A survey conducted by commerce service provider (CSP) ECnet, a company within PQ Africa`s eCommerce Division, has found that South African Web marketers are not telling their prospective customers about their policies on privacy, security, delivery and refunds.
Many do not even display full contact details or offer decent after-sales service. The irony, say ECnet researchers, is that South African Web marketers often do respect privacy and have top-notch security measures in place. They just don`t tell anyone.
Of the 65 sites surveyed, the percentage of sites stating key policy information was:
Security policy: 19%
Privacy policy: 17%
Delivery policy: 6%
Refund policy: 13%
Comprehensive contact details: 33%
Accreditation by a trustworthy organisation: 20%
Based on these findings, ECnet believes online success will be founded on the basis of consumer trust. Consumer trust is created if there is confidence that the supplier has such policies in place. These need to be clearly spelt out on the supplier`s Web site.
"The concept of trust is crucial because it affects a number of factors essential to online transactions, including security and privacy. Without trust, growth of e-commerce cannot reach its potential," says Willem van Rensburg, group executive of PQ Africa`s Electronic Commerce Division.
ECnet is in the process of rolling out a merchant Code of Conduct whereby ECnet merchants agree to follow a set of standards for best online practices.
"The factors that produce a sense of trustworthiness need to be highlighted to ease consumers` concerns," says Van Rensburg. "The ECnet Code of Conduct programme outlines best online standards for the 70-plus ECnet merchants. The programme is designed to provide consumers with a safe and convenient online shopping experience which could hasten the success of Web retailing."
Participants in the Code of Conduct Programme must abide by practices such as displaying a privacy policy and telling visitors how their information will be used; ensuring a secure shopping process, and accrediting sites by recognised third-parties, such as MasterCard, VeriSign or Trustee. Other best practices include the provision of full and up-to-date contact details, clearly stated delivery and shipping policies, and clearly stated refund policies.
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