearsofdotcom.

VeriSign Homepage Redesign Live

2010-01-31T18:21:00Z

Little late in posting this but the new VeriSign.com homepage is officially live. It was made official before the new year after conducting tests to determine which of several designs was performing best. The winner was determined after examining usage and analytics patterns from visitors to the site over approximately a quarter. We conducted A/B tests on a couple of new designs along with the original homepage.

With the redesign, the intent is to improve your overall user experience by updating the look and feel of the design so it is more pleasing to the eye, surface more relevant content, and improve the overall usability. We know that our users are busy and that their time is valuable, so we've strived to optimize the homepage so it is more gateway-oriented - allowing you to learn about what you need to faster and get you to where you need to faster so you can ultimately be successful. Navigational elements, entry points, and content was written so they are scannable and intuitive to enable quick and easier access.

Here is an overview of the page:
1. The new country site selector is an in-page popup pane which allows you to select the site you wish to visit directly from the homepage without leaving the page.

2. The top level navigation bar has an onhover color change effect to indicate menu items are active as well as downward facing carats to visually indicate that there are flyout menus for sublinks. These links provide valuable deep links into specific content areas.

3. There is now a full-page interactive flash banner which houses multiple overarching messages which helps you learn about issues relevant to you and how VeriSign helps you solve them.

4. For users looking to transact, there is a clearly defined and improved space for this purpose beneath the flash banner.

5. In the center well area, there is a section for learning about the latest product promotions, events, announcements, etc. This component is in the form of an interactive auto-rotating scroller which is also self-directed.

6. To the right of the promotional area, we have an accordian which we are using to surface task based as well as role-based navigation and quick links to other destinations on the site.

7. At the bottom of the page, there is a News ticker to keep you up-to-date on the latest news from VeriSign. This element also auto-rotates as well as allows for manual rotation.

8. We have 'Feedback' links in the header and footer of the page for easy access and in case you miss it in either spot.

Overall, there are more Web 2.0-esque features and functionality on the page. There are more bells and whistles intended to enable interactivity and functionality. We strived to carefully balance form and function. The elements have been pulled together in a cohesive and synergistic manner to enhance - not encumber - the user experience.

Check it out at www.verisign.com and let us know how it is working for you. Would love to hear your comments.

Secure Site Pro with EV SSL Rated 4.5 Out of 5 By PeC

2010-01-12T01:14:00Z

Here is an informative video review of one of VeriSign's SSL Certificates - Secure Site Pro with EV SSL. Conducted by Armando Roggio of the PeC Review, he explains what EV SSL is and why you need it.

He also rates the product a 4.5 out of 5!

"I really like VeriSign's Secure Site Pro with EV SSL. I believe it does a good job of actually securing customer data as it passes back and forth between the browser and server, and I think that it gives merchants an equally powerful tool for encouraging customers to buy. Bottom line, that security seal and green extension in the address bar make customers feel safe." - Armando Roggio, The PeC Review

My favorite part of the video is that he shows several pages on the site - navigating from the new VeriSign.com homepage to the SSL: How It Works page.

Watch video: VeriSign's Secure Site Pro with EV SSL

Happy Holidays

2009-12-24T22:19:49Z

Happy holidays to everyone!

Hope your New Year is a good one.

Tips for Staying Safe Online This Holiday Shopping Season

2009-12-22T11:38:34Z

Doing your holiday shopping? Here are some quick tips for staying safe online:

1) Make sure site is secure. Look for some kind of trust mark such as the VeriSign Check. Click on the check to ensure the check is authentic because a fake site can also fake the seal. A new window should open and make sure the organization listed is the business you're expecting and the site listed matches the URL of the site you are transacting with.

2) Look at the browser address bar before entering any personally identiable information. The URL should start with 'https' with the 's' meaning 'secure' versus 'http'.

3) Make sure the lock icon appears in the top (in Internet Explorer) or bottom (in Firefox) of the window of the browser and not on the page itself. Some fraudulent sites will mimic a browser bar at the bottom of the page with a lock image. You should be able to click on the lock to see site security information.

Web Team Elves Volunteer at Family Giving Tree

2009-12-17T18:20:42Z

In the spirit of giving, the VeriSign Web team donated time yesterday at the Family Giving Tree.

Web team elves sorted gifts in the hope of making every child feel special and like a valuable part of their community.

Great work everyone! And thanks to Debbie for suggesting and organizing this.

VeriSign SSL Web Pages Refreshed

2009-12-15T22:03:06Z

We recently added some visual uplift to a few of our SSL pages to augment the textual copy. Given that different users consume content differently through a combination of text and/or graphics, we wanted to ensure we were designing for this. For instance, for those of you wondering How Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) Works, we have put together a visual of the three ways SSL protects your Website and customers, along with diagrams of how encryption and authentication works.

The information page on E-Commerce, Trust, and SSL now has some additional graphics and a bold, can't-miss graphic of key stats.

(Sources: Synovate/GMI Research, September 2008; Javelin Strategy and Research, March 2009)

As well, the Server-Gated Cryptography (SGC): True 128-Bit SSL Encryption page has also benefited from a little visual reinforcement.

By iterating on the presentation of the content through a mix of text, graphics, and diagrams, our goal is to present the content in a more engaging, interesting, and easily consumable format. As a result, we hopefully get these pages working a little harder and better in informing and educating users.

Thawte Website Redesigned

2009-12-15T16:55:40Z

Tim Callan, VP of Marketing for the SSL business, recently wrote about the newly redesigned Thawte Website.

Watch.TV Homepage Redesign

2009-11-23T17:37:57Z

We just launched the redesign of the watch.tv homepage last Monday. One of the elements that we had a lot of fun putting together was the digital media frenzy animation at the top of the page. There is a good amount of Web 2.0 features such as video, links to our social media spaces, integration of twitter and blog feeds, and an interactive carousel slideshow. The rest of the site will be catching up shortly. Check out the video below:

Homepage On Display At Analyst Day

2009-11-23T15:36:55Z

The new homepage design which we are testing out was on display at Analyst Day in New York City on Thursday. The day ended with the VeriSign Team ringing the NASDAQ closing bell.

Launch Of New Header And Footer

2009-11-03T20:16:12Z

We have rolled out a new header and footer on the VeriSign.com site.

We simplified and streamlined the options. For example, we combined the country site identifier and the worldwide site selector into one utility. Using an in-page popup, users can now navigate to another country site from the page they are on without going to a new page to select the country site they wish to visit.

The search utility has been consolidated into a single unit encompassing the 'Search' label, text field, and search button.

On- and off-states have been added to the top-level navigation. The pull-down menus on the navigation have been freshened up and the links and hovers made blue to denote them as more actionable.

The footer has been pared down and includes the standard footer links and the VeriSign Secured Seal to verify the authenticity of the site.

And, the 'feedback' () link in the header and footer with the rotating cross-hair icon allows users to easily provide their feedback as they navigate the site. Look forward to your feedback.