How does Trust looks like?

A trustmark is a sign displayed on an eCommerce website, it has the purpose to provide an independent guarantee of the trustworthiness and reliability of the webshop.

The aim of trustmarks is to guarantee the quality and security of the online transaction. In some countries, there are trustmarks and trustmark providers that inform consumers whether the website complies with a certain set of rules. The trustmarks can be certified according to a national certification scheme and supervised by the competent authority, or based on mutual agreements. Trustmarks can boost consumer confidence in cyberspace. However, trustmark schemes are often unknown to consumers. As a result, consumers in EU can find it difficult to identify reputable e-merchants in other EU markets and are therefore reluctant to shop online from another country.

The Digital Agenda for Europe clearly pursues the creation of an online internal market, putting in place policies fostering cross-border eCommerce in the EU. One of the key factors of eCommerce, be it cross-border or at national level, is trust between the parties: the purchaser and the merchant. Trustmarks can play a role in establishing trust relations. Trustmarks are especially useful for smaller e-shops that are not (yet) a strong online brand of their own.

The e-Mark U Trust Competition invited all EU design/art students to submit their most innovative designs. Students from all over the European Union were invited to design a simple, original and clever trustmark which conveys a sense of trust and reassurance and indicates that Internet users can carry out their online transactions in a safe, convenient and secure way. On 15 September 2014, 95 logos were submitted within the deadline. The winner and the final ranking will be announced in 2015.

The three finalists, in random order, are:

Image by ELSE

Image by EUSAFE

Image by Noblesse Oblige

Remember, in a few months one of these will be a medal of honor for any site capable of earning it!