Social Proof Scorecard: Score Your Store Out of 100 (Free)

Most store owners know they need social proof. Few can say whether the proof they already show is helping or quietly hurting them. A product page with no reviews loses trust. A product page with a "17 people are viewing this" counter that picks a random number can lose even more, because shoppers have learned to spot it.

The Social Proof Scorecard is a free audit that answers that question in about two minutes. You answer 15 multiple-choice questions about your store, and you get a score out of 100, the three fixes that would raise it most, and a next step that fits the size of your store. There is no login and nothing to install.

What the scorecard checks

Ten questions are scored. Each is worth up to 10 points, so the total runs from 0 to 100. They cover the trust signals shoppers actually look at on a product page:

1. Reviews. Do product pages show reviews or star ratings, and do they include photos?
2. Verified reviews. Are those reviews tied to real orders?
3. Recent purchase activity. Do you show notifications like "Ana bought this 2 hours ago", and are they based on real orders?
4. Live viewer counts. If you show "people viewing", does it count real visitors?
5. Trust badges. Are secure checkout, money-back and returns badges easy to find?
6. Urgency. Are your countdown timers and low-stock messages real, or do they reset for every visitor?
7. Placement. Is your strongest proof next to the Add to Cart button, or buried at the bottom?
8. Totals. If you claim "12,000 orders shipped", can the number be backed up?
9. Testimonials. Do they have names, photos and a source?
10. Verifiability. Can a shopper check any of your proof for themselves?

Five more questions carry no points. They ask about your monthly visitors, your main goal for the next 90 days, what is holding you back, which platform your store runs on, and anything else you want to add. These shape the advice you get, not the score.

How the score works

The scoring rewards honest proof, not the most proof. Two examples show the difference:

• A live viewer count that shows a random number scores 0. Having no counter at all scores 4. A counter that counts real visitors scores 10. A fake number is worse than no number, because it is the kind of signal that makes a careful shopper leave. We cover why in fake "people viewing" counters.
• A countdown that restarts on every visit scores 0. No urgency at all scores 6. A real deadline or real stock level scores 10. Consumer regulators in the US, UK and EU have all called out fake urgency as a deceptive practice, so this is about more than conversion rates. (That is general information, not legal advice.)

The same idea runs through every question. Middle answers like "a few text reviews" or "a total nobody can check" get partial credit. Full marks go to proof that is real and that shoppers can see where they decide.

What you get at the end

Your result page shows three things.

Your score out of 100. It is shown on a gauge so you can see at a glance where you stand. Use it as your own baseline: fix something, take the scorecard again, and compare.

Your three biggest fixes. These are the questions where you lost the most points, each with a one-line fix. If your purchase popups look random, your viewer count is invented and your reviews are not verified, those three come first, because each one costs you the most.

A next step that fits your store. The scorecard uses your traffic and your biggest blocker to decide what to suggest:

• If you get 10,000 or more visitors a month, or your traffic does not convert, the problem is trust on the page. You are pointed to start with verified proof straight away.
• If you are under 1,000 visitors a month and traffic is your blocker, more proof will not fix that yet. You are pointed to a guide on showing real social proof without faking it, so you can add it as you grow.
• Everyone in between is pointed to the free store check, which scans your live page for fake counters and resetting timers.

To see what a result looks like before you start, there is an example on the scorecard page. One sample store with plenty of verified reviews, a real deadline, but random purchase popups and an unverifiable "orders shipped" total scores 63 out of 100. Its top fix is replacing the random popups with real ones.

How to raise your score

Most stores lose points in the same few places. In rough order of impact:

• Replace random purchase popups with real ones. Popups that come from signed order webhooks show actual orders, with the real product and a real time. Read how verified purchase notifications work.
• Remove or fix your viewer counter. Count real visitors or show nothing.
• Make urgency true. Use honest countdown timers with a real end date. If you are not sure what your store shows today, audit it for fake urgency.
• Move proof next to the buy button. The decision happens there, not at the footer.
• Let shoppers verify it. A public page that shows where each number comes from turns "claimed" into "provable". Here is why social proof needs a verification page.

For a wider look at the options, see types of social proof for online stores.

What we keep

To run the scorecard we ask for your name and email first, plus your store URL if you want to add it. Your answers, score and readiness tier are saved when you finish, so your result has its own page you can come back to, and we email you a copy with your three fixes. Result pages are not indexed by search engines. You can unsubscribe from Provedly emails at any time.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Social Proof Scorecard really free?

Yes. There is no login, no trial and no card. You answer the questions, see your score and fixes right away, and get a copy by email.

How long does it take?

About two minutes. There is one question per screen, and most answers are a single click.

Does it scan my website?

No. The scorecard is based on your answers, so it works for any store on any platform, including stores that are not live yet. If you want an automatic check of your live page, the free store check scans it for fake viewer counters and countdown timers that reset.

Will a high score guarantee more sales?

No tool can promise that. A high score means your store shows the kind of proof shoppers trust and avoids the kind they have learned to ignore. That gives your traffic a better chance to convert.

Take the free Social Proof Scorecard and see where your store stands.