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10 Things Every Customer should consider when shopping Online
Online shopping is everything convenient.
15:52 24 August 2020
This has forced many online shopping stores to secure their websites. Customers nowadays are more aware, and they avoid sites without these certificates of authenticity.
If you are an online merchant and want to start your online shopping site, SSL certificate is an advanced technology to secure your website.
There are, however, a few things you need to know before choosing an online shopping website. This post will highlight several factors you will want to regard.
Read through:
- Safety of the payment method
This must be the essential factor to look out for. How safe is your money? Sites that have SSL certificates are most advisable because they will have complied with the PCI guidelines. This body accredits online shopping sites to accept payments.
Additionally, every customer wants their credit card information safe. If your website is already on the HTTPS URL, then you have nothing to worry about.
- The return and refund policy
Before choosing an online shopping site, this is an essential aspect you need to consider. How they handle returns and refunds if the goods they delivered are not to your satisfaction. Some shopping sites do not have a refund policy with this regard.
Additionally, you may pay for goods that are out of stock. This is a common scenario, especially with popular sites. You need to know if they will issue a refund if this happens and how long till you get your money back.
- SSL certificates
You need to buy an SSL certificate if you intend to start your shopping website. This is because clients want the safety of their information and personal data. Do not be surprised if you set up a website, and you do not make any sales.
From the client's point of view, clients want an authentic shopping site. There are so many sites out there, and many are impersonators, they are out to con people. Having an SSL certificate will secure your customers with this authentication factor, and more clients will stream in.
- Shipping convenience
This is one of the leading reasons why online shopping stores are becoming popular by the minute. They deliver goods to your doorstep. You should always check to see their delivery timeline. Some sites may be slow, and others may be speedy.
Additionally, some sites will deliver the goods for free, and others will charge a certain fee depending on your locality.
Lastly, the safety of goods in transit is also a factor to consider. Goods may be damaged during the delivery, and you need to know if they will issue a refund or replace the item for you.
- Customer reviews
This is another factor to consider. The reviews tell the entire tale on the quality of service by the shopping site. Happy customers will give a positive review, and unhappy clients will give a negative review. It will help if you read these reviews before starting your shopping.
Additionally, it would help if you also looked at the reviews talking about the customer care department. Is the staff friendly? And are they helpful in case you want to place an enquiry? Lastly, you will want to assess how easy it is to conduct business with the site, look at the ratings.
- Site visual appeal
The website visual appeal is also an essential aspect of online shopping. Naturally, the human eye is swayed by colors and funky things. In this case, it is no different. The graphics to the website play an important role in attracting and maintaining the customer.
Additionally, add an aspect of professionalism because everyone wants a website that meets their expectations. Making it user friendly is also important because the client wants an easy to use site that is hassle-free.
- Quality images of products
Before shopping, always look keenly at the product you want to buy. This will inform your decision because you will obtain a product you saw with your own eyes. If, after delivery, the item does not match the image you saw on the homepage, you would have the shopping site to blame for uploading a low-quality image that did not reflect the state of the item you bought.
This is also a downside to online shopping; you do not know how it looks until you already have it after delivery. Look for sites with good quality images to avoid inconveniences.
- The search functions
Most large ecommerce stores have this function. You must type in what you are looking for, and a list of options will appear. Here you choose what exactly you want. However, the shopping site may have this function, but it is utterly useless. It does not bring up the items you wish to even if the store has these items.
It would help if you looked for a good store that does not bring up the message' zero search results found' after prompting it to search for a specific item.
- Social media accounts
A good online shopping store should have social sharing buttons. These give the customer a place to share his/her experience shopping with the ecommerce store. It is also a good platform for the online merchant because they will get exposure once the client shares the experience. Free publicity for you!
- Privacy policies
After you buy an SSL certificate, you will achieve a good privacy level for you and your client. They will help maintain a certain level of discretion. Additionally, the client should read through the privacy policy from the ecommerce store's website. As much as it may seem like a tedious process, you should know how the information you share with them will be processed.
Wrapping up
Ultimately, it all comes down to where you shop. The shop should be convenient and provide a proper delivery timeline. It also should save you some money. Lastly, ecommerce store owners should get their SSL from respected authorities because they are the best issuing authority that saves you both time and money.