E-catalog-Establishing Trust on Your Web Site (919 words)

October 1999

multipage

Sixty-four percent of online consumers are unlikely to trust a Web site—even if the site prominently features a privacy policy. A report from Jupiter Communications released in August found that consumers have confused the concepts of privacy and security; they identify security of credit card information, which is their primary concern, as a privacy issue.

So what can you do to establish trust on your Web site? Another study from Greenwich, CT-based NFO Interactive asked online consumers who haven't bought on the Web to prioritize attributes that would entice them to make the plunge into e-commerce. The top responses follow.

1. The site has a clearly posted policy stating that it will keep personal information private.

2. The site offers and explains that it has a secure environment to purchase products.

3. The site is technically reliable and not prone to javascript errors or broken links.

4. The content is up to date, indicating recent merchant activity.

5. Products ordered are promised to be delivered in a timely fashion.

Here are several more suggestions from Catalog Success:

6. The site offers company background with business history and full contact details, including a physical address, phone number and e-mail links.

7. The site promotes strong product guarantees with an easy return policy and 100-percent money-back guarantee.

8. The site trumpets membership in privacy-promoting networks and programs such as eTRUST and BBBonline.

Web Strategy: Both Feet or One Toe at a Time?

A recent survey from Interactive Week and CKS/Web determined that building a low--range, "bronze-coated" e-commerce operation costs $6.6 million to implement, while a high-end "industrial-strength one" built from scratch costs $35.3 million. Those intimidating numbers, however, may be somewhat misleading. In fact, a fully functional e-commerce site is more accessible than some catalogers believe.

"Most catalogers already have the back-office support they need for e-commerce," says Kimberly Williams, vice president of R.R. Donnelley Online Services. "It would be different for bricks-and-mortar retailers who have to establish fulfillment systems from scratch."

Some small catalogers have taken tentative steps toward the Web by using their own site or other Internet real estate(such as Freeshop.com or Catalog City) primarily for lead generation. Lead generation is a fine start, but most existing catalogs could establish fully functional e-commerce sites at a fraction of the cost indicated by Interactive Week. After all, catalogers already have customer service, product copy and images, established design concepts, solid customer bases and experience shipping onesies—all of which cut costs for Web implementation.