Consumers Have Little Trust in Web Content: Survey
Consumers’ trust of Web content is very low. Only 29% of people surveyed said that they trust the information found on sites that sell products and services.
The research study, sponsored by the non-profit Consumers Union, showed that most Americans want to find accurate information on the sites they visit, and believe that Web sites must better distinguish advertising from content. They also want sites to fully disclose fees.
In other findings:
* 93% of users say it is very important that sites disclose how they will protect credit card information.
* Most users (60%) do not know that some commonly used search engines are paid to list some sites more prominently than others. Eighty percent of users said they want search engines to reveal such financial deals.
* Users want news and information sites to clearly disclose what their privacy policies are and to clearly separate editorial content from advertising. Users generally attribute the same levels of credibility to online news and information sites as they do their offline parents.
The remedy for lack of consumer trust, Consumers Union said, includes clearly disclosing the site owner’s physical location and providing a way to reach them. E-commerce sites should state all shipping, handling and other service fees, and explain product-return policies. They should also reveal their financial relationship with other sites.
Privacy policies should be easy to find and stated in a simple manner, the consumers group said. Sites should spell out how personal data from site visitors and customers will be used, and whether they use browser-tracking mechanisms, such as “cookies.” Sites should also explain how data collected will be used, and give customers an easy way to opt out.
The study, which was conducted by the independent research group Princeton Survey Research Associates (PSRA), is based on 1,500 telephone interviews with U.S. Internet users age 18 and older.
