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I did not see any change to the sales conversion rate after adding BBB. However I had other trust (authority) graphics on the site.

D&B also told me the same thing - many companies requesting our company report (which was pot possible at that time). I have always questioned the validity of the data in D&B because a lot of it is self-reported (no audit or verification process). I also have experience purchasing the D&B credit builder service (which can be manipulated to help build one's credit score).

Listing of your site in D&B may be an extremely small factor in Google's algorithm but I don't think it is worth the expense. I would prefer to spend the money on the Yahoo Directory and Best of The Web directory.

On your site you need some type of major authority "seal" to gain the confidence of site visitors. D&B would be a very low priority one. TrustE, McAfee Secure are perhaps the top ones.

Last advice about D&B - make certain supplier invoices are paid perfectly on time and your credit score should increase over time. Your D&B credit score is critical in being able to obtain open account terms from suppliers.

I have been operating an online furniture e-commerce site for over 8 years. Once I became a member of BBB and my experience and opinions are as follows.

1. As soon as paid the fee to become a BBB member the rating of my company substantially increased. The dialogue that I had with the aggressive telemarketer sales rep made me feel that this was their strong arm tactic - pay and we improve your rating.

2. BBB is very aggressive in persuading a prospect to join. I think the sales reps receive a large portion of their income based on sales commissions.

3. The majority of consumers perceive BBB as being some type of government related organization. This means that consumers trust and believe that BBB is a legitimate entity. Because of this perception the BBB online seal helps gain credibility when displayed on websites.

4. Perhaps the listing in BBB is a very minor favorable SEO benefit.

I've talked to other company owners who had a similar experience as mine. They agree with my conclusion as follows.

The BBB comes across as a "scam" type organization. Buying into their system is a necessary evil because so many online shoppers erroneously believe that BBB is like a government entity and operates ethically.

I'm doing my best to not pay the membership fees and make a statement that supports my negative feelings towards how BBB operates. Many of my peers are also avoiding BBB.