Technology is making the world a better place. It has enabled online shopping where buyers can purchase whatever goods or services they require from their homes’ comfort. The buyers will then have the product delivered to them without having to move an inch. so, it saves you time and effort. A significant amount of the world’s population has slowly embraced online shopping because of the many benefits that it brings forth. A report by Statista shows that Ecommerce sales are projected to reach $4.2 trillion in 2020. With the convenience that it brings and the fact that it saves on costs, online shopping is going to be the future of shopping.
At one point, you might also need to shop online and enjoy the many benefits that online shopping brings forth. However, even as online shopping becomes a part of your daily life, it is essential to note the many risks associated with it. Safety is vital when shopping online. The reason is simple; the internet is full of cyber attackers and intruders. The daily stories that you hear about fraudsters and hackers are true.
You are at the risk of meeting fake online shopping websites, hackers, and other forms of cyber threats. It would be best if you were more vigilant and cautious when shopping online. If not, you might fall victim to the fake shopping websites that are now available. The consequences are not something that you want to hear. You will lose your money and your important debit and credit card details. Today, I have endeavored to give you some of the factors you should consider while choosing a shopping website Today, I have endeavored to give you some of the factors that you should consider while choosing a website for shopping.
Table of Contents
1. Prices of the products
The first factor that you should consider when choosing an online shopping platform is the price of the products. The prices for which the ecommerce store sells the products can speak volumes. They can tell you whether the website is fake or legitimate business. It is essential to know the standard prices of the products that you want to buy. Too low prices might be a trap laid upon by sophisticated cyber attackers to lure you into buying with them. When the deal is too good, think twice. Similarly, prices that are incredibly high beyond the standard prices might sign an illegitimate website wanting to capitalize and reap big from unsuspecting buyers.
2. Safety of the payment methods
To complete the shopping process, you will have to pay for the product. There exist several options at your disposal which the eCommerce store should be in a position to provide. They include the use of credit cards, debit cards, PayPal transfers, or direct bank transfers. The payment option provided by the eCommerce vendor says a lot about the legitimacy of the vendor. For instance, when an eCommerce store asks you to pay directly to the bank before the product is delivered, there is a reason to be paranoid. You might never get your money back when things go wrong. I recommend that you shop only with the eCommerce stores that have trusted payment options such as debit card and debit card transactions. Payment on delivery will also be a better option. You can ascertain that you are paying for the product that you ordered before making the payments. However, one drawback with this option is that it is not available globally but only available for local shoppers.
3. The security of the website
One vital thing that you should consider is the security of the website. If the website is secure, it means that your shopping process is secure and that all your details are secure. Several features indicate whether or not a website is secure. One tool that has been of essence in the security of websites is the SSL certificate. An SSL certificate ensures that the communication between the website servers and the browser you are using to access the website is encrypted. A hacker cannot stage an attack to steal or intercept the information. Before you shop from any website, you have to ensure that the website has an SSL certificate. It is easy to know if the website has the certificate all you will need to do is check the URL. If it begins with HTTP, then it means that the website is not encrypted. If, on the other hand, the URL begins with HTTPS, then the website has been encrypted with the certificate.
There is no excuse for a website not having the certificate. Today, we have numerous certificate authorities that offer certificates at affordable prices. Even websites with unlimited subdomains can capitalize on the Wildcard SSL Certificate to protect both the main and multiple subdomains. If a website does not have an SSL certificate, treat it as a scam website and walk away.
4. The return policy
What if the products that you are buying from the ecommerce store fail to meet your expectations? What if the products delivered are not what you ordered for? These are hard questions which you should seek to answer before finally completing the shopping process. A good shopping website should include a policy statement that stipulates the return policy. The return policy should be in such a way that it puts the buyer in mind. There are cases when you, the buyer, can make mistakes with the shopping process. This is especially in the case when you are shopping for products that require specifications such as the size and the color. Blunders in the delivery process can also result in you getting the wrong product other than what you ordered for. In such cases of inconveniences, you should be able to return the product and get the right product that you wanted. If there are costs that are attached when returning the goods, they should be reasonably low.
5. Loading speed of the website
A legitimate website will do anything to ensure that users have a perfect experience with the website. For instance, the ecommerce store will want to maximize the loading speed of the website. An illegitimate website is not concerned with the user experience. If a shopping website takes too long to load, perhaps that might be a red flag that you might be dealing with a scammer.
6. Customer reviews and feedbacks
Before finally deciding to shop online, you should consider doing some research about the previous customers’ experience .A good shopping website should have a section for reviews where potential customers can check and know the previous customers’ experience.. If a website does not have this section, then the chances are that the website is a scam.
You will also need to go through the reviews and customer feedback to have a glimpse of their experience. Many negative reviews are a red flag that the website might not be what it says to be. In such a case, you should not transact with the website. Customer feedback that suggests the customers are satisfied indicates that the website is legitimate and that you can go ahead to transact with it.
Conclusion
Online shopping is becoming popular day after day. It is a convenient and cost-effective way of shopping. However, with the growing levels of cyberattacks and an insecure internet, online shopping cannot be said to be safe anymore. Scammers, hackers, online fraudsters, and fake websites have joined the game and are causing real havoc. Your security while shopping online lies in your hands. Not all shopping websites are safe. This article has explained some of the factors you should consider when choosing a website for your online shopping. Following these tips will ensure that you are safe from the many threats associated with online shopping.