Online shopping has come a long way over the past 20 years in many ways, including functionality and safety. Buying things online used to be an unthinkable task that consumers expected to always end in identity theft. Today, thanks to advances in technology, a vast number of people indulge in online shopping every day. This is not to say that e-commerce is without risk, but when done properly, it can be as safe as shopping in a store physically.
For a company, protecting customer data is very important. If customer information is at risk, a company could go out of business in the blink of an eye. This is why it is important to be in compliance with all of the rules involved with e-commerce. A major rule is PCI Compliance.
What Is PCI compliance?
PCI stands for Payment Card Industry, and in order to be compliant with them, certain standards must be met. PCI DSS is an acronym associated with this, and it stands for Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard. Major credit card companies collaborated and established this standard as a policy to aid any business that uses card payments. If a business is compliant with PCI DSS, they are preventing things like identity theft, hacking, and other security threats. Also being compliant can help companies avoid fines and other penalties. There are many details that need attention in order to meet these guidelines. Some include: Build and maintain a secure network, monitor and test networks regularly, and manage vulnerability. The compliance guide can be found at pcicomplianceguide.org. It can be a lot of things to consider at once, and many businesses use a website building company to keep them safe and compliant. Meeting these important standards can give a business owners peace of mind that they are doing all they can to protect customer interests, as well as the interests of the business itself. And customers can find it reassuring that they are purchasing goods through a tested and certified shopping cart platform. Then the next concern is how the items will get to the customer.
Shipping Concerns
The shipping side of purchasing is a very important consideration. Customers like to be able to choose what kind of shipping they will get and track orders. Really it comes down to customers wanting options. Many shopping cart programs nowadays set up a link that will lead the customer to the tracking site for his or her purchase if tracking is available. This lets the customer feel more secure, and enables them to watch the progress of the order from beginning to end. Having spent money on a product, it is reassuring to know that the order is being sent by a major and trusted company.
Advertise the Safety of Your Site
Customers are much more informed in this modern world than they used to be, and they often do research before they buy a product or use a service. It can help to be as informed, if not more so, than they are. Know what they are looking for and try to let them know what you offer. Perhaps the best way to let them know that your company is meeting all the standards that are needed and offering customers the best service available is to put it down in writing where they can see it. They may not know what PCI DSS means, but they probably know that if a company is officially certified by someone, they are held to a standard, which is reassuring and builds confidence in a customer about his or her choice to use a specific website or not to do so.
