| The Internet has profoundly revolutionized all | | | | submit resumes with employment or education |
| aspects of our lives, both personal and | | | | claims that are later found to be false. What are |
| professional. It has literally opened up | | | | the best tools to expose false information? |
| communication with a whole new world, a place in | | | | According to recent surveys, between 25-30% of |
| which many people spend almost as much time | | | | all managers rely on a simple search engine to |
| engaged in as in their physical one. While this new | | | | check a potential employee’s credibility. |
| world is exciting for online business, laying the | | | | (Bowers) The problem with this is that there are |
| groundwork for establishing trust is imperative. | | | | many people with the same name, and |
| Webster’s defines “Trust” as a | | | | information on the internet can be faulty. It is a |
| “Firm reliance on the integrity, ability, or | | | | risky resource at best, especially considering that |
| character of a person or thing.” Trust is an | | | | The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners |
| essential component to any good relationship, | | | | reports that Occupational fraud and abuse costs |
| particularly in people-powered industries such as | | | | organizations about $600 billion a year, or roughly |
| consulting, recruiting, education, childcare, | | | | 6% of gross revenues. To help remove some of |
| healthcare, and professional services. | | | | the doubt, use a background screening service to |
| Jupiter Research, one of the leading providers of | | | | check candidates’ backgrounds and verify |
| research on Internet commerce, recently | | | | their credentials and references, making sure to |
| revealed studies that showed 64 percent of online | | | | get permission from the candidates before you |
| consumers are unlikely to trust a website | | | | investigate. |
| (Peckham). How do you successfully beat these | | | | 9) Handle, do not hide from, negative press, buzz, |
| odds and reflect your firm’s honesty and | | | | and feedback in a timely manner. Not all clients |
| your people’s authenticity to your clients? | | | | may be satisfied with your services all of the |
| Top 10 Tips for Successfully Establishing Trust in | | | | time. Humans, and therefore people-powered |
| an On-Line Environment | | | | companies, make mistakes by nature; it is |
| 1) Use referrals as trust builders. This tried and | | | | through our handling of our mistakes that our true |
| true classic method is still one of the best | | | | characters are revealed. Immediately address any |
| business moves to make. Ask satisfied | | | | negative publicity by stating very specifically how |
| customers to serve as references and include | | | | your company will rectify the situation, and then |
| quotes. | | | | follow your word. According to Mari Peckham, it is |
| 2) Solicit online feedback to establish your | | | | a fact that “98 percent of people will continue |
| reputation. On your website, include a place for | | | | to use a business even AFTER they have had a |
| comments. Although eBay is probably not a site | | | | problem, if their problem was resolved in a |
| you would market your services through, it does | | | | prompt and courteous manner.” Make sure |
| provide an example of how rating systems can | | | | this news is broadcast in all appropriate venues. |
| build up a businesses’ reputation online and | | | | 10) Protect your clients’ privacy by creating a |
| help them profit. As iKarma’s CEO Paul | | | | secure online environment. Produce a privacy |
| Williams stated, “People (on eBay) with an | | | | policy and make sure users know about it. If you |
| established reputation, as opposed to those | | | | handle user logins, use login protection similar to |
| without a reputation, made 20 percent more sales | | | | that used by banks for online transactions including |
| with an average of 10 percent higher cost.” | | | | security questions, IP recognition, and image |
| (CNET website) | | | | prompts. Vidoop is an interesting service that |
| 3) Encourage your employees to list their affiliation | | | | makes some of this easy to accomplish. Use |
| to your company on their professional social | | | | encryption to protect data transfers, and make |
| network profiles. When people are the | | | | sure your servers are firewalled. Consider getting |
| “product,” social networks such as | | | | McAfee Secure certification to further protect |
| LinkedIn provide an outlet for the six degrees of | | | | your users. Appoint a privacy and security officer |
| separation to be played out for corporate | | | | and periodically subject your firm to an internal |
| members. Displaying connections to other people | | | | and external audit. |
| of integrity is an opportunity for your employees | | | | The rules for navigating and conducting business |
| to show their credibility. Taking advantage of this | | | | online are evolving and continue to be defined, and |
| system can expand your network to tens of | | | | the above tips are just a starting point. |
| thousands or more. | | | | Regardless of what new technologies develop, |
| 4) Provide value in your field. Become an expert | | | | however, one principal which will always remain is |
| in your area of specialty, and volunteer to help | | | | the importance of establishing trust with |
| others in your field. Offer online classes or coffee | | | | customers and clients. |
| webinars (you could offer participants’ gift | | | | This article is sponsored by Crederity, Inc., a |
| cards to Starbucks or other coffee shops) on | | | | web-based trust-building company that offers |
| topics related to your firm. Contribute articles or | | | | online identity and credential verification to |
| other helpful resources. Start a blog on your own | | | | people-powered companies. Visit to sign up for a |
| web site or use a third party service like Blogger. | | | | free beta account or contact Crederity by e-mail |
| Host a meet up on Volunteer to give talks or | | | | at for more information. |
| host workshops through your local Chamber of | | | | Resources Cited: |
| Commerce or similar groups. | | | | Bowers, Toni blog “Bringing in the Big Guns to |
| 5) Spend time and money on the creation of a | | | | Defend Your Reputation Online” June 21, 2007. |
| well-designed website. According to | | | | May 26, 2008 |
| TheWebforBusiness.com, “If your site is | | | | Building Initial Online Trust: A Social Learning |
| graphics heavy, takes a long time to download, | | | | Theory Perspective and Application on |
| doesn't have intuitive navigation, contains broken | | | | Brick-and-Click Companies. Xu Yunjie, Kim |
| links, relies heavily on plug-ins that users have to | | | | Hee-Woong, Padmal Vitharana, Research paper, |
| download separately or has other design features | | | | National University of Singapore. April 15, 2004. |
| that make it difficult for visitors to find the | | | | May 23, 2008. |
| information they're looking for, they will leave.” | | | | Gefen, D., 2003. Trust and TAM in online shopping: |
| A well-designed website requires substantial | | | | an integrated model. MISQ 27(1) 51-99. |
| investment (Kirmani and Rao/Yunjie et al | | | | (as appears in Building Initial Online Trust: A Social |
| Research Paper). However, like a physical | | | | Learning Theory Perspective and Application on |
| storefront, it also “suggests the care the | | | | Brick-and-Click Companies article referenced |
| business has taken to offer a better purchase | | | | above) |
| experience to customers (Gefen 2003), and the | | | | Kirmani, A., Rao A.R. 2002. No pain, no gain: a |
| technical and financial strength of the | | | | critical review of the literature on |
| company.” McKnight et al. (2002) and Gefen | | | | signalingunobservable product quality. Journal of |
| found empirical evidence that the web design | | | | Marketing 64 66-79. (as appears in Building Initial |
| affects a client’s trust. | | | | Online Trust: A Social Learning Theory Perspective |
| 6) Be transparent. Make it clear to your | | | | and Application on Brick-and-Click Companies |
| customers what they can expect and do not | | | | article referenced above) |
| purposefully withhold information or accidentally | | | | McKnight, D.H., Choudhury, V., Kacmar, C. 2002b, |
| leave your clients in the dark. A study from the | | | | “The Impact of Initial Consumer Trust on |
| Wharton School of Business found that the more | | | | Intentions to Transact With a Web Site: A Trust |
| you demonstrate your intentions and remain | | | | Building Model”. Journal of Strategic |
| transparent early on, the likelier you are to build | | | | Information Systems 11 297-323. (as appears in |
| trust with new parties. | | | | Building Initial Online Trust: A Social Learning |
| 7) Prominently display reputable affiliations. On | | | | Theory Perspective and Application on |
| your site, display any business certification seals | | | | Brick-and-Click Companies resource referenced |
| you have the rights to use, such as those of the | | | | above) |
| Better Business Bureau or Chamber of | | | | Peckham, Mari. “Creating Trust” on Online |
| Commerce membership, and the logos of | | | | Business Help. Jan. 20, 2004. May 23, 2008 |
| reputable business partners. The saying about | | | | Terdiman, Daniel. Start-up lets sites track user |
| getting to know more about a person based on | | | | karma. March 2, 2006. June 12, 2008. |
| who his/her friends are holds equally true in the | | | | Trust Building Among Strangers: An Experimental |
| corporate culture. Displaying your affiliations also | | | | Investigation of Mutual Trust and Trustbuilding. |
| helps to signal that you have been vetted by | | | | Hua-Ho Teck and Keith Weigelt. Research paper |
| outsiders. | | | | as Published in Knowledge @Wharton September |
| 8) Hire people you can trust. An ADP survey in | | | | 28, 2000 |
| 2003 revealed that over 50% of job seekers | | | | Web for website. May 23, 2008. |