Interesting recent report from
Razorfish:
76% of the 1,000 consumers polled said they trust their offline friends when making a product purchase decision compared to just 33% who say they trust their online friends
"Online friend", in the report's context, refers to social media/social network "friends".
It's easy to see why:
1) Testimonials can be fakes
2) Many review sites are really just "advertorials"
3) Many user review vote sites can be rigged with bots
4) It is easier to verify offline friends' opinions (did they really say it?) through phone calls or other direct contact
5) It's EASY to get online friends through twitter/facebook/etc.
Given this reality, how can adult sites/adult product sites increase their level of "trust" from the consumer?