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How to Spot & Fix an eCommerce Fake in One Step

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Every day we seem to hear about a new online scam. Queensland Police recently shut down 3 fake trader websites selling barbecue and fitness equipment, users followed the payment instructions but no goods were ever received.

 

We’ve read about SSL certificates and displaying your ABN as good ways to proclaim your eCommerce legitimacy and it’s decent advice. But when it comes to convincing your customers you’re legit you only need one thing – an easy, transparent dispute resolution process.

 

Having one boils down to choosing the right payment method.

 

Some payment gateways include buyer and fraud detection features that make dispute resolution almost as easy & transparent as the purchase itself.

 

Paypal Buyer Protection

 

Paypal has a policy called Buyer Protection helping anyone that purchases an item through Paypal dispute an order that is wrong or never arrives. They also do a pretty good job of treating both buyer and seller equally, requiring proof and agreement to a final decision. The system works very well for small goods purchases and importantly is clear and well-documented.

 

Stripe Dispute Management

 

Stripe processes transaction payments in checkout, deducting them directly from the purchaser’s credit card. If a transaction is disputed the buyer must do so directly through their credit card company, Stripe responses with a hold on that transaction amount while a formal dispute resolution process is undertaken. The Stripe interface allows you to submit evidence and in general behaves like the Paypal dispute process for the store owner providing clear documentation to help each party finalise the resolution.

 

Paypal and Stripe provide a transparent process for when transactions don’t go according to plan, but what about other payment gateways?

 

Bank Payment Gateways

 

If a customer does not recognise a credit card charge they can lodge a dispute with their card issuer. This triggers a chargeback scenario where the dispute is eventually lodged with the merchant. If you as the merchant are using a payment gateway that deposits funds directly into your bank account then you will need to lodge evidence on your own behalf. The processes here are legitimate and secure but interbank chargeback process can be long and protracted with no one place to see where the dispute resolution process is up to.

 

Third Party Payment Gateways

 

Also secure and legitimate these gateways have a general policy of letting the bank chargeback process take over when disputes arise. And while some popular gateways have good fraud detection features for merchants, you and the buyer are in the same boat as if you were using a bank payment gateway.

 

Transparently Not Fake

 

Fake sites make all eCommerce merchants look bad, but in reality most sites are reputable and real. Your best defence is a good offence, so make sure you have a easy, transparent dispute resolution process included in your payment options. It’s that final reassurance in checkout that removes any buyer nerves or doubt from the transaction.

 

And don’t forget to tell your site shoppers early and often about your return and dispute policies – as online merchants we must go the extra mile to deliver transparency and trust.

 

Why You Shouldn’t Rule Out eCommerce for Your Business

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Ecommerce is an invaluable tool for any business. Not only does it reduce, or completely eliminate, overheads associated with a physical storefront, it also creates an entirely new customer base through national and international shipping. With an online store at your fingertips, customers from all over the world can purchase your products at the click of a button. The possibilities are endless, and open to every type of business imaginable.

All you need is a website, a product, and the right mindset to present it to the world. It’s time to embrace thinking outside the box and start putting round pegs into square holes. Think differently is what we’re are saying!

 

BUT MY PRODUCTS ARE TOO BULKY TO SHIP!

 

If you sell bulky products such as fridges, furniture or exercise equipment you may be tempted to forgo ecommerce due to the various challenges associated with shipping them. Due to their size, such items cannot be posted by regular means and must generally either be hand delivered by your business, or sent via courier. Both options are entirely feasible and utilised by countless online businesses to great effect.

 

Websites such as Appliances Online offer free delivery of fridges and other large appliances to their customers by dispatching their own trucks from their warehouse. Obviously this isn’t an option for everyone so websites like Gym and Fitness ship fitness equipment to customers and charge for delivery based on the postcode of the buyer.

 

If you’re worried about charging for delivery, don’t be. Customers who purchase products online are generally prepared to pay for reasonable shipping – it’s all part of the experience, and the trade-off for being able to shop from the comfort of your couch.

Of course, there are always more creative methods such as factoring the cost of shipping into the total cost of the product itself.

 

MY PRODUCTS ARE TOO UNIQUE / CUSTOMISABLE TO SELL ONLINE

 

The uniqueness or customisability of your product should never be a barrier to utilising the advantages of ecommerce. While it can present a problem for instant purchasing, there are many ways this can be positively presented through an online business. For example, take a look at RedBubble, a website that prides itself on selling unique, customisable products. From T-shirts to posters and home décor the options are endless, and most allow the customer to customise the item to their preferred taste. Posters, for example, have multiple prints, sizes and materials to choose from. Other examples include Spread Shirt, which allows the customer to create custom clothing and Pimp My Fridge for customisable fridges.

 

Alternatively, if your product has too many options to realistically list, you can provide a price range and then offer the customer direct communication through an email form or phone number, to enquire further. Using an ecommerce store front as a lead generation tool is a clever way to upsell your products too.

 

WHAT IF I DON’T SELL A PHYSICAL PRODUCT?

 

This is no obstacle. When it comes to online shopping, services are products – it’s just a matter of how you package them. Services can be displayed and purchased like any physical product; the only difference is what the customer receives. In fact, services have multiple advantages over physical products. They have no manufacturing costs, they don’t need to be stockpiled or ordered and they don’t require shipping. You have complete control. You can offer as much, or as little, in each package as you like.

 

Websites that utilise this to great effect sell services such as content for everyday things like LinkedIn bios, legal services, and streamed movies and TV shows.

 

Whether you sell bulky objects, unique and customisable products, or intangible services, ecommerce can help you do it. The options are infinite and the only limitations are the ones you impose on yourself.

In Passionate Defense of Point of Sale

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WK Digital is passionate about point of sale – kinda weird huh? Well not really when you consider its the thing that keeps all your customer purchases, staff and profit in check every damn day.

#onlinePOS

We build online point of sale software, what does that even mean? Well principally its your own customised website that processes online orders as efficiently as if your customer was in store.

#hardwarevendors

Sometimes our software is used in replacement of hardware based point of sale, for some it makes sense. But we’re not hardware vendors, our partners are.

#beautifulcatherding

9 times out of 10 what business owners are looking for is a great point of sale system that does in store what can be described as the most beautifully choreographed cat herding exercise every damn day.

#ohyeahnailedit

Minus pepperoni on the meatlovers half of your extra large pizza? Chicken schnitzel in the front kitchen made first before the lamb wrap in the deli for the same order? Need a shirt send from another store? In store POS systems have you covered.

#takeyourmumtothedoctor

Even better, these systems give you a real time view of profits based on orders less staff and other operational costs, to your phone while you’re taking your mum to the doctor.

#nowhingies

POS systems = control and the ability to make fast decisions. Slow day on a public holiday, losing money? Shut the shop early based on the information, not a whingy staff member.

#nottooexpensive

The feedback we get, is that in store POS systems are too expensive. And maybe some of them are, but speaking to most of our industry brethren they’ve adjusted pricing to give you options – so hear them out.

#dumbfridges

And we know your other equipment costs money, but your fridge can’t tell you (yet) whether you’re making money. So invest in something that does.

#antihassle

We have our favourite POS vendors sure, but only based on a mutual desire to see clients get the very best service for the very best price and the least amount of hassle.

#webposhandsbloodyfree

The best part is, if you’ve invested in a good system then getting a website to boost your profits is easy with WebPOS. We set it up and then we send the orders to your POS, just like now. You update product information on your POS, the site is updated at the same time, no extra work. Hands bloody free.

#everydamnday

So in 2016 technology and information has made it easier to own and build businesses, but without a software system that controls your operation you’ll just keep wishing you had one, every damn day.

Online Ordering & Online Shopping – is that what eCommerce is?

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We get that question a lot, and for techies yes seems like an easy & obvious answer. But for our customers, who just want their customers to buy online, eCommerce sounds complicated. It sounds silly to get stuck on a word but the idea that tech jargon makes people decide against it before they even know what it is, its why we got into online solutions for business in the first place.

This amazing thing called the Internet should be (and for the most part is) a great leveller. You don’t need lots of money to extend your bricks and mortar store into online to build your profits and keep your customers loyal. But in our experience, you need some expertise to get out there.

We talk a lot about what to expect when you build a new online ordering website, but if you strip away the word “web” than what you want is something that is an extension of your business in a space that is open 24/7. Firstly and lastly, it should be easy to use and be pretty obvious in its intent as soon as the homepage displays.

We’ve spent a lot of time helping our customers build their online ordering & online shopping sites since 2008. Things have changed a lot in that time, it was time we made good on our own site’s ease of use and intent. We are days away from re-launching our new WebPOS Online Ordering software website and we are excited to share it as a view into how your online space can look, feel and function.

Stay tuned for more details on how we can help serve you in your goal to get online and grow with WebPOS.