Australian Shoppers Identify As Security-First Consumers

The extended lockdowns in Australia have been relentless for shoppers. With many brick-and-mortar stores forced to close, consumers have had to head online to buy products. For a lot of Australians, this was a new way of doing things, and it has undoubtedly led to some concerns.

While online shopping is great for staying safe in the midst of a health pandemic, the act of handing over private information has given a lot of Australians pause.

Safety is paramount for Australian shoppers when buying online. An influx of new virtual stores has meant that consumers can be pickier with the brands they choose, and they are actively seeking out shops that prioritise customer security.

According to a ClearSale survey conducted this past May, 12% of Australian shoppers have experienced fraud when shopping online. Of those, 37% experienced it twice or more in 2020, which was a definite increase on the year before. Far fewer (5%) experienced fraud in a brick-and-mortar store in 2020. It’s no surprise then that consumers are wary about handing over their credit card details to online stores. So much so, in fact, that 76% will “always” or “sometimes” choose to pay using a digital wallet rather than typing in their card details.

What does this mean for online stores?

Online stores that want to capture the attention of Australian shoppers and keep them coming back must make a concerted effort to put tight security measures in place. Those that are able to do this will win over the trust of shoppers and boost brand credibility.

The survey found that 70% of shoppers agree that online payment fraud protection is more important than keeping their data private, while 80% will never enter their details into an unverified website. In fact, they look for websites they recognise. 83% are more likely to shop from trusted sites even if the price is slightly higher or the delivery times are slightly longer, and 87% will check a website to determine it’s legitimate before they make a purchase.

If they don’t get the confirmation they need that the site is safe, they’ll go elsewhere. 34% have abandoned a purchase because they didn’t trust a site with the credit card information.

Safe to say, Australian shoppers are wary about handing over their personal financial information to brands that they don’t know or can’t verify.

How online stores can make Australian shoppers feel secure

It’s no longer enough for merchants to state that their site is secure. In fact, 87% of shoppers feel more secure shopping on a website when the fraud prevention and data privacy tools that are used are mentioned.

It gives consumers concrete proof that a brand is actively concerned about their safety and is taking measures to preserve it.

Use HTTPS

Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) is the secure version of HTTP and it’s become a renowned way for online users to know whether a site is safe or not. It essentially encrypts any sensitive data that shoppers send to a site, like their name, address, and credit card number, and prevents these details from being broadcast to potential hackers.

Merchants can use HTTPS by buying an SSL certificate, something that can be done through most ecommerce platforms and website builders.

Publish a clear privacy policy

Privacy policies give consumers an insight into what a brand does with their data and how it’s stored. Under Australian laws, online stores are required to share their privacy policy in a way that’s easy to find and understand.

Kogan.com has an entire page dedicated to its privacy policy. Shoppers can navigate to it from the links in the footer, and it clearly lays out how they process, store, and manage shoppers’ personal information.

Use a trust seal

Trust seals show that a brand works closely with a security partner, giving shoppers peace of mind that a merchant is concerned with their safety.

While trust seals indicate that a site has HTTPS, they also indicate that a brand uses other safety features, such as regular malware scans. 79% of shoppers expect to see a trust seal on a website (preferably on the homepage), but it’s important that it’s not just displayed as a vanity seal. Customers should be able to click the trust seal to see the verification page.

Betta’s footer features a trust seal for Norton, as well as its trusted payment partners.

Implement an ecommerce fraud protection solution

Keeping customers safe also keeps the merchantsafe. Working with an ecommerce fraud protection solution can help brands identify potential fraudsters and stop them in their tracks.

Having this extra layer of security not only provides peace of mind, but it can also help customers feel safer. Actively putting measures in place to stop fraudulent activity shows that security is a priority for a brand, which will instill trust with shoppers and boost credibility.

Keep shoppers safe with tighter security measures

It’s clear that Australian shoppers today have safety on their minds (and not just in a health sense). They want to be sure the brands they’re buying from can be trusted with their personal information, and stores that are able to give them that peace of mind will reap the rewards.

There are plenty of security measures brands can put in place to make shoppers feel safer; HTTPS, privacy policies, and trust seals all show that a merchant is prioritising safety while working with a dedicated ecommerce fraud protection tool adds an extra layer of security that actively stops potential threats before they happen.

Original Article at: https://www.retailbiz.com.au/technology/security/australian-shoppers-identify-as-security-first-consumers/