With rapid digitalization, trust has become a critical issue in designing and maintaining e-commerce platforms –
without trust, no transaction takes place. Companies that design for trust have a strategic advantage over
competitors. Although trust is a crucial factor in e-commerce, designing a trustworthy website can be
challenging for companies that make most or part of their profits online.
The study builds on prior research to propose a comprehensive and up-do-date checklist. Trust components are
divided into three dimensions of website design (visual, content, and social-cue design); their impact on users’
trust perceptions is studied in an online experiment with two websites. The results present demonstrable
evidence that website design has a powerful impact on users’ trust perceptions. Professional design, primarily
visual aspects, is responsible for creating a positive user first impression. Furthermore, additional trust is built
through different dimensions of website design, increasing the likeliness of buying from the site.
Keywords: Website Design · Visual Design · Content Design · Social-Cue Design ·
User Trust · Trust Components · Trust Design · Trust Assessment
References
- Gulati, S., Sousa, S., Lamas, D.: Modelling Trust in Human-like
Technologies. In: Proceedings of the 9th Indian Conference on
Human Computer Interaction (2018) - Patel, N. (n.d.): 41 Factors That Influence Your Website’s Credibility
[Blog post]. Retrieved January 15, 2019, https://neilpatel.com/blog/
41-factors-influence-websites-credibility/ - Wang, Y.D.: Trust in B2C E-Commerce Interface. In: Encyclopedia of
Information Science and Technology (1st ed.) (2005)
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