{"id":30409,"date":"2015-05-20T09:14:35","date_gmt":"2015-05-20T09:14:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vwo.com\/blog\/?p=30409"},"modified":"2025-12-12T15:42:40","modified_gmt":"2025-12-12T10:12:40","slug":"trust-in-ecommerce","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vwo.com\/blog\/trust-in-ecommerce\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Build Trust in eCommerce in 2026? [Actionable Tips]"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Disclaimer:
This blog post has been updated with current research and findings.
Give it a fresh read for new insights on how to build trust for your eCommerce website.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Online shoppers often feel concerned when shopping on a website with which they are not familiar. This could mean a loss of sales and customers in the long run, leading to an impact on your conversions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is there a way to remove these doubts and build long-term relationships with these reluctant users? So what\u2019s going wrong? This post will talk about customer trust and its impact on e-commerce business.<\/p>\n\n\n

Consumer Trust and Its Role in E-commerce<\/h2>\n\n\n

As an emotion, trust has various other aspects \u2013 social, psychological, economic, and philosophical \u2013 as detailed by Wikipedia. Three factors contribute to the state of trust\u2014the chance for gain, a chance for a loss, and uncertainty regarding the matter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Factors<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Uncertainty will be the maximum when both probabilities are equal and will reduce if any of these are reduced. An example would be cart abandonment by a prospective customer because of hidden charges reflected at the time of payment. The customer displays trust by being sure about the product and selecting it and shows an almost equal amount of distrust on finding unexpected additional charges added to the product cost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The probability of gain will be higher if consumer trust is high, leading to low distrust and vice versa. For example, customers who buy products after making the required payment on a website they have been visiting regularly for their purchases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s important to understand that trust is not a choice, but an underlying psychological state that can be influenced.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Economists associate distrust directly with perceived risk. We’ll now talk about the top visitor fears that could be the reason for hidden losses for ecommerce stores:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"The
Image source: sitejabber<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

A survey by eConsultancy asked respondents this question:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are shopping from an ecommerce website retailer you don\u2019t know well, how would you decide whether to trust the same?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here’s what they found.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Reasons
Image source: eConsultancy<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

We\u2019ll take up key factors in detail, talk about some others, and then leave you with immediately actionable insights for building trust.<\/p>\n\n\n

Trust Seals and Security Certificates<\/h3>\n\n\n

According to a 2019 report released by the National Retail Federation<\/a>, online-only sales have accounted for about 30.2% of the frauds. This adds due importance to trust seals and security certificates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Examples
Image source: Bloggersideas<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

While a trust seal on an ecommerce site is a third-party badge showing that the website is legitimate, SSL certificates serve to show that there is a secure connection between the browser and the web server and they guard against network eavesdropping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A 2005 study conducted by TNS revealed that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About 79 percent of online shoppers said that a seal indicates that their information is secure.\nOnly 1 in 5 shoppers did not know what purpose trust seals served.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more insights, you can read this case study from Express Watches which was able to increase trust and conversions on their ecommerce website after adding a trust badge on their product pages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also, just merely flaunting your trust badge on the home page won\u2019t do. According to a report, 83 percent of consumers usually want more assurance that their information is secure. So, you will have to keep assuring the visitors and customers that they are in safe territory throughout the conversion funnel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A comprehensive and easy-to-understand privacy policy stating that the customers\u2019 personal information will be safeguarded is a must.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

See how Slideshop.com used VWO – A\/B testing tool<\/a> to add a line about privacy information on its checkout page and increased sales by 15 percent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Similarly, in the wake of ensuring data protection rights for EU citizens, VWO was one of the first to comply with the GDPR regulation. Not only was the GDPR Ready logo added to the website, but also a landing page<\/a> was created to educate and assure the visitors and customers about the confidentiality of their data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here’s a brief video<\/a> talking about the relationship between GDPR and trust.<\/p>\n\n\n

Contact Information<\/h3>\n\n\n

Physical addresses are one of the biggest proofs that you exist and are not operating out of some devil’s armchair. Contact information gives a strong indication that there is a real person at the other end who can be approached should anything go wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s how Zappos, renowned for its customer service, does it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"How
Image source: Zappos<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n

Social Proof<\/h3>\n\n\n

In the marketing arena, social proof<\/a> is all about using the idea of human masses and their views, to create positive connections around your brand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Statistical studies<\/a> show that when it comes to hearing reviews about a product\/service as opposed to a company\u2019s description of the same product and service, consumers are more likely to buy. Here are some prominent categories within social media that we are going to talk about further:<\/p>\n\n\n\n