Dutch TrustProfile runs pilot across Europe

TrustProfile is the new service from Dutch trust mark WebwinkelKeur. With this label, online retailers can show several pieces of information, like reviews and verified identification data, to enable trust among customers. Currently, a pilot project is running in France, Spain and Italy.

TrustProfile is now being tested by about thirty online retailers in France, Spain and Italy. But if the pilot project is a success, it will be launched for all ecommerce websites in these European countries. The ultimate goal is to have the service running globally.

Shopping at big, trusted platforms

“If consumers buy products online, they often don’t have any idea with whom there are doing business. As a result, online shoppers place their orders at major platforms such as Amazon, simply because these are trusted household names”, Daan Vaneker, CEO at TrustProfile, explains to Ecommerce News Europe.

Consumers often don’t have any idea with whom there are doing business.

All kinds of information about the online shop

If online retailers can offer a quality label, which shows all kinds of information about the entrepreneur and its business, they can better compete with the big, major names. “The information is gathered by asking consumers about their experiences, through our own researches and by indexing external sources”, Daan clarifies.

He emphasizes that TrustProfile is no trust mark, as there is no mediation between retailer and consumer. Online retailers with a trust mark can however add the TrustProfile label to their website. “TrustProfile can be seen as a collection of everything that can be found online about a company. Retailers can use this information to show that they are a reliable party and consumers can use this information to form a better idea about companies.”

Important role for customer reviews

According to Daan, about 75 percent of consumers first check some reviews before they decided to make a purchase. That’s why there’s an important role for customer reviews at TrustProfile. On the trust page reviews from several sources are shown, including those from review platforms, Google and Facebook.

TrustProfile supports online retailers by gathering customer reviews. “Most small online shop owners don’t have the tools to send automated invitations to customers asking them to review the shop. As a result, they only get reviews from people who are really satisfied or who are really unsatisfied.”

In addition to customer reviews, retailers can also collect various badges via TrustProfile. With these badges, they can show, among other things, that the identity details have been verified, that the online shop complies with the security requirements, that the retailer complies with the legal requirements and that disputes can be mediated by an independent party. “The number of elements is constantly expanding. We are now, for example, drawing up a code of conduct.”

‘The software can be used worldwide’

Daan is convinced that TrustProfile will appeal to small and medium-sized retailers. But he finds it more difficult to estimate how quickly the company will succeed in attracting customers. “It depends heavily on how quickly we can build brand awareness. In the Netherland, we have been active for ten years with WebwinkelKeur and we have gained a good market share with just under seven thousand customers. But outside our home market we also have to show that we are a reliable party.”

In the coming months, TrustProfile will be tested by online retailers in Frans, Spain and Italy. During the fourth quarter, the label will go live for all retailers in these markets. As soon as this goes well, retailers from other countries are also welcome. “The software is built in such a way that it can be used worldwide.”

Interested retailers located in France, Spain or Italy can now apply for a test account, after which they can freely use all features.