If you’ve ever worked in a sales environment, you’ll know that not everyone is willing to pay online. While digital purchases might well be taking over, they’re not the be-all and end-all. Some customers are literally scared of going online to make purchases. They don’t feel safe doing so, and they’d rather come to you in-person or over the phone to pay. Why is this, and what can we do about it?
PicWhy Are They Afraid?
I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but the media has a big influence on this sort of thing. It’s well publicized that hackers are privy to our details in certain circumstances. Although the media often tries to warn customers about the dangers, it could be argued that this can scare them, too. And, it’s obviously their duty to report on instances of data breaches. Big companies lose confidential data to hackers, and this puts fear into the hearts of many customers.
In general, customers are simply afraid of having their details stolen online. There are a lot of unreliable sites out there, and their ineptitude ruins it for the rest of us. Also, this source of fear can come as a result of a lack of trust and knowledge. The person in question isn’t so clued-up about the inner-workings of a website. They don’t quite know what they’re dealing with, so they choose to not deal with it at all.
But, we’re only touching the surface here. There are so many other reasons. What about the perceived notion that an online marketplace isn’t a ‘real’ store? What about the lack of immediate assistance that a phone or in-store operator would normally provide? What about the inability to go back to a store and return a product if it’s faulty? These are all concerns you might find.
What Can We Do About It?
This is where we as business owners can run into a few stumbling blocks. We recognize these concerns, but we’re losing out on money as a result. What can we do to boost our online profits and get rid of these fears?
Firstly, the more payment options you can provide, the better. Services like TSICO, for example, can incorporate everything from online e-payments to phone e-payments. Providing more choice means that the customer can proceed as they wish.
Additionally, website security can be bolstered further. I’m sure you’ve heard of HTTPS, which is a secure way of providing access to a website. Informing your customers of this via your online presence is important, too.
And of course, when it comes to other concerns like returns, you need to be as clear as possible. Have you got an in-store location that the product could be returned to if necessary? If not, you need to make it as easy as you can for the customer to return their items. The more assistance you can provide in this case, the more likely they are to make the purchase.
Customers will continue to be afraid of online purchases, and we need to educate them as best we can. But, for those who simply won’t be swayed, we need to go one step further and satisfy their needs.
