How to Optimize & Secure Your eCommerce Site
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Sheryl Wright
There are a ton of options for creating profitable e-commerce websites. There is an ever-growing number of payment options that e-commerce websites can accept. For an e-commerce website to be successful, it needs to provide 24 hours a day, seven days a week access to buyers worldwide. It needs to provide this service quickly, effectively, and securely. For this reason, e-commerce businesses must focus on optimizing their site and improving their data.
Enforce Good Password Hygiene
Passwords are slowly being replaced by technologies like facial recognition, multi-factor authentication, and other forms of bio identification. Still, most people log into e-commerce websites using passwords. Unfortunately, many users choose to use the same password for multiple services. The problem with this is that once a username or password has been hacked, a hacker can apply it to several services, including your e-commerce site, leading to widespread fraud.
Even if you have done the work of securing your e-commerce site, your customers could be your weakest link. There is a high likelihood that your customers use the same password they use to access your site for their email, social media, and other sites.
Optimize and secure your e-commerce site by requiring the use of complex passwords and two-factor authentication for both users and customers. This minimizes the chances of users reusing compromised credentials. It goes a long way in securing your website.
There Is No Reason to Store Sensitive User Data
Small to medium-sized e-commerce stores may think that because they are a relatively small organization in a large market, like Toronto, they don’t need to worry about getting hacked. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Customer privacy is critical in e-commerce regardless of the size of the market.
In Toronto and other large cities, small to medium-sized organizations are being compromised daily. For this reason, many businesses in cities like Toronto are turning to Toronto IT support to provide managed online security. They entrust things like CIAM and IAM to professionals who focus on these technologies. The goal is to optimize their site to attract more users, make the site more user-friendly, and secure the data of their customers.
Of course, it is easier to secure data if you don’t store data. Many e-commerce stores have decided that they will only collect data that is useful for fulfilling the transaction. Avoid the temptation to hold onto more customer data than is necessary.
The Power of HTTPS
HTTPS is an online protocol that allows secure communication over the Internet. This is probably the easiest way to secure your e-commerce website from fraud. If your e-commerce website uses HTTPS, there will be a green lock symbol on the left-hand side of the URL.
If your website uses HTTPS, it is deemed authentic because it has been certified. This means that your website is what it claims to be and not counterfeit. Users do not have to worry that they are getting tricked by hackers looking to steal their credentials.
The benefits of optimizing your website for HTTPS are more than just trustworthiness and security. If you optimize your site in this way, Google will give your website a higher search ranking, leading to more visitors. On the flip side, Google will label an unencrypted website as being “not secure.” This will make your e-commerce site seem questionable and unsafe. If a legitimate customer sees that your website is marked as not secure, they may navigate away to something that makes them feel more comfortable.
Use a Reputable E-Commerce Platform
Most e-commerce merchants choose their e-commerce platform because it is easy for them to build a storefront, it is convenient, and it offers functionality. However, security needs to be a primary reason for choosing a reputable e-commerce platform.
You want to think of the long-term viability of the e-commerce platform you are using. Think about how frequently they provide updates and their reputation when it comes to long-term security. The same scrutiny needs to be applied to plug-ins and other software added to your e-commerce platform.
Conclusion
Cybercriminals are not going to quit trying to steal information. Customers are not going to improve password hygiene automatically. Therefore, it is up to you to optimize your website and take steps to keep your customers and their data secure.
About the Author: Sheryl Wright is a freelance writer who specializes in digital marketing, inclusive business, and interior design. If she is not at home reading, she is at a farmer’s market or climbing in the Rockies. She currently lives in Nashville, TN.
