The social construction of trust in e-business: An empirical investigation

The findings indicate that people did not significantly change their evaluations of the trustworthiness of the site after using it, and the elements considered most important in their decision to trust the firm involved a mix of site features related to the transaction process, contact information, the online community, the products, and privacy information.

Abstract

In this research, we investigate issues of trust affecting consumers' decisions to purchase goods on an e-business website.What interface elements make a difference in a person's decision to trust a firm (or not) when visiting the site for the first time with no prior knowledge of the firm?What elements enhance or inhibit the social construction of trust?To investigate these questions, we use a three stage methodology: a content analysis of a pure-play electronic publishing firm's website, a usability analysis of the site, and interviews with members of the team that created the site.The findings indicate that people did not significantly change their evaluations of the trustworthiness of the site after using it, and the elements considered most important in their decision to trust the firm involved a mix of site features related to the transaction process, contact information, the online community, the products, and privacy information.