Consumer behavior about online shopping will always remain puzzling even to the best Internet marketing companytoday.
According to an article from the Internet Retailer, a new report from Forrester Research, Inc. found that half of online US consumers are concerned about their privacy, security and safety online but they continue shopping anyway. Online shopping had the highest percentage when it came to the online activity that most concerned the participants.
The report, called “How to Defuse Digital Marketing Privacy Concerns”, tallied the answers of more than 31,000 adults and revealed the following data:
– 16% of consumers believe online-only web merchants are reliable when it comes to safeguarding their personal data online;
– 43% trust banks and investment companies to protect their information online;
– 39% do not trust any type of company to keep their personal information secure online;
– 71% have shopped for products or services online despite the apprehension about the security of online shopping;
– 66% said their primary worry is having their identity stolen;
– 43% do not want their data recorded or made public;
– 23% do not want their information or online behavior tracked and shared with advertisers;
– 59% know that companies purchase and use personal data for targeted advertising; and
– 22% say they are willing to divulge more information about their interests to receive more relevant advertising.
The article further noted that the report recommends that companies that collect data should be more transparent about how it will be used and how it will be eventually significant for the consumer so consumers will fear less of the “unknown” and will gain that sense of control about the security of their personal information.
For Internet marketing service providers, this is another challenge to garner the trust of the consumers as the world of online shopping continues to grow and evolve.