Online shopping today has become incredibly popular. Many shoppers enjoy the convenience of scrolling through products, purchasing them, and having them delivered to their homes. Starting an online store is an excellent choice, as you will be able to reach thousands of tech-savvy customers across the world.
However, one significant threat that makes potential customers shy away from online shopping is cybersecurity. Of course, security is a major concern, especially because of facilitating online payments and if you are dealing in high-value products. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to make your customers feel safe on your eCommerce website without breaking the bank.
How to Make eCommerce Customers Feel Safe
This article will highlight the most important aspects of eCommerce customer security:
Data safety
Different business models require different kinds of information from their customers. You may agree that the most important data to protect is your clients’ debit/credit card details, bank account information, or any other methods they may use to pay for your products. The Payment Card Industry (PCI) council has stringent rules for online store owners that process or store credit/debit card details. While your eCommerce platform provider may handle the technical side of things, you must ensure your staff plays their role in keeping these details safe.
An SSL certificate is another crucial cybersecurity tool. An SSL certificate encrypts data transmitted between your clients’ computers and your online store’s servers, thus protecting it from man-in-the-middle attacks. Websites with SSL certificates, such as the RapidSSL Wildcard, have a padlock on the address bar and are classified by browsers as ‘safe.’ This classification will improve your customers’ trust in your site.
Secure your website’s backend
The backend of your website has to be protected from hackers wanting to take control of your site or steal your customers’ details. Some ways to improve your website’s backend include choosing a reliable eCommerce platform company and two-factor authentication, including a strong password and a secondary code sent to your mobile phone. A reliable firewall is also important to protect access to your website. Since your site will see plenty of traffic, a firewall will readily protect it from suspicious activity.
Privacy policy
Your privacy policy should increase your customers’ confidence in your ability to protect their data. A privacy policy tells your site and visitors what parts of the data they enter will be stored or what data your site will collect from their computers. Generally, avoid storing sensitive data, such as your customers’ credit card expiry dates and numbers. Such information can be stolen, and you do not need so many sensitive records about your customers. Only keep the credit card information you require for refunds or chargebacks.
A friendly user-interface
Your eCommerce website should be easy to access, use, and browse. You also want to consider aspects such as order tracking, customer support, and defective product returns, which help customers feel confident shopping online. Your website should also load well across all browser types and on mobile devices. Do not be tempted to include offers and links to other products at the final checkout, as this may confuse new users.
Keep customers’ accounts as secure as possible.
Help your eCommerce customers keep themselves safe by requiring them to secure strong passwords. Strong passwords should include a minimum number and a combination of characters. Longer and more complicated logins make it harder for unauthorized people to breach their accounts or your eCommerce website via the front end.
Brand Credibility
Credibility is just as important in online stores as in brick-and-mortar ones, probably even more, as customers have little access to staff they can ask questions. To build customer confidence, you must include contact details on your website. Also, consider using a corporate email rather than one from free providers to help your store look more legitimate and authoritative.
Customer product ratings and reviews also greatly increase customer confidence and trust in your products. However, these reviews should not be fake, so have measures to allow reviews only from customers who have bought your products or have at least accounts with your store.
Another way to boost your credibility is to have a presence on social media. Show both existing and potential customers what your brand is all about. Sharing events at your store helps to make things look real, not to mention keep your followers engaged and updated on new products, offers, and discounts. Customers having fun engaging with your brand will easily put their fears to rest and make that important first purchase.
Customer support
Both potential and repeat customers need to feel confident in your store’s ability to offer assistance at any stage in the purchasing process. Customer support is especially valuable when processing payments and returning defective products. A number to call, email, and live chat are good places to begin. A link with Frequently Asked Questions is also useful in getting website visitors the help they need and saving time.
Educate your staff
Your employees are a key factor in ensuring eCommerce customers’ security. They need to have as much training in IT security as possible. Also, train them on your store’s data management and privacy policies so that their efforts are in line with your objectives. They need to know the right procedures to keep customers’ bank and credit card information and financial details safe. They can never reveal any critical customer information via email, text, or chat or expose it to unauthorized people. The right training and protocols protect your business from potential legal action and PR nightmares.
Conclusion
Safety in online shopping is critical in improving sales and transforming site visitors into paying customers. It will require work as an online store owner, but your brand will not last long without client trust and confidence. If website visitors feel safe and valued on your website, they will purchase your products, come back for more, and refer you to their networks.
