Trust and distrust on the web: User experiences and website characteristics

This study aims to analyze the components of user experiences that cultivate trust and incite distrust on the internet, with a specific focus on the characteristics of websites that bolster trust or provoke distrust. We gathered data on users’ experiences during critical incidents and conducted quantitative surveys online. Our findings suggest that design issues, such as intricate layouts and structural elements like pop-ups, predominantly contribute to distrust. Conversely, trust is largely influenced by social aspects like reviews or friend recommendations. Both trust and distrust are affected by the content of a website, with privacy concerns causing distrust and security signs boosting trust. We demonstrate how experiences of trust and distrust vary in relation to perceived honesty, competency, and benevolence. High levels of honesty and competence characterize a trustful experience, while distrustful experiences are linked with a lack of honesty and benevolence. We explore how different website characteristics can enhance trust or avert distrust and the impact this has on the distribution of design resources.