The folks over at the Better Business Bureau commissioned a study in 2007 of the adult online shopper's most important issues.
It seems that approximately 60% of those surveyed are primarily concerned about two things: (1) that their personal information could be stolen and sold online or reused by someone else, and (2) that their credit card information could be hijacked by some unscrupulous operator (59%).
However, despite these concerns, people are increasingly becoming accustomed to the ease and convenience of shopping online.
Last year's holiday spending forecast by Forrester Research painted a rosy and exciting picture of a 20% increase over the previous year (2006)!
They estimated that $33 billion dollars would be spent online during the holidays. That's a hard number for any large or small business owner to ignore.
The survey also concluded that 45% of those polled feared that if they shopped online, they would receive an increased amount of spam and junk emails.
Other lesser concerns were:
- That the user would have a difficult time navigating shopping sites (26%);
- That the user would have to wait too long for purchases to arrive at their destination (25%).
It's apparent that web site owners need to aggressively address these issues and concerns of their customers if they expect to sell actively online.
What can the shopping site owner do?
1. Use safe and secure shopping cart software or service providers with an excellent reputation of safeguarding customer information and credit card numbers.
2. Provide all customers and prospects with a detailed privacy policy so that the buyer can feel confident that the site owner understands his fears.
3. Keep good documentation of each and every purchase so that in case there is a discrepancy, the record of purchase and shipping can be reviewed.
4. Accept credit cards, not just 3rd party payment solutions. Credit card use can be disputed though the process is sometimes lengthy and sometimes confusing.
5. Make sure the site is secure and display the logos of the security measures you've taken (if any.)
6. Make your whole buying experience as easy, intuitive, and simple as possible so the buyer isn't confused or left wondering what she should do next.
7. Offer to take orders by mail or over the telephone. Some purchasers will call their order in rather than trust the security of the Internet.
8. Protect personal information files in as secure a manner as possible. Don't share them with anyone.
Hopefully, these simple suggestions will help you to "set to rest" the fears of many online shoppers so that your business will grow and prosper. Your reputation and future business credentials are at stake!
