Inside TrustScore: The 700-Point System ( India's First Business Credibility Score )

BUSINESSTRENDINGSEVORSE R&DTRUSTSCORE

Kishan Karyappa

2/12/20262 min read

Yesterday, we shared why we're building TrustScore. Today, let's talk about how it actually works.

After publishing our story, we got 40+ messages asking: "When can I get scored? How much does it cost? Will this actually help?"

The demand is real. Here's the execution.

The Score: 0-700 Points

We're keeping it simple. 700 is perfect. 0 is non-existent.

Score What It Means 600-700 Excellent — Top-tier credibility 500-599 Good — Strong presence, minor gaps 400-499 Average — Decent basics, room to grow 300-399 Below Average — Weak presence, losing deals 0-299 Critical — Nearly invisible online

Why 700? It's achievable. Easy mental math. Most good businesses should aim for 500+.

What We Measure: 5 Pillars

Digital Presence (140 pts): Website quality, Google Business Profile, local SEO
Brand Identity (105 pts): Professional email, logo consistency, clear messaging
Customer Trust (210 pts): Reviews, social engagement, response speed
Legal & Compliance (140 pts): GST verification, registrations, certifications
Tech Modernization (105 pts): Online booking, digital payments, automation

Why these weights? Customer trust (30%) is the biggest decision factor. Digital presence and legal compliance (20% each) are table stakes. Brand and tech (15% each) are differentiators.

How It Works: Getting Your TrustScore

Step 1: Submit Your Business

Visit our website, fill a simple 2-minute form:

Business name, contact details
Website, Google Business link, Instagram handle (optional)
GST number (if applicable)
Payment: ₹49

Step 2: We Evaluate (24 Hours)

We manually check every aspect of your digital presence:

Digital Presence: Website speed, mobile-friendliness, SSL security, Google Business Profile completeness, local search visibility

Brand Identity: Email domain (custom or Gmail?), logo consistency, messaging clarity across platforms

Customer Trust: Google reviews (volume, rating, recency, response rate), social media engagement (real vs fake followers), response speed (we test by sending a message)

Legal Compliance: GST verification, business registrations, industry certifications

Tech Modernization: Online booking systems, digital payment options, automation tools

What We Flag:

Review manipulation (sudden spikes, generic text patterns)
Fake followers (high count, low engagement)
Content theft (stock photos claimed as original work)

Step 3: Get Your Report

Delivered via email and WhatsApp within 24 hours.

Your report includes:

TrustScore: 410/700 (Average)

Detailed Breakdown:

Strengths: What you're doing well
Weaknesses: What's holding you back
Industry benchmark: How you compare to competitors

Improvement Roadmap:

Quick wins (1-2 weeks) → 475/700:

Get custom email domain (+30 pts)
Respond to pending reviews (+10 pts)
Set WhatsApp auto-reply (+10 pts)

Medium effort (1-2 months) → 540/700:

Build basic website (+50 pts)
Collect 15 more customer reviews (+25 pts)

Long-term (3-6 months) → 620/700:

Add online booking system (+30 pts)
Get industry certification (+20 pts)

TrustScore Badge: Download and display on your website, shop, social media. Show customers you're verified and credible.

Step 4: Get Listed

Your business appears on our public directory at trustscore.sevorse.com

For customers: Search and verify businesses before hiring them
For you: Free exposure to potential customers actively looking for trusted businesses

Why ₹49?

We want every business — from a local plumber to a growing startup — to be able to afford knowing where they stand.

₹49 covers our evaluation time and keeps this accessible to all.

Your TrustScore badge is valid for 6 months. After that, re-verify for ₹299 to keep it current and maintain your listing.

Quality Control: How We Stay Credible

Our scoring must be trustworthy. Here's how we ensure that:

Objective evaluation: We score what we see, not what we want to see
Manual review: Human judgment (for now) catches nuances algorithms miss
Public accountability: All scores published, disputes reviewed for free
No shortcuts: We don't let businesses pay for better scores — only real improvements count
Badge expiry: 6-month validity ensures scores reflect current state, not outdated data