Aside from the usual potential security risks, online stores are also subject to many modern threats, mainly related to cybercrime. And like with any other type of business, protecting your customers should be one of the main concerns for eCommerce business owners. Making sure that your website is secure, offering the highest possible protection for customers’ personal information and credit card numbers, is an obligation of any online business.
This is not only ethical, but it’s also one of the key steps you should take to earn your customers’ trust. Unfortunately, even with several levels of protection, online security is never 100% guaranteed. Fortunately, there are ways to protect your customers, as well as yourself should security or any other type of issue ever occur.
1. Find an Appropriate Insurance Policy
Whether your business is strictly online, or your online store is just a part of your business, even before the first online customer, you should think about your business protection. And by making sure your assets and your employees are safe, you may also be protecting your future customers indirectly, as well as your ability to provide your products or services continuously in case of an interruption.
Keep in mind that eCommerce businesses don’t necessarily face the same dangers as other types of businesses, so when you are choosing a policy, make sure that it is appropriate for your business. Investing in suitable business protection for shop owners is one of the key business strategies to protect your assets from any number of worst-case scenarios.
Aside from the usual insurance policies, including general liability insurance, business interruption, commercial property, commercial auto, workers’ compensation insurance, etc., for your eCommerce business, you should also focus on a disaster recovery plan, in case of a cyberattack.
2. Use Secure Software
The most important element of an eCommerce business is, well, the online store. So, the first step when you are opening your business is to build a good-looking and easy-to-navigate website, which will allow your customers to select, order, and pay for products without too much fuss. And more importantly, it should be a safe website, which will guard your customers’ information and respect their privacy.
Just like retail store insurance is the first line of defense for your business, the eCommerce platform that you use is the first line of defense for your online store and your customers’ data. Whether you decide to go for a famous, or a less-known option, you should make sure that you are getting a reliable and secure eCommerce platform.
Read other businesses’ experiences, reviews, and ask as many questions as you want. Moreover, eCommerce platforms prepare updates to improve security, so staying up-to-date is another important step. Proper professional maintenance of your website is also crucial for online security.
3. Create a Secure Mobile App
Mobile apps for eCommerce businesses are becoming a common practice as part of the growth strategy. If you decide to build one for your business, you should make sure that it protects your customers’ data and respects their privacy.
Hire professional mobile app developers who know how to create a mobile app for eCommerce, and not only make a user-friendly, intuitive app but also focus on security and ensure data encryption.
4. Implement Secure Socket Layer (SSL) Certificate
One of the most efficient ways to guarantee the security of your online store is to use an SSL certificate. This is a common method of protecting financial information. When you install it, your website address will get the protocol “HTTPS://”. Many customers look for the “s” at the end, which tells them that you are protecting their personal data.
Basically, implementing an SSL certificate means that the data your customers provide to buy in your online store, such as name and last name, debit or credit card numbers, passwords, etc., is encrypted.
5. Comply with Data Security Standards
Developed by major card companies (credit and debit cards) as a set of regulations, the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), processes, stores and transmits cardholder data. Not only is this recommendable for safe electronic payment, but, legally, to accept credit and debit cards payments your online store must comply with these regulations.
In Short
Cybercrime is the number one enemy of online businesses, so taking these and other available measures to protect your customers’ data is your responsibility. An eCommerce business can’t be successful and grow without ensuring visitors of their safety.
You should also make sure that your business, your employees, and your assets are protected as well, not only against the risks common to any retail business but also against any potential damages from a cyberattack.
