Four professors at Northwestern University recently found that the process by which users arrive at a web site is an important factor in how they judge the credibility of the final destination. Such factors include:
- Reliance on one’s network
- Search context: people trust the top result in Google, and typically do not verify or validate the source of the result
- Branding and routines: people tend to use the same, branded research tool most of the time. Examples in the study include: Wikipedia, Google, SparkNotes. People tend to use specific brands for certain tasks, such as MapQuest or Chicago Transit Authority to find directions, rather than going through a search engine, such as Google.
The authors of the study are:
- Eszter Hargittai
- Lindsay Fullerton
- Ericka Menchen-Trevino
- Kristin Yates Thomas
You can find the study here.
Chris Boudreaux leads social media strategy and measurement efforts for large B2C and B2B brands. Follow Chris on Twitter, or email Chris to continue the conversation.
