Analyzing E-Shopping Anxiety Among Consumers

The popularity of online shopping has risen, thanks to the considerable amount of time it saves for customers. The convenience of shopping from anytime, anywhere and getting items door delivered without having to step out or visit a physical store is a bonus.

Though millions worldwide prefer online shopping, there is an equal number for whom buying online may seem scary.

If there are only benefits of shopping online, why are some people still afraid of e-commerce purchases? Let us try to understand the reasons behind someone’s discomfort with online shopping.

Why are Some People Afraid of Online Purchases?

Although online shopping represents convenience, there are still many people who are afraid to buy online. Some of the reasons being:

1. Privacy Concerns- People are worried about privacy and what happens to their data once they enter it on a site for making a purchase. The fear of their information being used in the wrong way is a prominent reason for many customers to shy away from online shopping. Giving away bank details to a site that can lead to theft is a serious concern. However, with many companies introducing secure checkouts can instill trust and truthfulness about the business and lure people to e-commerce purchasing.

2. Fear of Fraudulent E-commerce Businesses - Growing e-commerce frauds every year have had people wondering if online businesses are real. With the existence of websites that do not provide the services nor sell the goods that they say they do; it is natural for consumers to question the credibility of online businesses.

3. Unsure about the Products - Buying things online and in-person are two different things. With most shoppers relying on the sensory aspect of shopping i.e. touch and feel as an essential factor, online shopping is still not lucrative for many.

4. Lack of Real-Time Customer Support- can be a huge turn-off for potential customers. People expect things like questions, doubts, fears, and hesitations to be addressed on the spot and as they arise. Lack of proactive customer support can dissuade them from online shopping.

5. Inaccurate Delivery Tracking Information - E-commerce businesses need to make sure customers understand the processing time, and shipping methods and provide real-time tracking details to avoid mistrust among consumers.

Some best practices on the part of e-commerce businesses can create some possible fixes to ensure there is nothing that is holding customers back from making online purchases.

Solutions to Resolve Fear of Online Shopping

Businesses need to consider factors to make people less afraid and less hesitant to shop on their websites. Some of them are:

1. Clarity of Website Design- Businesses can make it easy to verify the accuracy of the information on their site by designing it professionally. Ensuring that the site is clear and making it easy for people to shop by avoiding common mistakes like including little content and prioritizing lots of ads.

2. Including Trust Symbols - Seals from security organizations, like Norton or McAfee, as well as badges indicating that the website is PCI compliant, verified by a third-party security company, or has an SSL certificate can take the website a long way by assuring people who are worried about online shopping and looking for trust symbols.

3. Live Chat and Real-Time Support- People expect answers instantly without wait times and that is one of the most appealing parts about a website for many shoppers. In fact, real-time customer service can do wonders to allay fear and increase conversions and repeat purchases.

4. Product Money-Back Guarantees- A statement from the seller to refund the amount that the customer has spent on a product if the product is not good enough is a confident and honest bet on the quality of the product.

Additionally, consumers also are anxious about package theft once they place an order and wait for delivery. The fear of stolen packages prevents many people from making purchases online.

With porch pirates stealing parcels right off people’s doorsteps, many have taken to selecting less convenient delivery options, like delivery to their work, or picking up packages at the post office.

Making use of package receiving services can help get your packages safely delivered without giving an address. Stowfly is one such package storage provider available in many neighborhoods with ample package acceptance locations to receive parcels on your behalf.

Stowfly involves a network of shops and stores closer to you that act as your alternate address and store packages for you until you find it convenient to retrieve them.

You can receive packages from any seller and shipping company at Stowfly package receiving and package acceptance location and do away with issues like Amazon missing packages, FedEx stolen packages, UPS missed deliveries & USPS lost packages hereafter.