The next two factors high on the users' list of importance are another pairing of Web Site logistics and credibility. More than two-thirds of users (68%) say being able to identify the sources of information on a site is very important. Given the incredible diversity of information online, users are looking for source identification to support their credibility judgments on sites. The logistical factor that ranks in this second group is freshness. Sixty-five percent of users say that knowing the Web Site is updated frequently is very important in their decisions.
The impressive reality of these findings is further strengthened by the fact that these opinions are strongly held across groups and across the varieties of experience with the Internet. There is not much variation by age, race, income, or education. And the variations that do exist are overshadowed by the fact that three-quarters or more of each group take the same position. For example, of those age 18-49, 82 percent say trusting the information is very important, compared with 75 percent of those age 50 and older. Eighty-one percent of whites, the same percentage of African-Americans and 77 percent of Hispanics say trusting the information is very important. (5) Trusting content also rates as more important among those who use a credit card online (83%) than those who do not (75%). While the exact patterns among groups differ, overall the variations are small in comparison with the strength of opinion.
On this list of nine factors, the fifth most important one covers a great deal of ground: half of the users (50%) think it is very important to be able to find out the important facts about the Web Site. Thirty-six percent say it is somewhat important, with 12 percent attaching little importance to such information. This general question is explored in more depth in the next two sections on e-commerce sites (See Big Demands for E-commerce Sites); on news and information sites (See Give Us Information We Can Believe); and search engines (See The Special Case of Search Engines).
Less important to Internet users are some of the financial issues with Web Sites and how the site has been rated by other organizations. Majorities of users think these issues are important, but at levels that rank them at the low end of the nine factors that were tested. About a third of users (32%) say who owns a site is very important, with another third (33%) saying it is somewhat important. About one in four users (24%) say knowing which businesses and organizations support a site is very important, while 37 percent say it is somewhat important.
A Web Site's display of seals of approval from third parties is far down the list of items that the users say are important. Only 19 percent say it is very important to see such seals, while 41 percent say it is somewhat important. Thirty-eight percent see no importance in such seals of approval.
A site's display of awards and certificates also doesn't buy much with users. Only one in ten (9%) find it very important and less than a third (30%) find it even somewhat important. A majority (59%) do not find it important.
One possible reason for this lack of importance is the proliferation of seals of approval, certificates and awards in the early days of the Web. The ease with which sites could obtain seals of approval in the early days may have debased their value for those with the broadest experience with the Web. This thesis draws some support from the fact that the importance of seals of approval declines somewhat with experience. Twenty-nine percent of those with less than six months experience say the seals are very important, a number that declines to 15 percent among those who have been online more than three years. At this point in the Internet's development, what is clear is that the power of seals of approval — which can be impressive in other contexts — has not yet moved online.
Find the rest of this report at: Big Demands for E-Commerce Sites
The main part of this report is:
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Stanford Guidelines for Web Site Credibility
How Do People Evaluate a Web Site Credibility?
What we find notable about Design Look
How Do People Evaluate a Web Site Credibility;
A Good Web Site Design Brings Trust and Success
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