How to let customers know your online shop is safe08 March 2005
Recent research shows that British consumers are still a little cautious about parting with their credit card details online. Growing awareness of identity theft seems to give a permanent impression that the Internet is a dangerous place to spend money. This has been compounded by late delivery problems and occasionally where goods simply never turn up. So trying to convince your customers that your site is safe can be a challenge.
Here are some practical ways that you can reassure your potential customers that your site is a safe place to spend.
- If you host your shop on your own website, the first and most important way is to ensure your payment method uses Secure Sockets Layer or SSL. This encrypts the information travelling between the customer and the website, so that credit card numbers and personal information is kept secret. A padlock is shown in the bottom right hand corner of your customers' web browsers to reassure them that the system is secure. SSL is used by most standard software for online shops.
- You could also consider signing up to a Safe Shopping Scheme such as TrustUK. You have to sign up to a code of practice that promises certain things to your customers, for example that you will protect their privacy and deliver goods promptly. You can then use the TrustUK logo on your home page to give customers instant reassurance that you are safe to shop with.
- If you want to set up payment through an intermediary try BT's Internet Trader Pack Payment option. Transaction charges are low and customers are willing to trust what they regard as a reliable name.
- Another way of reassuring new customers is to display testimonials provided by previous customers. These might comment directly on website security or could refer to speed of delivery and quality of customer service. Bear in mind the law says any testimonials you publish must be genuine.
