Our confidence score explained

The Sitejabber Confidence Score provides additional guidance around which companies you may choose to do business with. It is a reflection of how “confident” a consumer can be about transacting with the business and being satisfied with the experience.

The Confidence Score is calculated from a sophisticated machine learning algorithm developed in part with funding provided by the National Science Foundation. Our software incorporates hundreds of different signals that provide information regarding the reputability of a business.

The attributes we consider:

Website characteristics

We analyze hundreds of attributes from the company’s website to detect certain characteristics that correlate highly with poor customer experiences. These attributes range from the lack of a clear FAQ page, poor grammar or typos in the About Us page, and the use of stock or duplicated product images.

Domain profile

We look at how how long a domain has been registered, who registered the domain, and whether the domain is hosted in a location or shared network associated with companies that frequently go out of business.

Location

We look at the locations associated with a business. These include where a website is based, as well as the corporate offices and store locations. Due to regional regulations and labor condition, some regions have increased prevalence of disreputable businesses. We also consider the impact location has on shipping and return policies.

Company history

We consider how long a company has been in business, as well as its number of employees, the amount of outside capital raised, and, if a publicly traded company, its revenues and market capitalization.

Payment and delivery methods

We identify the payment and delivery methods supported by the company. Certain payment methods provide a more secure transaction for consumers and others actually offer some type of insurance on purchases. Additionally, certain delivery methods are more frequently associated with reputable businesses.

Customer support

We consider how easy it is for consumers to get customer support from the business. This includes the availability of the company’s contact information, the existence of a toll-free support phone number, and how responsive a company is to reviews written about them.

Digital presence

We take into account the digital presence of a business, including active profiles on major social networks like Facebook, LinkedIn, Google and Twitter, as well as mentions of the business in reputable press and media outlets.

External accreditation

We take into account accreditation given to the business by very select third-party sources. These forms of accreditation include industry and security certifications, industry awards and popularity, and a presence in major retail channels.

Review history

A very small portion of the score takes into account issues that are mentioned in reviews submitted by the Sitejabber community. We also look at whether a business has a known history of attempting to create fake reviews or remove negative reviews that show up on their profile.

As industries change and more businesses are formed each day, we continue to add and remove certain attributes from the algorithm in an attempt to continually improve its accuracy. We also understand that businesses can change quickly, which is why we try to keep the data we have as current as possible.

Information sources

Sitejabber Confidence Scores relies on hundreds of proprietary signals pulled from private and public sources. We take into account information from more than 50 sources that provide information about the company, the website, the domain, and known business practices. We combine this with relevant information only available on the Sitejabber platform to paint the most accurate picture of a business’s reliability.

The confidence scores

Businesses are scored from 1 (worst) to 10 (best), with the score derived from a weighted average of all the signals we look at. The scale we use is logarithmic, which means it is a lot easier to improve from a 5 to a 6 than it is to improve from a 7 to an 8.

To make it easier for consumers to understand the score, we divide the confidence score into four main buckets:

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Outstanding (9.0-10.0)

These companies score very high across the board on the vast majority of the attributes. Consumers who choose to transact with the business can be confident that they will have a satisfactory experience.

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High (7.0-8.9)

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Medium (3.0-6.9)

These companies either fall short or lack transparency in several key areas. However, this does not necessarily mean consumers won’t be satisfied when transacting with the business. Oftentimes, going in with the right expectations can still lead to a positive experience. Before making a purchase, we encourage consumers to do their own research and learn what to expect based on other customers’ experiences.

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Low (1.0-2.9)

These companies show several red flags that are commonly associated with very unsatisfactory customer experiences. Consumer should take caution before transacting with these businesses.

The important notes

The Sitejabber Confidence Scores are formulated based on information available from a company websites, independent sources, the Sitejabber platform, and information provided by the companies themselves. The scores are just a reflection of various attributes our algorithm looks at and are just an additional data point consumers can use when evaluating a business. We are not responsible for any omissions or errors made in good faith, and are actively working to improve the accuracy and usefulness of the information provided.

We welcome any questions or contributions in relation to a score.

We believe businesses should embrace transparency and be completely customer-focused from the time the consumer discovers the brand to after the product or service has been delivered. The businesses that are able to deliver on its promises, promptly address any issues, and instill a deep level of confidence among consumers deserve to be recognized.

To provide feedback or request further details on a specific brand please contact us.