A TrustPoint is a verified insight derived from structured research across a company’s existing customer base.
This page explains how TrustPoint is designed, administered, and validated from sample verification through to issuance criteria, evidence positioning, and machine readability.
A TrustPoint is a verified insight derived from structured research across a company's existing customer base, reflecting repeatable customer patterns rather than individual opinions or marketing claims.
TrustPoint is issued and governed by Digital Scorecard (digitalscorecard.com). It is not a review platform, a testimonial service, or a marketing tool. It is a research standard, a formally structured, independently administered, and publicly verifiable record of customer outcomes.
As with any methodology there are many considerations which are outlined here. We work to minimise the complexity and focus on what matters most.
In the top of our mind when designing the TrustPoint are two things:
With these in mind we will cover the principles in the methodology as follows:
A TrustPoint is not:
If an insight is based on anecdotal evidence, unverified sources, or selective reporting, it does not qualify.
The critical distinction is independence of administration. A TrustPoint finding is only valid when the research is designed, administered, and verified by Digital Scorecard — not by the business whose customers are being surveyed. This independence is what gives TrustPoint findings their evidential weight.
The backbone of a TrustPoint is the sample we ask to review and rate your business. We need to verify that the sample is correct and representative. Why any result is to be believed starts with the sample, basically who is asked. A bad or wrong sample will change the value of any research.
TrustPoint is not just a survey or a review. It is so much more than that.
We ensure we include only verified customers — not panels, purchased respondents, or anonymous sources.
We ensure the sample is big enough to matter. Ideally at least 100 responses. B2B contexts often involve lower sample sizes, assessed on a case-by-case basis.
We apply statistical significance testing to all findings. The larger the sample, the more findings are possible.
You cannot buy, pay for, or influence the results. The data alone determines the outcome.
We verify directly against client email, CRM, or e-commerce systems to ensure data is real and sampling bias is avoided.
Reduced through even sampling, question design, and data weighting for returns and ongoing feedback to produce a balanced picture.
A TrustPoint is only issued when seven formal criteria are met. View the Issuance Criteria →
Not all customer proof is equal. TrustPoint occupies a specific and deliberate position in the hierarchy of evidence — above consumer review platforms in methodological rigour and independence, below peer-reviewed academic research and clinical trials in formal academic standing.
This positioning is deliberate. TrustPoint gives businesses access to a standard of verified customer proof that was previously only achievable through academic or clinical research, without requiring the time or cost of a clinical study.
| Evidence Type | Independence | Methodology | Verifiability | AI Readability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clinical trials | Full | Highest | Full | High |
| Peer-reviewed academic research | Full | Rigorous | Full | High |
| TrustPoint | Named external administrator | Structured, statistically validated | Full — public report URL + schema.org Dataset | High |
| Consumer review platforms (e.g. Trustpilot) | Platform-level | None (unstructured) | Partial | Moderate |
| On-site testimonials | None | None | None | Low |
| Marketing claims | None | None | None | Low |
TrustPoint reports are published with schema.org Dataset structured data embedded in the page source. This is not a cosmetic feature, it is a fundamental part of the standard.
Schema.org Dataset markup provides typed, structured identification of the data as a Dataset (not a marketing page), a named external creator organisation, a documented measurement technique, sample size, publication date, and a public report URL as an independent reference point.
This means AI research tools including Perplexity, Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT with web access, and enterprise procurement AI systems can read and interpret TrustPoint data as structured, independently verified evidence rather than as unstructured marketing text.
A marketing claim that says “96% of customers sleep better” is text. A TrustPoint result embedded as a schema.org Dataset with a named external creator, documented methodology, verified sample size, and public URL is a machine-readable data record with provenance. These are categorically different signals to AI systems performing vendor due diligence.
From a research perspective nothing is perfect. We remove as many biases as possible and ensure verification — but there are always challenges. We remove as many as possible and weight for many issues before we issue a TrustPoint.
TrustPoint Badge
A badge is only issued after the analysis has been done and verified. Findings are clear and we use other research data to validate, flagging any anomalies found.
Timing
We usually complete the work within 4 weeks. There is also a TrustPoint Tracker option — conducted over time using its own methodology, particularly powerful for subscription businesses.
Other Data
Besides client survey data, we look at returns, complaints, and inbound client comments to get a balanced day-to-day view. The TrustPoint should align with the operational picture.
Client Communication
Research requests are sent via the client’s usual communication channels so as not to bias the response or set it apart from normal business contact.
Our analysis is based on a robust methodology based on statistical methods.
In past analysis in some sectors we have found that we mirror the results of a clinical trails. While we do not do this as clinical trials we do insist on having strict rules on how we work so as to get the best results for clients.
We generally advise working to the 95th percentile of significance but sometimes we use the 90th and when we do, it is stated. Most of this is in the background and the TrustPoint illustrates the result rather than how we got there.
We consider response bias and insist on a pattern of how clients are asked and how it is setup to mitigate it, no never eliminate it.
Any business regardless of what they provide can have a TrustPoint. What you need to have in order to get a TrustPoint is a customer base that have used your product or service.
Which coffee do people prefer and why. Now we have proof for a coffee roster.
Which probiotic helps people best and how does it compare to others they tried? In this case the TrustPoint mirrored the clinical trials of the probiotic producer.
Which bedding helps people to sleep better? We found out and it differentiates this bedding provider from others.
How do some shoes help the wearers to walk more and without pain. We confirmed this for MBT Shoes so they can demonstrate how they help their clients.
Almost all business to business (B2B) companies can have a TrustPoint. Sometimes due to the type we base it on how it is to work with the business rather than the product benefit.
We find that all types of company and products benefit from a TrustPoint. From coffee taste to health benefit from probiotic and everything in between.
The Differential Comparison Index (DCI) is a benchmark used to measure how well a product performs compared to other alternatives customers have tried.
It is calculated from verified customer responses comparing their experience with similar products on the market.
DCI is scored from 0 to 100:
– 60–100: Strong comparative performance — customers rate the product as better or much better than alternatives
– 40–59: Comparable performance — performs similarly to competing products
– 0–39: Underperformance — customers rate the product lower than alternatives
A high DCI score indicates that the product not only satisfies customers but outperforms other options they have used. This provides an independent competitiveness measure beyond standard satisfaction ratings.
Establishing your DCI is a game changer for how you market to your ideal clients. It is based on what your current customers consider and value, not what you claim.
