Ecommerce trust signals to audit on the product page (not in the footer only)

Trust is a buy-box problem, not a footer problem

If returns, payments and reviews only live in the footer, they do not help the add-to-cart decision. A conversion audit looks at the first mobile viewport: is there proof, a delivery promise, a payment cue, and a path to the returns policy without a scavenger hunt?

Legal pages still matter (especially in France). They just cannot be the only place trust exists.

Signals worth scoring

Reviews or an honest empty state. Shipping and returns next to the CTA. Visible payment methods. Company identity that is not only a logo. Contact that is not a dead Instagram link. We score what is on the page; we do not invent “trust % vs industry”.

• Reviews widget that does not destroy LCP
• Returns / delivery in the same screen as ATC
• Payment marks that match what checkout will actually offer
• Privacy and terms linked, not hidden in a mega-menu

Signals that are usually theatre

Fake countdown timers, stock “only 2 left” with no inventory truth, purchased popup social proof, and prize-draw email walls before the catalog. If the theme already shows them, the audit can flag the pattern. We will not recommend adding fake urgency.

How to turn this into a ranked plan

Run the ecommerce conversion audit (or the CRO audit if you already know the leak is UX). Keep this article as the definition of trust. When panel n is large enough we will publish medians; until then, compare the same store before and after you move proof next to the CTA.