Online trust formation

Willingness to buy online depends on beliefs about the seller’s competence and integrity, plus structural assurances.

Trust and risk reduction Mainly on Checkout pages
Where it applies

Four of the eight page areas.

HomepageAlso applies CategoryNot typical SearchNot typical ProductAlso applies CartNot typical CheckoutMainly here Post-purchaseNot typical

It also applies sitewide, on every page. See everything at work on Checkout pages

How to use it

Four ways to use it, and one to avoid.

  • Show recognised payment logos and a known assurance seal near card entry.
  • Give clear contact details.
  • Keep delivery, returns and privacy policies plain.
  • Show reviews from an independent platform.
  • Avoid: trust marks displayed without authorisation, and reviews that are fake or hide an incentive.
What the research found

Trust is linked to loyalty and intention to buy again.

An assurance seal increased purchase conversion in a randomised field experiment over 9,098 shopping sessions.

A meta-analysis of 150 studies found online trust linked to perceived privacy and service quality, and to loyalty and intention to buy again, though strength varied with method and type of site. Most studies are surveys of intentions. Randomised field experiments across real shops found an assurance seal increased purchase conversion, most for small retailers and new shoppers.

Key research

Five sources, each checked.

Last reviewed

McKnight, Choudhury & Kacmar (2002) Developing and Validating Trust Measures for e-Commerce: An Integrative Typology Information Systems Research Read the source Gefen, Karahanna & Straub (2003) Trust and TAM in Online Shopping: An Integrated Model MIS Quarterly Read the source Kim & Peterson (2017)Meta-analysis A Meta-analysis of Online Trust Relationships in E-commerce J. Interactive Marketing Read the source Özpolat, Gao, Jank & Viswanathan (2013) The Value of Third-Party Assurance Seals in Online Retailing: An Empirical Investigation Information Systems Research Read the source Özpolat & Jank (2015) Getting the most out of third party trust seals: An empirical analysis Decision Support Systems Read the source
Before you use it · UK law

Seals, badges and reviews must be genuine. Displaying a trust mark without authorisation, and commissioning fake reviews or reviews that hide an incentive, are banned practices under the DMCC Act 2024 (Schedule 20).

This is simply a pointer to check, not legal advice. Seek legal advice before you put this principle into action.