What Makes Web Sites Credible?

http://captology.stanford.edu/pdf/p61-fogg.pdf

Guideline #1: Design Web sites to convey the “real
world” aspect of the organization.

According to our study results, the most effective way to
enhance the credibility of a Web site is to include elements
that highlight the brick-and-mortar nature of the organization
it represents. We examined Web elements such as a listing a
physical address and showing employee photographs. Many
other possibilities exist that were not included in this study.
To create a site with maximum credibility, designers should
highlight features that communicate the legitimacy and
accessibility of the organization.
Guideline #2: Make Web sites easy to use.
In the HCI community we have long emphasized ease of use,
so this guideline is no surprise. However, this study adds
another important reason for making Web sites usable: it will
enhance the site’s credibility. In this study, people awarded a
Web site credibility points for being usable (e.g., “The site is
arranged in a way that makes sense to you”), and they
deducted credibility points for ease-of-use problems (e.g.,
“the site is difficult to navigate”). While this information
should not change how we, as HCI professionals, design user
experiences for the Web, it does add a compelling new reason
for investing time and money in usable design—it makes a
site more credible. Going beyond the data, one could
reasonably conclude that a simple, usable Web site would be
perceived as more credible than a site that has extravagant
features but is lacking in usability.

Guideline #3: Include markers of expertise.
Expertise is a key component in credibility, and the data in
this study support the idea that Web sites which convey
expertise can gain credibility in users’ eyes. Important
“expertise” elements in this study included listing an author’s
credentials and including citations and references. It’s likely
that many other elements also exist. In our opinion, many
Web sites today miss opportunities to legitimately convey
expertise to their users.

Guideline #4: Include markers of trustworthiness.
Trustworthiness is another key component in credibility. As
with expertise, this study suggests that Web site elements that
convey trustworthiness will lead to increased perceptions of
credibility. In this research we tested how people assessed
specific “trustworthiness” elements: linking to outside
materials and sources, stating a policy on content, and so on.
Of course, other markers of trustworthiness exist. We propose
that Web site designers who concentrate on conveying the
honest, unbiased nature of their Web site will end up with a
more credible—and therefore more effective—Web site. This
suggestion may be opposed to other forces in an organization
that seek a more promotional approach to Web design.

Guideline #5: Tailor the user experience.
Although not as vital as the previous suggestions, tailoring
does make a difference. Our study shows that tailoring the
user experience on a Web site leads to increased perceptions
of Web credibility. For example, people think a site is more
credible when it acknowledges that the individual has visited
it before. To be sure, tailoring and personalization can take
place in many ways. Tailoring extends even to the type of ads
shown on the page: ads that match what the user is seeking
seem to increase the perception of Web site credibility.

Guideline #6. Avoid overly commercial elements on a
Web site.

Although most Web sites, especially large Web sites, exist for
commercial purposes, our study suggests that users penalize
sites that have an aggressively commercial flavor. Web pages
that mix ads with content to the point of confusing readers
will be perceived as not credible. In this study, mixing ads
and content received the most negative response of all. But it
is important to note that ads don’t always reduce credibility.
In this study and elsewhere [14] quantitative research shows
that banner ads done well can enhance the perceived
credibility of a site. It seems reasonable that, as with other
elements of people’s lives, we accept commercialization to an
extent but become wary when it is overdone.

Guideline #7. Avoid the pitfalls of amateurism
Most Web designers seek a professional outcome in their
work. This study suggests organizations that care about
credibility should be ever vigilant—and perhaps obsessive—
to avoid small glitches in their Web sites. These “small”
glitches seem to have a large impact on Web credibility
perceptions. Even one typographical error or a single broken link is damaging. While designers may face pressures to
create dazzling technical features on Web sites, failing to
correct small errors undermines that work.

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