I m the maker of BidGlow, which launches here tomorrow. I built it around a deliberately visible rule: real payments determine public rank, outbound clicks are visible, a new listing starts at $5, and moving higher costs only the difference. It is sponsored visibility not an editorial best products list.
The question I m trying to answer is whether transparency actually improves trust. Before you would click a paid listing, which signal matters most: the amount behind its rank, visible outbound-click activity, or an unmistakable label on every sponsored position? And what would make you distrust the model immediately?