Purchasing merchandise online is not unlike urging a person to throw their money down a well, with no way of knowing where it has gone or whether it will reach its intended destination. Because online transactions are so vague and nebulous, it is incumbent on retailers to find ways to inspire trust in their customers. Without it, shoppers may simply abandon their shopping carts altogether.
What is behind mistrust of ecommerce?
Buying online is attractive to shoppers because of its flexibility and convenience. However, there are several reasons for the very common reaction of wariness among online buyers. These include the following.
- A website may be cluttered, difficult to navigate, or unclear. Worse still, some ecommerce payment gateways do not prominently display security validation certificates.
- Shipping and return policies are not clearly divulged.
- In the case of international sellers, products may not be available in the customerā€™s currency of choice.
- Prices or shipping rates may be inflated.
- Something the business owner has or has not done has raised buyer concerns about the security of their payment.
Todayā€™s marketplace is a global one, which means that customers have access to a world filled with products and people competing for their money. If they donā€™t feel safe or cared about with a particular retailer, they will simply move on to another.
What can businesses do to foster trust to attract and keep customers?
For trust to grow, you must do all you can to nurture a genuine relationship with each buyer that considers not just their product preferences but also keeps security in mind. The following are some suggestions that you can incorporate into your ecommerce business to start growing that trust.
- Take pains to construct and maintain a website that highlights your products and policies without overwhelming the user or resorting to flashy gimmicks.
- Speak with your merchant provider to ensure that all possible security measures have been employed to protect sensitive payment data.
- Be transparent and communicative. When online shoppers fully understand what they are purchasing, the price they will be charged for buying and shipping the product, as well as how the returns process works, many potential problems will simply never occur. Keep the lines of communication open throughout all facets of the shopping journey, answering questions and resolving issues as quickly as you can. Consider investing in virtual chat solutions to solve simple problems and triage the more complex ones directly to you.
- If you sell internationally, talk to your merchant provider about setting up your software to accept your customersā€™ currencies of choice through multi-currency conversion.
- Do advance research to determine what prices your competitors are charging for similar items to ensure that your fees are fair.
- Prominently display security certifications, and see to it that your ecommerce platform complies with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), a set of guidelines that has been created by the card providers to protect the integrity and safety of cardholder data.
Yes, online shopping will always carry with it a certain fear for many first-time customers. However, with a dose of security awareness, as well as a minimal investment in your website and product offerings, you can do a great deal to allay their concerns.
