Is Better Business Bureau Accreditation Worth It?

Is Better Business Bureau accreditation worth it?
Hi, this is Nik for TrustSignals.com.
The Better Business Bureau has been a symbol of trust since the days of teletypes and horses and buggies.
In 1912, the organization was founded to help businesses respond to a crisis in public trust, when exaggerated advertising claims were the subject of high-profile lawsuits by the U.S. government against the Coca-Cola Company and others.
More than a century later, the Better Business Bureau is still relevant. Whereas retailers in the pre-internet world displayed the BBB seal in their store windows, today about 400,000 accredited businesses worldwide display the badge on their websites.
Beyond those accredited companies, more than 4 million businesses have profiles at BBB.org, which receives 160 million website visits annually. Visitors use the site to search for local vendors, post reviews and lodge complaints.
Given the organization's history and visibility, you might assume adding a BBB seal to your website would be a no-brainer. The catch is that to display the seal you have to be accredited -- and that costs money. The cost can run in the hundreds or even thousands of dollars per year.
So, is it worth it?
While accreditation may not drive sales in an easily quantifiable way, it still has significant value as a trust signal. This is especially true for certain types of businesses:
1. Local service businesses such as contractors, plumbers, restaurants, doctors and dentists;
New businesses that have not yet had time to establish positive customer reviews on review sites such as Google, Yelp or Tripadvisor;
2. E-commerce stores trying to establish their credibility relative to Amazon;
3. Businesses whose clientele is age 50+, the demographic with which BBB carries the most weight; and
4. Businesses for which spending, say, $1,500 or more for an annual accreditation fee is a minor expenditure in your total marketing budget.
The bottom line is, adding a trust badge to your site touting that you are a Better Business Bureau accredited company with an A+ rating carries weight to this day.
You should consider it for your business.