Shopping online is very convenient, but sometimes it’s difficult to know if the E-commerce website you’re visiting is legitimate. It’s natural to question whether you’ll be safe when buying from a website for the first time.
Here are some things to look out for, when searching for a legit E-commerce website.
Contact details
A legitimate store will have contact details on its site. If it is just a web contact form, without an address, email, and phone number you should probably be wary. All genuine online stores will be happy to help with any query you have so if you are buying for the first time, do get in touch to see if they are real.
Customer feedback
Take a look at the website to see if there are any customer reviews about the products or the company. Also, if you are uncertain, run a search for the name of the website and the words “scam” or “fake”. You’ll quickly find out if others have had bad experiences and you should steer clear.
3. Browser
When you run a website, you typically supply the registration details to the organizations that regulate the domain name. You can enter the website address of the online store you’re browsing at the below link for .com websites, for example. This will let you know who has registered the site. If the details match the contact details listed on the website, then chances are it is safe to buy.
website encryption measures
The padlock icon that usually appears on the bar means that the site is using encrypted communications to secure any information you submit to it. The “s” in “HTTPS” also means that communications between the website and your computer or mobile are secure and encrypted. You should only buy from sites with “https” on their check-out page.
Google Safe Browsing
Google has developed a quick tool to check if the website you’re visiting is unsafe. Sometimes even legitimate sites have been comprised by hackers.
look and Feel
Check how professional the site looks. Is it well laid out? Are the images high-resolution? Is the language free from grammar and spelling errors?
Also read: Importance of online shopping
