What Makes a Website Credible?

Persuasive Technology Lab captology.stanford.edu What Makes a Website Credible? Prepared for Luke Wroblewski BJ Fogg, Ph.D. Persuasive Technology Lab Stanford University #1 Prepared for Luke Wroblewski ©2003, BJ Fogg. Commercial use not allowed.

Persuasive Technology Lab captology.stanford.edu Overview of Module Part 1 “Introduction to Web Credibility” Part 2 “10 Guidelines for Designing Credible Websites” Part 3 “Insights from Web Credibility Research” Part 4 “A Deeper Understanding of Web Credibility” #2 Prepared for Luke Wroblewski ©2003, BJ Fogg. Commercial use not allowed.

Persuasive Technology Lab captology.stanford.edu Introduction to Web Credibility Part 1 “Introduction to Web Credibility” Part 2 “10 Guidelines for Designing Credible Websites” Part 3 “Insights from Web Credibility Research” Part 4 “A Deeper Understanding of Web Credibility” #3 Prepared for Luke Wroblewski ©2003, BJ Fogg. Commercial use not allowed.

Persuasive Technology Lab captology.stanford.edu Computers can be persuasive. They can be designed to change attitudes & behaviors. #4 Prepared for Luke Wroblewski ©2003, BJ Fogg. Commercial use not allowed.

Persuasive Technology Lab captology.stanford.edu Captology The study of computers as persuasive technologies persuasion computers captology We’ll continue to see more overlap. #5 Prepared for Luke Wroblewski ©2003, BJ Fogg. Commercial use not allowed.

Persuasive Technology Lab captology.stanford.edu Captology is new and growing 1 Functionality 2 Entertainment 3 Ease of Use 4 Networking 5 Persuasion 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s #6 Prepared for Luke Wroblewski ©2003, BJ Fogg. Commercial use not allowed.

Persuasive Technology Lab captology.stanford.edu Computer-based persuasion is special Compared to print, radio, and TV . . . – Computers benefit from interactivity. Compared to humans . . . – Computers can be more persistent, leverage different modes, scale easily, and more. #7 Prepared for Luke Wroblewski ©2003, BJ Fogg. Commercial use not allowed.

Persuasive Technology Lab captology.stanford.edu Why does Web credibility matter? Creators Consumers Websites with optimal What to believe levels of credibility on the Web (aka “information quality”) #9 Prepared for Luke Wroblewski ©2003, BJ Fogg. Commercial use not allowed.

Persuasive Technology Lab captology.stanford.edu Why does Web credibility matter? Web presence Web has least Web has most is vital for most credible info of credible info of companies any medium any medium Web sites are The Web is not Big money first customer going away is at stake contact point Web users can Web-based info Few have be naïve or lazy & services are studied this common (publicly) The practical bottom line: Those who can design for credibility gain a strategic advantage. #10 Prepared for Luke Wroblewski ©2003, BJ Fogg. Commercial use not allowed.

Persuasive Technology Lab captology.stanford.edu Web credibility is part of captology Credibility gives you power to . . . 1. Change user attitudes For example • To think positively about the site operator • To feel comfortable interacting with the site • To embrace the site’s point of view 2. Change user behaviors For example • To register personal information • To complete e-commerce transactions • To return to the site often #11 Prepared for Luke Wroblewski ©2003, BJ Fogg. Commercial use not allowed.

Persuasive Technology Lab captology.stanford.edu What is “credibility”? Believability or A perception based on two factors* . . . truthful experienced unbiased intelligent trustworthiness + expertise good powerful honest knowledgeable *Some studies have shown three or more factors #12 Prepared for Luke Wroblewski ©2003, BJ Fogg. Commercial use not allowed.

Persuasive Technology Lab captology.stanford.edu Highly credible websites have . . . High levels of perceived trustworthiness & expertise perceived perceived perceived trustworthiness + expertise credibility #13 Prepared for Luke Wroblewski ©2003, BJ Fogg. Commercial use not allowed.

Persuasive Technology Lab captology.stanford.edu One factor can damage credibility Diagrams showing one factor lacking perceived lack of perceived perceived lack of trustworthiness + expertise credibility perceived perceived lack of perceived lack of trustworthiness + expertise credibility #14 Prepared for Luke Wroblewski ©2003, BJ Fogg. Commercial use not allowed.

Persuasive Technology Lab captology.stanford.edu Some semantic issues “Credibility” and “Trust” – Similar terms but not the same construct Phrases that refer to credibility – “trust the information” – “accept the advice” – “believe the output” #15 Prepared for Luke Wroblewski ©2003, BJ Fogg. Commercial use not allowed.

Persuasive Technology Lab captology.stanford.edu Questions & Discussion on Part 1 Part 1 9 “Introduction to Web Credibility” Part 2 “10 Guidelines for Designing Credible Websites” Part 3 “Insights from Web Credibility Research” Part 4 “A Deeper Understanding of Web Credibility” #16 Prepared for Luke Wroblewski ©2003, BJ Fogg. Commercial use not allowed.

Persuasive Technology Lab captology.stanford.edu Overview of Module Part 1 “Introduction to Web Credibility” Part 2 “10 Guidelines for Designing Credible Websites” Part 3 “Insights from Web Credibility Research” Part 4 “A Deeper Understanding of Web Credibility” #17 Prepared for Luke Wroblewski ©2003, BJ Fogg. Commercial use not allowed.

Persuasive Technology Lab captology.stanford.edu Origin of the Credibility Guidelines • Over 3 years of research at the Stanford Persuasive Technology Lab • Over 5,500 users in studies of various types – Lab experiments – Surveys – Online experiments – Content analyses #18 Prepared for Luke Wroblewski ©2003, BJ Fogg. Commercial use not allowed.

Persuasive Technology Lab captology.stanford.edu Guideline #1 looks matter • Design your site so it looks professional (or is appropriate for your purpose). People quickly evaluate a site by visual design alone. When designing your site, pay attention to layout, typography, images, consistency issues, and more. Of course, not all sites gain credibility by looking like IBM. The visual design should match the site's purpose. Research support – chi99, chi00, chi01a, ptl02, cww02, unp (Research sources are on the next slide.) #19 Prepared for Luke Wroblewski ©2003, BJ Fogg. Commercial use not allowed.

Persuasive Technology Lab captology.stanford.edu Research Sources for Guidelines acm99 chi01b Title "Credibility and Computing Technology" Title "Web Credibility Research: A Method for Online Experiments and Some Early Authors Shawn Tseng & B.J. Fogg Study Results" Source Communications of the ACM, vol. 42, issue 5 (May 1999), pp. 39-44. Authors B.J. Fogg, Jonathan Marshall, Tami Kameda, Joshua Solomon, Akshay Online Rangnekar, John Boyd, & Bonny Brown Source Proceedings of ACM CHI 2001 Conference on Human Factors in Computing chi99 Systems, v.2. New York: ACM Press. Online Title "The Elements of Computer Credibility" Source Proceedings of ACM CHI 99 Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, v.1, pp. 80-87. New York: ACM Press. ptl02 Online Title "Stanford-Makovsy Web Credibility Study 2002: Investigating What Makes chi00 Web Sites Credible Today" Authors B.J. Fogg, Tami Kameda, John Boyd, Jonathan Marshall, Ramit Sethi, & Title "Elements that Affect Web Credibility: Early Results from a Self-Report Mike Sockol Study" Source Report from the Persuasive Technology Lab (not peer reviewed) Authors B.J. Fogg, Jonathan Marshall, Othman Laraki, Alex Osipovich, Chris Varma, Online Marissa Treinen Source Proceedings of ACM CHI 2000 Conference on Human Factors in Computing cww02 Systems, v.2, New York: ACM Press. Online No online source yet Title "How Do People Evaluate a Web Site's Credibility? Results from a Large Study" chi01a Authors B.J. Fogg, Cathy Soohoo, David Danielson, Leslie Marable, Julianne Stanford and Ellen R. Tauber Title "What Makes A Web Site Credible? A Report on a Large Quantitative Study" Source Consumer Webwatch online publication Authors B.J. Fogg, Jonathan Marshall, Othman Laraki, Alex Osipovich, Chris Varma, Online Nicholas Fang, Jyoti Paul, Akshay Rangnekar, John Shon, Preeti Swani, & http://www.consumerwebwatch.org/news/report3_credibilityresearch/sta Marissa Treinen nfordPTL_abstract.htm Source Proceedings of ACM CHI 2001 Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, v. 1, 61-68. New York: ACM Press. unp Online Unpublished research Our lab has done research that is not published, such as student honors theses, class projects, and pilot studies. If we make this work public in the future, you'll find it at webcredibility.org. #20 Prepared for Luke Wroblewski ©2003, BJ Fogg. Commercial use not allowed.

Persuasive Technology Lab captology.stanford.edu Guideline #2 we can prove it • Make it easy to verify the accuracy of the information on your site. You can build website credibility by providing third-party support (citations, references, source material) for information you present, especially if you link to this evidence. Even if people don't follow these links, you've shown confidence in your material. Research support – chi00, chi01a, ptl02, cww02, unp #21 Prepared for Luke Wroblewski ©2003, BJ Fogg. Commercial use not allowed.

Persuasive Technology Lab captology.stanford.edu Guideline #3 we are real • Show that there's a real organization behind your site. Showing that your website is for a legitimate organization will boost the site's credibility. The easiest way to do this is by listing a physical address. Other features can also help, such as posting a photo of your offices or listing a membership with the local chamber of commerce. Research support – chi00, chi01a, chi01b, ptl02, unp, cww02 #22 Prepared for Luke Wroblewski ©2003, BJ Fogg. Commercial use not allowed.

Persuasive Technology Lab captology.stanford.edu Guideline #4 brainiacs “R” us • Highlight the expertise in your organization and in the content and services you provide. Do you have experts on your team? Are your contributors or service providers authorities? Be sure to give their credentials. Are you affiliated with a respected organization? Make that clear. Conversely, don't link to outside sites that are not credible. Your site becomes less credible by association. Research support – acm99, chi99, chi00, chi01a, chi01b, ptl02, cww02, unp #23 Prepared for Luke Wroblewski ©2003, BJ Fogg. Commercial use not allowed.

Persuasive Technology Lab captology.stanford.edu Guideline #5 warm & fuzzy • Show that honest and trustworthy people stand behind your site. The first part of this guideline is to show there are real people behind the site and in the organization. Next, find a way to convey their trustworthiness through images or text. For example, some websites post employee bios, including information about hobbies. This helps to humanize the individuals –- and the organization. Research support – chi99, chi01b, cww02, unp #24 Prepared for Luke Wroblewski ©2003, BJ Fogg. Commercial use not allowed.

Persuasive Technology Lab captology.stanford.edu Guideline #6 we’re accessible • Make it easy to contact you. A simple way to boost your site's credibility is by making your contact information clear: phone number, physical address, and email address. Research support – chi00, chi01a, ptl02, cww02, unp #25 Prepared for Luke Wroblewski ©2003, BJ Fogg. Commercial use not allowed.

Persuasive Technology Lab captology.stanford.edu Guideline #7 small cost, big benefit • Make your site easy to use -- and useful. We're squeezing two guidelines into one here. The research shows that sites win credibility points by being both easy to use and useful. Some site operators forget about users when they cater to their own company's ego or try to show the dazzling things they can do with Web technology. Websites lose credibility whenever they make it hard for users to accomplish their task at hand. Research support – acm99, chi99, chi00, chi01a, ptl02, cww02, unp #26 Prepared for Luke Wroblewski ©2003, BJ Fogg. Commercial use not allowed.

Persuasive Technology Lab captology.stanford.edu Guideline #8 freshly baked • Update your site's content often (at least show it's been reviewed recently). People assign more credibility to sites that show they have been recently updated or reviewed. Research support – chi00, chi01a, ptl02, cww02, unp #27 Prepared for Luke Wroblewski ©2003, BJ Fogg. Commercial use not allowed.

Persuasive Technology Lab captology.stanford.edu Guideline #9 no sidetracks • Use restraint with any promotional content (e.g., ads, offers). If possible, avoid having ads on your site. If you must have ads, clearly distinguish the sponsored content from your own. Avoid pop-up ads; people hate them, and your site will lose credibility because you’re distracting users from their task. As for writing style, try to be clear, direct, and sincere. Avoid a promotional tone. Research support – chi00, chi01a, chi01b, ptl02, cww02, unp #28 Prepared for Luke Wroblewski ©2003, BJ Fogg. Commercial use not allowed.

Persuasive Technology Lab captology.stanford.edu Guideline #10 perfect polish • Avoid errors of all types, no matter how small they seem. Small errors like misspellings and broken links hurt a site's credibility more than most people imagine. Research support – acm99, chi99, chi00, chi01a, chi01b, ptl02, cww02, unp #29 Prepared for Luke Wroblewski ©2003, BJ Fogg. Commercial use not allowed.

Persuasive Technology Lab captology.stanford.edu Questions & Discussion on Part 2 Part 1 9 “Introduction to Web Credibility” Part 2 9 “10 Guidelines for Designing Credible Websites” Part 3 “Insights from Web Credibility Research” Part 4 “A Deeper Understanding of Web Credibility” #30 Prepared for Luke Wroblewski ©2003, BJ Fogg. Commercial use not allowed.

Persuasive Technology Lab captology.stanford.edu Overview of Module Part 1 “Introduction to Web Credibility” Part 2 “10 Guidelines for Designing Credible Websites” Part 3 “Insights from Web Credibility Research” Part 4 “A Deeper Understanding of Web Credibility” #31 Prepared for Luke Wroblewski ©2003, BJ Fogg. Commercial use not allowed.

Persuasive Technology Lab captology.stanford.edu Insights from Web Credibility Research Guidelines are useful but they . . . – are simplistic. – don’t apply in all cases. – stop people from gaining a deeper understanding. The research behind the guidelines: – Stanford Web Credibility Surveys – 1999, 2002 – Stanford MostCredible Studies – 2002, 2003 – Note: There are other studies not covered here. • e.g., impact of photos, titles, typos, ads, specialty content #32 Prepared for Luke Wroblewski ©2003, BJ Fogg. Commercial use not allowed.

Persuasive Technology Lab captology.stanford.edu Stanford Web Credibility Surveys • Overview of studies – Study conducted two times: 1999 and 2002 – People evaluated the credibility impact of different website elements. – e.g., contact phone number, pop-up ad, etc. – Over 3,000 people participated from U.S. & Europe. #33 Prepared for Luke Wroblewski ©2003, BJ Fogg. Commercial use not allowed.

Persuasive Technology Lab captology.stanford.edu More about the Surveys • Online survey assessing ~50 items • Responses represent “pure interpretation” – As opposed to contextualized interpretation (more on this in the next section) Sample online questionnaire Demographics of respondents 1999 Study (n=1409) 2002 Study (n=1649) Age (mean) 32.6 years 35.5 years Gender 56% male, 44% female 55% male, 45% female Country 59% Finland, 41% U.S. 57% Finland, 33% U.S., 10% other Education Level (median) College graduate College graduate Income (median) $40,000-$59,999 $40,000-$59,999 Years on the Internet 4-5 years > 5 years (median) Number of purchases online 1-5 purchases > 5 purchases (median) Number of hours spent 13.5 hours 14.4 hours online a week (mean) #34 Prepared for Luke Wroblewski ©2003, BJ Fogg. Commercial use not allowed.

Persuasive Technology Lab captology.stanford.edu What boosts credibility most? Overall results from 1999 & 2002 studies Score from 1999 study How score changed in 2002 study #35 Prepared for Luke Wroblewski ©2003, BJ Fogg. Commercial use not allowed.

Persuasive Technology Lab captology.stanford.edu What hurts credibility most? Overall results from 1999 & 2002 studies Score from 1999 study How score changed in 2002 study #36 Prepared for Luke Wroblewski ©2003, BJ Fogg. Commercial use not allowed.

Persuasive Technology Lab captology.stanford.edu What changed from ‘99 to ‘02? In 2002 people were less impressed by: – Nonprofit & .org – Best practices (contact info, email confirmations) – Awards – Citations & credentials In 2002 people were harsher on: – Pop-up ads #37 Prepared for Luke Wroblewski ©2003, BJ Fogg. Commercial use not allowed.

Persuasive Technology Lab captology.stanford.edu MostCredible Study -- 2002 Overview • What websites are most credible and why? • Done in collaboration with Consumers Union Setting up the study • Performed various pilot tests to find workable method • Chose 10 content categories (health, news, etc.) • Selected 10 websites per category (100 sites) Who participated • 2,684 people evaluated credibility of sites – Female: 58.1%, Male: 41.9% – Average age: 39.9 – Average Web use: 19.6 hours/week – Residence: 47 states & 29 countries #39 Prepared for Luke Wroblewski ©2003, BJ Fogg. Commercial use not allowed.

Persuasive Technology Lab captology.stanford.edu What participants did: 1. Logged on to www.mostcredible.org. 2. Were welcomed & introduced to the study. 3. Were randomly assigned to one of ten content categories (such as health or news). 4. Were given two live websites to evaluate. 5. Reviewed the two sites assigned to them. 6. Ranked the two sites according to credibility. 7. Left comments about each site’s credibility. Data Stanford collected – Credibility ranking – Comments on credibility – Demographic variables #40 Prepared for Luke Wroblewski ©2003, BJ Fogg. Commercial use not allowed.

Persuasive Technology Lab captology.stanford.edu Results -- Analysis of all comments Analyzed over 2600 comments and classified them Topic of Credibility Comment Incidence Design Look 46.1% Information Design/Structure 28.5% Information Focus 25.1% Company Motive 15.5% Usefulness of Information 14.8% Accuracy of Information 14.3% Name Recognition & Reputation 14.1% Advertising 13.8% Bias of Information 11.6% Tone of the Writing 9.0% Identity of Site Sponsor 8.8% Functionality of Site 8.6% Customer Service 6.4% Note that a comment could Past Experience with Site 4.6% be classified in more than Information Clarity 3.7% one category, such as a Performance on a Test 3.6% comment criticizing the Readability 3.6% visual design and doubting Affiliations 3.4% the accuracy of the information. #41 Prepared for Luke Wroblewski ©2003, BJ Fogg. Commercial use not allowed.

Persuasive Technology Lab captology.stanford.edu More results are available online. Research Report How Do People Evaluate a Web Site's Credibility? • Written in simple prose, with many charts and tables. • Published by Consumer WebWatch • Available through www.webcredibility.org #42 Prepared for Luke Wroblewski ©2003, BJ Fogg. Commercial use not allowed.

Persuasive Technology Lab captology.stanford.edu Example: Health websites in study Dr. Koop www.drkoop.com Dr. Weil www.drweil.com Health Bulletin www.healthbulletin.org HealthWorld Online www.healthy.net Intelihealth www.intelihealth.com Mayo Clinic www.mayohealth.org MDChoice www.mdchoice.com NIH www.nih.gov Oxygen.com Health www.oxygen.com/health WebMD www.webMD.com #43 Prepared for Luke Wroblewski ©2003, BJ Fogg. Commercial use not allowed.

Persuasive Technology Lab captology.stanford.edu A health website with high credibility What people said “Addresses important issues” “Lack of marketing copy makes it more credible” “Laid out in a very matter-of-fact manner” “Very professional looking” “Gov affiliation makes it credible” “Site owners don’t have ulterior motives for presenting the information” “The vocabulary seems to come from more of an expert” “It looks like it’s intended for doctors and researchers, not for everyday consumers of medical services -- this boosts its credibility.” #44 Prepared for Luke Wroblewski ©2003, BJ Fogg. Commercial use not allowed.

Persuasive Technology Lab captology.stanford.edu A health website with low credibility What people said “I tried to find information from this website, but had trouble” “Lack of the sources for the info presented” “Too many ads” “Online greeting cards don’t seem very health-oriented” “it seems like it is commercialized ” “Pop-health look and feel, like one of those covers at the Safeway magazine rack.” “Changing of url to thriveonline.oxygen.com makes me immediately think it’s a sham” “A lite health site” #45 Prepared for Luke Wroblewski ©2003, BJ Fogg. Commercial use not allowed.

Persuasive Technology Lab captology.stanford.edu Results -- Overall vs Health Sites Topic of Credibility Comment All Sites % Health Sites % Design Look 46.1 41.8 Information Design/Structure 28.5 28.3 Information Focus 25.1 33.0 Company Motive 15.5 17.8 Usefulness of Information 14.8 20.5 Accuracy of Information 14.3 18.7 Name Recognition & Reputation 14.1 10.9 Advertising 13.8 21.3 Bias of Information 11.6 14.8 Tone of the Writing 9.0 8.3 Identity of Site Sponsor 8.8 9.1 Functionality of Site 8.6 8.3 Customer Service 6.4 0.4 Past Experience with Site 4.6 2.1 Information Clarity 3.7 6.0 Performance on a Test 3.6 1.7 Readability 3.6 3.5 Affiliations 3.4 5.6 #46 Prepared for Luke Wroblewski ©2003, BJ Fogg. Commercial use not allowed.

Persuasive Technology Lab captology.stanford.edu Questions & Discussion on Part 3 Part 1 9 “Introduction to Web Credibility” Part 2 9 “10 Guidelines for Designing Credible Websites” Part 3 9 “Insights from Web Credibility Research” Part 4 “A Deeper Understanding of Web Credibility” #47 Prepared for Luke Wroblewski ©2003, BJ Fogg. Commercial use not allowed.

Persuasive Technology Lab captology.stanford.edu Overview of Module Part 1 “Introduction to Web Credibility” Part 2 “10 Guidelines for Designing Credible Websites” Part 3 “Insights from Web Credibility Research” Part 4 “A Deeper Understanding of Web Credibility” #48 Prepared for Luke Wroblewski ©2003, BJ Fogg. Commercial use not allowed.

Persuasive Technology Lab captology.stanford.edu A Deeper Understanding of Web Credibility 1. Prominence-Interpretation Theory • This theory describes how people assess the credibility of websites. 2. Fogg’s Maxim for Credible Design • This phrase is the key to designing credible websites. 3. Four Types of Credibility • This framework outlines four ways that credibility can be won or lost. 4. Framework for Website Elements • The framework can help designers understand which website elements are under their control when designing for credibility (and which elements are not). #49 Prepared for Luke Wroblewski ©2003, BJ Fogg. Commercial use not allowed.

Persuasive Technology Lab captology.stanford.edu Background for P-I Theory To understand Prominence-Interpretation Theory . . . Think back on the two types of studies: 1. Stanford Web Credibility Surveys – 1999, 2002 2. Stanford MostCredible Study – 2002 Both studies examined credibility, but they asked study participants to do different things. #50 Prepared for Luke Wroblewski ©2003, BJ Fogg. Commercial use not allowed.

Persuasive Technology Lab captology.stanford.edu Background for P-I Theory What did these studies really investigate? Stanford Web Credibility Surveys – 1999, 2002 – This research focused on the abstract judgments people made about website elements. – e.g., How much does having a privacy policy boost a site’s credibility? –That’sinterpretation. Stanford MostCredible Study – 2002 • This research focused on the things people noticed when examining the credibility of real websites. •That’s prominence. Note: There is some slippage. Neither is a perfect example of studying interpretation or prominence, but they are sufficiently close. #51 Prepared for Luke Wroblewski ©2003, BJ Fogg. Commercial use not allowed.

Persuasive Technology Lab captology.stanford.edu Prominence-Interpretation Theory Two things happen when people assess the credibility of websites: 1. The user notices something (prominence). 2. The user makes a judgment about it (interpretation). If one or the other does not happen, then there is no credibility assessment. The process of noticing prominent elements and interpreting usually happens more than once when a person evaluates a website, with new aspects of the site being noticed and interpreted until the person reaches satisfaction with an overall credibility assessment or until the person reaches a constraint, such as running out of time. Prominence X Interpretation = Credibility Impact An element’s likelihood of What value or meaning The impact that element has on being noticed when people assign to element, credibility assessment. people evaluate credibility. good or bad. Affected by involvement (motivation Affected by user’s assumptions & ability), content, task, experience, (culture, experience, & heuristics), individual differences & more. skill, knowledge, & goals. #52 Prepared for Luke Wroblewski ©2003, BJ Fogg. Commercial use not allowed.

Persuasive Technology Lab captology.stanford.edu The key to designing for credibility Fogg’s Maxim for Credible Design “To increase the credibility impact of a website, find what elements your target audience interprets most favorably and make those elements most prominent.” #53 Prepared for Luke Wroblewski ©2003, BJ Fogg. Commercial use not allowed.

Persuasive Technology Lab captology.stanford.edu Four Types of Credibility 1. Presumed Credibility 2. Reputed Credibility 3. Surface Credibility 4. Earned Credibility • It’s helpful to distinguish different types of credibility. • But you won’t find these distinctions in the psychology literature. #55 Prepared for Luke Wroblewski ©2003, BJ Fogg. Commercial use not allowed.

Persuasive Technology Lab captology.stanford.edu 1. Presumed Credibility • We believe because of general assumptions we hold. #56 Prepared for Luke Wroblewski ©2003, BJ Fogg. Commercial use not allowed.

Persuasive Technology Lab captology.stanford.edu 1. Presumed Credibility • We believe because of general assumptions we hold. Examples . . . Increases credibility Decreases credibility Domain name has “.org” Site has AOL domain name Info on the site is constantly Info on the site is rarely updated updated International brand name Unknown brand name #57 Prepared for Luke Wroblewski ©2003, BJ Fogg. Commercial use not allowed.

Persuasive Technology Lab captology.stanford.edu 2. Reputed credibility • We believe because of a reference from a third party. #58 Prepared for Luke Wroblewski ©2003, BJ Fogg. Commercial use not allowed.

Persuasive Technology Lab captology.stanford.edu 2. Reputed credibility • We believe because of a reference from a third party. Examples . . . Increases credibility Decreases credibility Your medical doctor referred Your friend said the site was you to this Web site. horrible. The site won an award. The newspaper said the site An authoritative Web site linked was down for three days. to this site. A political group you don’t like endorses the site. #59 Prepared for Luke Wroblewski ©2003, BJ Fogg. Commercial use not allowed.

Persuasive Technology Lab captology.stanford.edu 3. Surface credibility • We believe because of what we find on simple inspection. #60 Prepared for Luke Wroblewski ©2003, BJ Fogg. Commercial use not allowed.

Persuasive Technology Lab captology.stanford.edu 3. Surface credibility • We believe because of what we find on simple inspection. Examples . . . Increases credibility Decreases credibility Site looks professional. Site looks confusing. Site is from an organization you The organization has no recognize. presence outside the Web. You see that articles have The site uses many animated citations. features. #61 Prepared for Luke Wroblewski ©2003, BJ Fogg. Commercial use not allowed.

Persuasive Technology Lab captology.stanford.edu 4. Earned credibility • We believe because of past experience with site. Examples . . . Increases credibility Decreases credibility You get a quick response to a The site has a broken link. customer service question. The site takes a long time to You can navigate the site easily. download each page. You’ve found the content to be You’ve seen factual errors on fair and balanced. the site. #63 Prepared for Luke Wroblewski ©2003, BJ Fogg. Commercial use not allowed.

Persuasive Technology Lab captology.stanford.edu Why this framework is helpful • Provides a set of terms for discussion • Enhances both research & design • Asking better questions • Seeing more possibilities Presumed Reputed Surface Earned Credibility Credibility Credibility Credibility Trustworthiness Expertise #64 Prepared for Luke Wroblewski ©2003, BJ Fogg. Commercial use not allowed.

Persuasive Technology Lab captology.stanford.edu Framework for Website Elements Web Site Provider • Person or organization that offers the site » e.g., IBM, Kodak, Amazon Web Site Content • Information • Functionality Web Site Design •Aesthetic design • Information design • Technical design •Interaction design #66 Prepared for Luke Wroblewski ©2003, BJ Fogg. Commercial use not allowed.

Persuasive Technology Lab captology.stanford.edu Web Credibility Grid Grid without examples Presumed Reputed Surface Earned Credibility Credibility Credibility Credibility Web Site Provider Web Site Content •information •functionality Web Site Design •aesthetic •information •technical •interaction #67 Prepared for Luke Wroblewski ©2003, BJ Fogg. Commercial use not allowed.

Persuasive Technology Lab captology.stanford.edu Web Credibility Grid Examples of elements Grid with examples that increase credibility* Presumed Reputed Surface Earned Credibility Credibility Credibility Credibility Web Site The provider The provider Users are Users with Provider is a nonprofit is recognized familiar with questions organization. as an expert the provider receive quick by others. outside of the and helpful Web context. answers. The site has The content The site The site’s Web Site ads from has been appears to content has Content reputable approved by have lots of always been •information companies. an outside relevant accurate and •functionality agency. information. unbiased. The site was The site won The site has a The site is Web Site created by an an award for pleasing easy to Design outside technical visual design. navigate. •aesthetic design firm. achievement. •information •technical •interaction *These are working hypotheses. To date, we’ve studied only some of these variables. #68 Prepared for Luke Wroblewski ©2003, BJ Fogg. Commercial use not allowed.

Persuasive Technology Lab captology.stanford.edu Web Credibility Grid Examples of elements Grid with examples that decrease credibility* Presumed Reputed Surface Earned Credibility Credibility Credibility Credibility Web Site The site tries The provider The site’s URL The site Provider to recruit was sued for does not match doesn’t give advertisers patent the provider’s contact but has none infringement name. information so far. and lost. anywhere. The site The content The site The site has Web Site shows only a got bad seems to typographical Content few hits on reviews from have more errors. •information their web an outside ads than •functionality counter. agency. information. The site has The site is The text font The site has Web Site no security reported to is either too links to pages Design protocols for have copied large or small that no longer •aesthetic transactions. the design of to read exist. •information another site. comfortably. •technical •interaction *These are working hypotheses. To date, we’ve studied only some of these variables. #69 Prepared for Luke Wroblewski ©2003, BJ Fogg. Commercial use not allowed.

Persuasive Technology Lab captology.stanford.edu Questions & Discussion on Part 4 Part 1 9 “Introduction to Web Credibility” Part 2 9 “10 Guidelines for Designing Credible Websites” Part 3 9 “Insights from Web Credibility Research” Part 4 9 “A Deeper Understanding of Web Credibility” #70 Prepared for Luke Wroblewski ©2003, BJ Fogg. Commercial use not allowed.