How Many People Check Operator Information for Online Sales? Survey of 500 Men and Women

MFRO Inc. (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Representative: Hironori Kitawaki) conducted an "Awareness Survey on Online Sales Operator Information" targeting 500 people who have experience purchasing online, and ranked the data.

With numerous e-commerce sites available, some people may have felt, "The products are attractive, but the site or operator seems suspicious."

Craudia Media Support Service (https://craudia-citation.com/), operated by MFRO Inc., conducted a survey on "Online Sales Operator Information" among 500 people with online purchasing experience. The results were compiled in a ranking format.

Manami Shikama, representative of Shikama.net, provided insights into the survey results.

[Request for Citation/Reprint of Data]

When using the survey results and images from this release, please be sure to include a link to the detailed survey page (https://craudia-citation.com/column/5648).

[Survey Overview]

Target Audience: People with online purchasing experience

Survey Period: January 14-15, 2026

Survey Organization: In-house survey

Survey Method: Voluntary response via internet

Valid Responses: 500 people (342 women / 158 men)

Respondent Age Groups: Teens 1.2% / 20s 20.0% / 30s 31.4% / 40s 27.2% / 50s 17.2% / 60s and over 3.0%

[Survey Results Summary]

- 80.4% of people check operator information when purchasing or applying online.

- The top method for checking site operator information is "searching online."

- The top point for judging "trustworthy" operator information is "a lot of information" for both men and women.

- The top point for judging "untrustworthy" operator information is "little information" for both men and women.

- 76.4% have experienced abandoning a purchase after checking operator information.

80.4% of people check operator information when purchasing or applying online.

When asked "Do you check operator information when purchasing or applying online?" among 500 people with online purchasing experience, "almost every time (20.4%)" and "have checked before (60.0%)" combined to 80.4%.

Purchasing products and services involves monetary transactions and often requires input of personal information. Therefore, many people think, "I want to check if the operator is trustworthy."

The results by gender are as follows:

It is notable that nearly 30% of men answered "almost every time (29.1%)" alone. Men place importance on operator information, and it can be inferred that many make checking operator information a "routine before taking action online."

Compared to men, fewer women answered "almost every time (16.4%)". Over 20% of women also answered "have never checked," indicating a slightly higher tendency among women not to check operator information compared to men.

However, around 80% of both men and women have checked operator information, showing that checking operator information when curious is a common behavior.

The top method for checking site operator information is "searching online."

"Searching online (63.0%)" was overwhelmingly the top method for checking site operator information, accounting for over 60% of the total. "Checking the official website (33.2%)" and "searching on social media (15.0%)" followed.

The results by gender are as follows:

A slightly higher percentage of men answered "asking AI (10.8%)" compared to women.

On the other hand, more women than men answered "searching on social media (17.0%)". This suggests that women have a higher affinity for social media and tend to use it for information gathering.

Men judge "trustworthy" operator information by "a lot of information."

The top point for men judging "trustworthy" operator information was "a lot of information (28.5%)". Following this were "positive reviews (15.8%)", "featured in media (11.4%)", "information is updated (10.8%)", and "has a track record (9.5%)".

It is understood that "being able to obtain sufficient information from various channels" forms the foundation of trust. If there is sufficient information and a lot of positive content such as "good customer service" or "many sales achievements," trust increases.

Third-party evaluations such as reviews and media features also ranked high, indicating a tendency to value objective evaluations in addition to one's own judgment.

<1st Place: A lot of information>

- Sites that clearly state the name of the person or company operating them, along with "address" and "contact information," are trustworthy (Male, 20s).

- When searching on X, many results appear (Male, 30s).

Two patterns were mentioned: "a lot of information within the site" and "many reviews and other information appearing when searched."

Furthermore, when the operator themselves discloses a lot of official information, users feel it is "transparent operation," which leads to a sense of security and trust.

<2nd Place: Positive reviews exist>

- There are good reviews on personal blogs (Male, 30s).

- I refer to the star ratings on review sites (Male, 60s and over).

Reviews are valued because user voices are perceived as more real than the words of the official source or operator. Especially, evaluations from places not directly managed by the operator, such as personal blogs and review sites, create a sense of security as "real evaluations, not fabricated."

It was found that when star ratings and review content are consistently good, many people tend to feel "the operator is likely trustworthy."

<3rd Place: Featured in media>

- Being featured on TV or in magazines makes it trustworthy (Male, 30s).

- "Featured in media" is the most trustworthy (Male, 40s).

- Media coverage history increases trustworthiness (Male, 60s and over).

Media includes "TV," "radio," "newspapers," "magazines," "online news/online media," etc. Since media like TV and magazines often have journalistic standards and screening processes for publication, people tend to feel, "If TV is covering it, it must be reliable."

Given that not all companies or products are featured, being introduced alone is like receiving an "endorsement." Media coverage holds significant meaning in reinforcing the objectivity of an evaluation.

In other words, even at an early stage of establishment, media coverage can serve as a material to supplement trust.

<4th Place: Information is updated>

- Frequent updates on social media (Male, 30s).

- Official website is updated over a long period. Social media is officially managed and activity is visible (Male, 40s).

- Continuous information dissemination on the official website and social media (Male, 60s and over).

Sites and social media with regularly updated information give the impression of being "properly operated" and that "there are real people behind it, putting in effort." Continuous dissemination conveys that the site operator or company is active and trying to engage with users, leading to trust.

Although tasks like "social media updates," "product replacements," and "new product announcements" require effort from the site operator, diligently performing these tasks daily plays a significant role in fostering trust.

<5th Place: Has a track record>

- Good past sales performance (Male, 20s).

- Having a certain level of track record (Male, 30s).

- Track record of long-term operation (Male, 50s).

Track record includes "sales performance/transaction history" and "site operation period (years)." For sites with a track record, people are more likely to think, "Many people have chosen it, and it's operating and transacting without issues, so I can buy from it safely."

It is thought that the background belief is that problematic sites would have become unsustainable and unable to operate.

For cases where individuals operate sites, some also mentioned the "operator's personal background."

Women judge "trustworthy" operator information by "a lot of information."

The top point for women judging "trustworthy" operator information was "a lot of information (30.1%)". Over 20% also answered "positive reviews (20.2%)" for second place. Except for "high name recognition" in fifth place, the lineup is the same as the men's ranking.

However, a characteristic of the women's ranking is that the tendency to value real or real-time information, such as "reviews" and "information update status," is slightly stronger than for men. It can be seen that women tend to value "visible substance" and "freshness" in addition to superficial numbers.

<1st Place: A lot of information>

- Clear company and operator information, with face and track record published (Female, 20s).

- When I search for the company name, it comes up properly. There are reviews (Female, 30s).

- "Detailed information about the product" and "details about the company" provide a sense of trust (Female, 40s).

Many women seek detailed information such as "operator's photo," "detailed product information," and "company details." When there is a lot of information, or detailed information, the operator's image can be concretely imagined, leading to a sense of security.

There were also comments like "President's message and company vision" and "philosophy is written." It was conveyed that women are not just seeking an overview or specifications, but also value the operator's way of thinking and personality.

<2nd Place: Positive reviews exist>

- If reviews often mention good things like "good customer service," I feel strongly that it's trustworthy (Female, 20s).

- When I search for the site operator on the internet, I judge it as trustworthy if other users' reviews are highly rated (Female, 30s).

- When I see many good reviews on social media, etc. (Female, 40s).

Places to look for reviews include "review sites," "e-commerce site reviews," and "social media." When wanting to know the experiences of those who have actually used a product, specific and positive comments such as "good customer service" can alleviate anxiety and lead to trust in the operator.

Furthermore, women tend to use social media more than men for information gathering. It can be inferred that they seek more specific personal experiences, such as how users similar to them felt, rather than just "star ratings" or "number of reviews" on e-commerce sites.

<3rd Place: Information is updated>

- Official website is thoroughly updated, and new information is always written. Instagram is updated regularly (Female, 20s).

- High update frequency of official website and social media (Female, 30s).

- When the operator themselves regularly disseminates information in their own words (Female, 40s).

Regularly updated information leads to a sense of security that the site is still actively operating. Some also emphasize regular updates and dissemination in the operator's own words.

It is thought that women want to know "the operator's and company's way of thinking" along with specifications to judge whether they are trustworthy people or organizations. In other words, the key is not just to mechanically update information, but to make the communication convey "passion" and "personality."

<4th Place: Featured in media>

- Media coverage adds credibility (Female, 30s).

- Featured in "TV," "radio," "magazines that are not biased," etc. (Female, 40s).

- Featured in TV and magazines. Introduced by multiple popular YouTubers on YouTube (Female, 40s).

Being featured in the media leads to trust because it adds objective evaluation by a third party as a judgment criterion.

In particular, being featured in media that are unlikely to introduce companies or products lightly, such as "unbiased magazines" or "influential YouTubers," is key. This is because it's easier to get the impression, "Since it's featured in a place not everyone gets featured, it must be trustworthy," or "If this medium/person is introducing it, it must be reliable."

For operators, when approaching media for coverage, it is necessary to carefully select outlets that users will trust.

<5th Place: High name recognition>

- I trust sites I hear about around me. Basically, I don't trust anything else (Female, 30s).

- I only buy from well-known places (Female, 40s).

- Whether the operator's name is frequently heard or seen (Female, 50s).

Just by hearing "names frequently heard around me" or "major/famous ones," users gain a sense of security, thinking, "It has survived because there have been no major problems so far."

They think, "Since many people probably use it, I can use it with confidence too."

It is natural psychology to be cautious of "unknown things" or "unfamiliar things." While relying only on well-known places carries the risk of missing out on new, high-quality sites, it provides a sense of security.

Men judge "untrustworthy" operator information by "little information."

When asked about points that make men judge "untrustworthy" operator information, the top answer was "little information (22.5%)". Following this were "many negative reviews (10.2%)" and "vague information (5.6%)".

Overall, the items listed are the inverse of those emphasized in the "trustworthy points ranking." Distrust towards site operators arises from a lack of judgment criteria and difficulty in verifying information.

When there is "little information," "vague information," "outdated information," or "uncertainty about whether to believe reviews," judgment criteria are not met, and as a result, caution increases.

Women judge "untrustworthy" operator information by "little information."

The top point for women judging "untrustworthy" operator information was the same as men: "little information (53.5%)". Second place was "many negative reviews (21.1%)".

While "little information" is the same as for men, the proportion of women who cited a lack of information was significantly higher at 53.5% compared to men (22.5%).

It can be inferred that women are more likely to immediately think something is "suspicious" if there is little information compared to men. Additionally, "unnatural Japanese" was also ranked, indicating that many people are wary of overseas sites.

76.4% have experienced abandoning a purchase after checking operator information.

Those who have experienced abandoning a purchase after checking operator information accounted for 76.4% when combining "often (14.6%)" and "sometimes (61.8%)".

Nearly 80% of people had experienced abandoning a purchase after checking the site's operator information, feeling distrust or becoming more cautious.

Conducting transactions without knowing the other party's information well is a highly risky action from the perspective of personal information protection and trouble avoidance. There were no significant differences between genders.

Conclusion

This survey revealed that many people check operator information when using online shopping. With over 80% of people checking operator information, the act of verifying the operator is not limited to cautious individuals but is a common behavior.

Trustworthy points included "abundance of information," "natural and positive reviews," "media coverage," and "freshness of information." Furthermore, over 70% of people have stopped purchasing when they felt an operator was untrustworthy.

Based on the above, it can be said that site operators are required to not only highlight the appeal of their products and prices but also to clearly and carefully communicate "who is operating and how."

Manami Shikama's Commentary

Consumers feel a certain degree of anxiety when purchasing online, and they do not make decisions based solely on product pages.

This survey shows that a high percentage of people act cautiously by searching company names, checking reviews, social media, and official website information before purchasing. Such behavior is expected to become even more common in the future, making it important to "create a trustworthy online presence."

Detailed product introductions, company profiles, and representative information, as well as track records, customer testimonials, and continuous dissemination on websites and social media, serve as reassurances. Beyond product strength, recognizing "information design for building trust" is a crucial perspective for creating online shops that are chosen.

▽ Supervisor Introduction

Manami Shikama

Born in Hakodate, Hokkaido

Representative of Shikama.net (https://shikama.net/)

Began web production in 1997. After working in the web production department of a software company, she became independent. Currently works as a web consultant. She also works as a lecturer, conducting seminars on web marketing and design.

Authored books including "Free Online Shop Creation & Operation & Marketing: Everything You Need to Know!", "Introduction to Web Writing: Write Readable and Understandable Text in 5 Steps!", and "Google Analytics You Can Understand Today: An Absolute Beginner's Guide to Access Analysis."

[Request for Citation/Reprint of Data]

When using the survey results and images from this release, please be sure to include a link to the detailed survey page (https://craudia-citation.com/column/5648).

About Craudia

Craudia is a comprehensive cloud sourcing service operated by MFRO Inc.

As lifestyles and ways of working become more diverse, it is offered as one of the services that supports individual lives, including freelance, side jobs, and multiple jobs.

Official URL: https://www.craudia.com/

About MFRO Inc.

MFRO Inc. is a company whose core business is media operations, providing attractive information and valuable services to users.

Leveraging the data, know-how, and development achievements accumulated through its core media business, it offers marketing consulting services that propose highly effective customer acquisition methods.

Official URL: https://www.mfro.net/

Company Profile

Company Name: MFRO Inc.

Representative: Hironori Kitawaki, Representative Director

Location: A-PLACE Ebisu Higashi 4F, 3-13-11 Higashi, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0011

Established: September 2004

Capital: 50,000,000 yen

URL: http://www.mfro.net/