One of the most challenging and important aspects of managing an e-commerce website is establishing credibility. Unless your site has a well-known or established domain name, potential customers will always be asking themselves the question "Can I trust this site and its products/services"?

So, what factors play a key role in establishing a site’s credibility? Surprisingly, a recent Stanford University study indicates that the primary contributors to website credibility are not the traditional factors we've become accustomed to. Privacy policies, third party endorsements and awards are no longer viewed as key factors.

This doesn’t mean they aren’t important. They just aren’t as important as they once were.

The Stanford study goes on to say that the average consumer now pays far more attention to the superficial aspects of a site, such as visual cues, than to its content. For example, nearly half of all consumers (46.1%) in the study assessed the credibility of sites based on the appeal of the overall visual design of a site, including layout, typography, font size and color schemes.

The number two and three factors, according to the study, were Information Design/Structure (28.5%) and Information Focus (25.1%). More info on these two factors can be found in a research report published by The Consumer WebWatch

Keep in mind however, that visual appeal must be in sync with a site’s purpose. In other words, there needs to be substance behind the visuals. But if the two are in sync, the study provides evidence that a professional looking site encourages credibility.

The Stanford study also identified the following 10 guidelines that contributed to website credibility. Full details can be found at The Stanford Web Credibility Website. These guidelines are based on three years of research that included over 4,500 people.

• Make it easy to verify the accuracy of the information on your site.
• Show that there's a real organization behind your site.
• Highlight the expertise in your organization and in the content and services you provide.
• Show that honest and trustworthy people stand behind your site.
• Make it easy to contact you.
• Design your site so it looks professional (or is appropriate for your purpose).
• Make your site easy to use -- and useful.
• Update your site's content often (at least show it's been reviewed recently).
• Use restraint with any promotional content (e.g., ads, offers).
• Avoid errors of all types, no matter how small they seem.
• For additional information on web credibility, please refer to the below link

As you digest the above information, keep in mind that consumer’s opinions differ depending on the type of products/services you offer. What works for an e-commerce site may not necessarily work for a financial site. The overriding key is to know your target audience.