Successful business relationships are built on trust. But trust is a difficult thing to foster online, especially when the key factor that builds trust – real human interaction – is severely limited in the Web world.

MIT’s Sloan Center for eBusiness decided to tackle this issue of trust head-on. The theory was that if sites could build trust online, they could foster better online interactions and actually build better Web site returns. The school, together with Intel Corp., built what it calls the “WebTrust” methodology and piloted it on Intel’s support site.

The WebTrust methodology implements "trusted advisor" techniques and an online persona to assist customers with a specific task on the Intel Web site. Once launched, the method increased user’s probability of success from 63% to 83% over time. Intel estimates that this marked improvement has saved it millions of dollars a year in cost avoidance, by reducing the need to support customers via less efficient e-mail or phone calls.

Plus, Intel says WebTrust has resulted in strong gains in user efficiency, improved task success, subjective trust ratings and increased brand awareness for the more than 100,000 customers who visit the Intel support download site every day.

“Trust has always been fundamental to relationships, whether between individuals or between a corporation and its customers," said MIT Sloan Prof. Glen Urban. "The traditional paradigm of how trust is developed, which was through real human interaction, has been sharply altered by new technology. This increasing reliance on electronic media poses interesting challenges for both businesses and individuals.”

Urban’s research into "trust cues," or specific elements that have positive or negative affects on user trust, was the foundation for work by the Intel and MIT teams to develop WebTrust. Using live site experimentation, the Intel and MIT teams were able to verify trust-enabling features through a test vs.control methodology.

For example, trust-based designs and features were introduced on a live test Web site, using the current Intel site design as a control. Intel researchers and MIT Sloan students then analyzed user click streams and user surveys between the test and control environments. After validating them against the control, the test features were reintroduced and became the control Web site. Overall, the process produced a more advanced and trust-based user interface and experience, the organizations said.

"The WebTrust methodology has enabled us to generate superior trust between our Web site and our customers," said Bryan Rhoads, Web strategist for Intel. In fact, Intel has started implementing similar approaches and techniques throughout its internal intranet, HR systems and their Intel University employee education for remote learning.