Trust Signal Impact on Online Purchase Decisions

Welcome! This survey explores how different types of information on product pages—such as reviews, badges, and statistics—affect your impression of new brands. Your participation is voluntary, and you may stop at any time. There are no right or wrong answers; we're interested in your honest opinions. All responses are anonymous, and results will be reported in aggregate only. Estimated time: 7–9 minutes.

Have you researched or evaluated a product or service online in the past 90 days?

• Yes
• No

In the past 30 days, what type of product or service did you most recently research online?

• Software/SaaS
• Consumer electronics
• Home services
• Financial services
• Health & fitness
• Travel
• Education/courses
• Business services
• I haven't researched recently
• Other

When evaluating a new brand online, how important are signs of credibility (e.g., reviews, badges, statistics) on the product page?

Rank the following testimonial formats by how persuasive you find them when considering a new brand.

1. Short quote with name
2. Detailed case-study style paragraph
3. Video testimonial
4. Quote with photo and job title
5. Star rating with 1–2 short quotes

Which of the following badges or seals increase your trust the most when evaluating a new brand? Select all that apply.

• Verified reviews badge
• BBB accreditation
• ISO 27001
• SOC 2 Type II
• GDPR compliant/privacy commitments
• Norton/McAfee Secure
• App Store/Google Play ratings
• Media mentions (e.g., Featured in…)
• Partner/technology logos
• Certified B Corporation
• Sustainability/Carbon-neutral
• Other

Which types of statistics or data points are most persuasive when you're considering a new brand? Select all that apply.

• Average star rating
• Number of users/customers
• Success rate/uptime
• Time to value (e.g., setup in minutes)
• ROI or cost savings
• Years in business
• Response time/SLAs
• Refund/return rate
• Customer NPS
• Safety/incident rate
• Number of certifications achieved
• Other

Rank the following page locations by where signs of credibility would most influence your decision, from most to least impactful.

1. Homepage/landing page
2. Product/features page
3. Pricing page
4. Checkout/sign-up flow
5. Footer or sidebar (persistent)

Based on your responses in this survey, is there anything else that would increase your trust in a new brand online?

In your job, what role do you usually play in selecting vendors or tools?

• Sole decision maker
• Joint decision maker
• Recommender/influencer
• End user only
• Not involved

Thank you for completing this survey. Your feedback will help us understand how brands can build trust more effectively online. Your responses are anonymous and will be reported only in aggregate.

When do you expect to make your next purchase in this category?

• Within 2 weeks
• 2–4 weeks
• 1–3 months
• 3–6 months
• More than 6 months
• No current plans

Which of the following do you usually notice when evaluating products or services online? Select all that apply.

• Customer testimonials
• Star ratings/reviews
• Third-party badges (e.g., BBB, ISO)
• Media/press logos
• Usage statistics (e.g., number of customers, uptime)
• Money-back guarantee
• Case studies
• Expert endorsements
• Social proof (followers/mentions)
• Security/privacy seals
• Price/low-price guarantee
• Other

How important is it that a testimonial includes specific, measurable results (e.g., 'saved 20 hours per month')?

Rank the following types of badge sources by how trustworthy you find them, from most to least trustworthy.

1. Independent standards bodies (ISO, SOC 2)
2. Consumer review platforms (Trustpilot, BBB)
3. Security vendors (Norton, McAfee)
4. Media/press mentions
5. App store ratings
6. Partner/technology logos

Which presentation format makes statistics most convincing to you?

• Big headline number with brief context
• Simple chart or visual
• Comparison vs. competitors
• Before/after impact
• Benchmark vs. industry average
• Customer logo grid with counts

We'd like to learn more about how you evaluate trust online. Please share your thoughts, and we'll ask a couple of follow-up questions.

Which industry best describes your work?

• Technology/Software
• E-commerce/Retail
• Financial services
• Healthcare/Life sciences
• Manufacturing/Industrial
• Education
• Government/Nonprofit
• Media/Marketing
• Professional services
• Other

Rank the following categories by how much they influence your trust in a new brand, from most to least impactful.

1. Customer testimonials and reviews
2. Third-party badges and certifications
3. Statistics and data points
4. Guarantees (money-back, price-match)
5. Expert or media endorsements

How important is it that a testimonial is from someone in a similar role or industry as yours?

At what point, if any, does the number of badges on a page start to reduce your trust?

• 1–2 badges feel sparse
• 3–4 badges are optimal
• 5–6 are acceptable
• 7+ feels excessive
• The number of badges doesn't matter to me

If statistics on a product page include clear source citations and dates, how much more likely are you to trust the claims?

About how many employees are in your organization?

• Just me (1)
• 2–10
• 11–50
• 51–200
• 201–1,000
• 1,001–5,000
• 5,001+
• Prefer not to say

How important is it that a testimonial includes a verified identity (e.g., real photo, LinkedIn profile link)?

What is your age?

• 18–24
• 25–34
• 35–44
• 45–54
• 55–64
• 65+
• Prefer not to say

On a product page, what combination of testimonials do you prefer to see?

• One detailed story
• Three concise quotes
• Five short snippets
• A mix: one detailed + two short
• I don't read testimonials

What is your gender?

• Man
• Woman
• Non-binary
• Prefer not to say

Where do you primarily live?

• Africa
• Asia
• Europe
• North America
• Oceania
• South America
• Prefer not to say