Online shoppers trust all trustmarks - even fake ones

April 25, 2019 by
Jeroen Leenders

TrustA trustmark helps to reassure a consumer when it comes to ordering from a web shop. They are an important factor regarding the trustworthiness of an e-commerce shop. However, fake marks are achieving the same results.

A German student carried out an online survey during her thesis at the Hochschule Fresenius. She carried out an online survey among 1,007 Germans to ask them about using trustmarks as a green light.

Results on trustmarks

The research shows that a high degree of confidence is built through trustmarks. Approximately 67% even said that the seal of approval plays a major role in buying from web shops that they are not familiar with. However, a fake trustmark that was created for research purposes scored higher on awareness than an existing trustmark. Even though there was little to no knowledge of the contents of some seals, it did not affect the trust-promoting effect of the mark.

The study also shows that the more trustmarks a website carries, the more it is perceived as trustworthy. It is recommended to use a seal of approval on a webshop, but apparently, it is not necessary to choose the most expensive or well-known trustmark.

Shiprocket IPO Draws Strong Demand on Final Day of Bidding
India’s e-commerce enablement company Shiprocket has entered the final day of its initial public offering with strong investor demand, putting one of the country’s best-known logistics technology companies on course...
August 14, 2026
Amazon signs global warehouse automation agreement with AutoStore
Amazon has signed a global strategic supply agreement with warehouse automation specialist AutoStore, establishing a framework that could allow the e-commerce giant to deploy AutoStore technology across its international fulfillment...
August 13, 2026
Oman completes nearly 87% of national E-Commerce Plan as digital trade push accelerates
Oman has completed nearly 87% of its National E-Commerce Plan 2022–2027, marking another major step in the Sultanate’s efforts to strengthen its digital economy and establish itself as a regional...
August 10, 2026
Top crossmenu

By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. more information

The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this.

Close