A Review and Prospects of Initial Trust in E-Commerce

Trust issues have drawn widespread attention in e- commerce research. Traditional trust theories believe that the level of trust develops over time; and trusts in the initial interactions are normally low in level. However, a certain empirical studies show that by certain means can e-retailers higher the level of initial trust. This paper first reviews the concept and formation mechanisms of initial trust as well as various factors influencing it, and then analyzes the status of research on initial trust and proposes some suggestions on its future development.