Web hosting has continued to evolve with mind-blowing speed and precision.

Internet Users Have Staying Power

At any given moment in time, you and your web hosting company have the potential to reach out to billions of connected consumers who are uploading, downloading, sharing, trading or buying online. And they have staying power. In fact, the consumers who were the first to embrace the internet two decades ago are still among the most active online participants, according to a recent study conducted by PEW Internet and American Life Project. As one respondent noted: “I started my online life on a state-wide time-shared mainframe computer in the fifth grade in 1972 and my live has revolved around technology ever since.”

Other technologies in recent history created radical changes (automobile, telephone, radio and television) but they remained fairly static. The internet on the other hand, has continued to evolve and thrive with mind-blowing speed and precision.  More than 75% of American adults and 90% of teenagers go on line at least once a week. Half of American adults have broadband access at home and 80% of adults have a cell phone. These new breeds of broadband and wireless users don’t just surf the online world, they shape it.

Though many people might assume that the rapid update of the internet by businesses was the main driver of growth in the past decade, respondents in a recent Jupiter survey said they first went online for personal reasons (50%), rather than professional (31%) or educational reasons (19%). Two thirds of Americans have gone online to purchase a product such as a book, music or clothing. Surveys show that 75% of previous online shoppers plan to shop online again in the future because of the convenience and time-saving qualities of ecommerce.  All of this bodes well for ecommerce owners like you.

At the same time, there have been cracks in the foundation of trust on the internet as more people have bad experiences in their online dealings. Consumers are expressing a more consistent interest in control over personal information. For example, 59% of adults have refused to provide certain types of information to a business or company because they thought it was not necessary or too personal.  Research suggests that if concerns about the security of online shopping were eased, the number of online shoppers would soar even further.

So what does this mean to you and your ecommerce site? Talk to your web hosting provider about ways to ensure that your visitors and your customers feel safe and secure with you. If you take steps to make your customers feel comfortable with you, then your online business will have a significant (and profitable) advantage over the competition.  

Web hosting provider offers tips that will give consumers more confidence in your website:

• Prominently post your ecommerce site’s commitment to privacy and security.
• If your site has forms that ask for personal information, explain exactly why that information is needed and how it will be used. Assure the customer that their private information will never be shared with a third party.  
• Make sure your policies are clearly written and easy to understand. Almost 43% of consumers surveyed reported being “confused” or “overwhelmed” by the text on an ecommerce site.
• Have several payment methods available. Some customers feel safer with paypal or a debit card than with a credit card. Giving them several options will give you a leg up on the competition.

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