The growth of online businesses owes a lot to public trust, so it’s a situation that is worth our close attention. With other words, we can say that users are sensitive to the level of trust they perceive in the virtual environment. There’s no doubt that trust encourages trades over distances, as in the case of electronic businesses. Users feel a state of insecurity while interacting with web sites interfaces and unfortunately, this happens due to real physical separation and anonymity.

Your users’ trust develops roots according to their perception about your website, based on such examples: professionalism, reputation, navigation architecture and control means over the user’s orientation. One of these means are the legal statements (such as ToS, AUP, Privacy Policy) displayed by websites, proving fairness, integrity, openness, fulfilment and receptivity for the users:

  • Fairness refers to the good will of the service provider and his lack of opportunistic behavior;
  • Integrity – truthfulness, completeness and honesty in the information presented for the users;
  • Openness – transparency regarding the entire amount of information publicly displayed;
  • Fulfilment – delivery made according to expectations allowed for the users/specifications;
  • Receptivity – making the user to feel the benefit of focused/tailored information especially delivered for them.

Yours should not by any means fail to include them.

Usually, lack of users’ confidence goes beyond the issue of anonymity, but is related to it – focusing on having their personal data disclosed or sold to third parties by opportunist website owners.

Personal data is an asset that should be one hundred percent managed by their right owner and be used in other mediums, such as the virtual environment, with the owner’s consent. Using it without any permission, such a severe violation, will surely lead to loss of confidence, no matter what other website will the user choose to satisfy their interests.

The whole privacy concept is grounded on human value and on our right to apply our free will when it comes to personal matters – such as the amount of information we want to provide to alien parties and for what purposes can they use it.

In addition, studies have shown that personalized legal statements, meaning, those that are tailored to suit best the targets of electronic business to match their industry, their principles, their responsibilities and conditions, their limitations upon users’ behavior, according to overall means of user orientation, get the best response in building confidence-based relationships between websites and users.