All retailers are wishing for a Christmas miracle over the festive season – pulling out all the stops to make sure they retain old customers and gain new ones.
By Phillip Smith, UK country manager, Trusted Shops
A secure shopping environment is a vital component of any sales strategy but sadly this time of year is also the time criminals look to find a steal online. Last Christmas consumers were conned out of £12m which put online safety at the top of the priority list for the government.
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Mobile fraud
Online fraud: What exactly is it?
Fraud and the law
In July the Home office announced that Britain was losing the fight against e-crime – implicating both online retailers and consumers alike.
According to the report: “Online criminal activity which defrauds victims of money is often not reported or investigated by law enforcement”.
Despite attempts to streamline the policing process, one security expert has claimed that “The country is suffering from “fragmented” cyber crime detection.”
So, what can retailers do?
The good news is Action Fraud has taken steps to rectify this – providing a handy how to guide to avoid falling prey to internet fraudsters.
Here are four mistakes that make online stores appear insecure, and how to fix them:
Incomplete profile – consumers should easily be able to find a shop’s legal information.
• Fix: include all relevant details on your Contact Us page such as company name, first & last name of at least one authorised representative, current address (not a PO Box number), Companies House registry number and tax identification number.
Very low prices – we all love a bargain, but if the cost of a product is so far under that of the competitors then savvy consumers will get suspicious.
• Fix: along with pricing your products sensibly and competitively the other way to battle pre-conceptions is to use an external third party accreditation that can then be displayed. This will give customers confidence that your deal is not ‘too good to be true’.
Negative reviews – it’s obvious, but it’s unlikely that a genuine store would have a large number of negative reviews.
• Fix: use a recognised review system that is collated by an external group and can be verified by customers. Of course, the store must also provide a top quality service every time or else risk being branded dodgy.
Inaccessible – lack of contact details will definitely ring some alarm bells with consumers. Users are more likely than ever to check before making a purchase.
• Fix: include a phone number and email address that are both clearly visible to consumers.
Shops that can’t provide security and give customers confidence will struggle to grow – especially now that consumers are increasingly aware of security, both of their financial information and personal data.
So test out the advice and let us know about your Christmas miracles
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