Oh my, how time flies! It wasn’t that long ago that we heard consumers voicing concerns about using their bank’s ATMs.
Many consumers only wanted to deal with a live person to have that personal connectivity with another human. Today, many deals are handled remotely. Hence, consumers’ tolerance has changed significantly over what truly is a short period of time.
Technology provides many conveniences. Each day, we can visibly see that we are all living better lives because of the many advances made with technology. Is there a fine line between doing a task easily versus exercising a bit of trepidation? Well, consumers may want to rethink some of their current online behavior such as online banking, mobile purchases, and bill/pay transactions. Fraud is rising and many consumers have experienced identity theft in large part due to some of these online activities. Younger consumers (ages 18–34), in particular, are more prone than older consumers (35 plus) to handling many transactions online, especially via their mobile devices. In addition, men more so than women have displayed the same behavior traits.
As more consumers embrace technology, it will become increasingly important for businesses to assist in creating a safer environment online. After all, retailers, banking institutions, and others businesses are the direct recipients of many of these transactions. Small-business owners should consider methods to safeguard their customers’ identities. Some areas to consider include the login verification process to accounts established online, methods of payment accepted, and seeking ways to make the e-commerce experience easier. All of these can greatly ease the security concerns of consumers. Plus, by communicating your improved security methods within your advertising messages, this could possibly bump your business a few notch higher on the consideration set.
Remember that consumers love convenience. If you can dispel security concerns, you can increase the comfort level with completing transactions online. It can thereby enhance consumers’ overall user experience. As a small-business owner, you definitely want to be associated with “easy to do business!”
Adele Lassere is a marketing/advertising consultant with 20+ years of experience, freelance writer, and author of “Elements of Buying: A How To Reference Guide on Advertising for Business Owners,” available at Amazon.com. Adele was listed on Black Enterprise’s 2011 Top Execs in Marketing & Advertising and Black Enterprise’s 2013 Top Women Executives in Advertising & Marketing. Contact: [email protected]
