8 Factors to Check to Know if a Website is Reliable and Trustworthy

Shopping online is very popular these days. Well, what is not to like – not only it saves you a lot of time since you no longer need to go to the mall but also, it gives you a lot of options in just a few clicks. And since there are many people who enjoy and prefer shopping online, there are lots of e-commerce or shopping sites you can find on the web. As an online consumer, you must be very cautious and meticulous in terms of choosing websites to trust. In this article we will share some factors to check to know if a website is reliable and trustworthy.

1. SSL certificate – first of all, you need to check for the “padlock” icon in the URL of the website. It should also show “https” that means the site has SSL certificate and has secured connection. SSL certificates give you assurance that your personal details and especially credit card details are safe.
2. Contact details – next, you should see the contact details listed. A good and reliable site lists all their contact details including email address, office address, phone number and even official social media sites. And of course, you should check if these contact details are legit and working.
3. Terms and conditions – if you are dealing with new website, it is highly recommendable to read the Terms and Conditions page. You should know your rights as customers and of course to get familiarised with their procedures.
4. Products or services offered – of course, you should then check the products they offer. Check the quality and the authenticity. The products should contain detailed descriptions and high quality (not photoshopped) photos.
5. Customer service – next, a good company should take good care of their customers thus, it is essential that they have friendly and reliable customer service. They should respond to enquiries within 24 hours. Also, It would be great if the website has chat feature so you can chat with a live agent and get response quickly.
6. Testimonials from other customers – it would be helpful to also check testimonials or reviews of other customers. You should read the reviews to get some ideas of what to watch out for. For example, you see that many customers are complaining that they are not receiving the orders they expected – reading about this, would you still trust the website? Of course, you should think twice and maybe start to look for other shopping site.
7. Delivery speed – also, you should check if the delivery arrives on time. If they say expect the package 1-3 days, then it should be no later than 3 days unless there’s a valid excuse or unexpected problem.
8. Condition of package upon receipt – lastly, you should immediately inspect the package you received to see if it is the same as advertised. Some shopping sites are too care less in handling packages and you do not want to deal with those types of companies.

Do not ruin your love for online shopping by a bad experience with unreliable shopping site. Make sure to always check the factors that we discussed here before you place your first order especially if you are dealing with a new website. It is nice to support up-and-coming e-commerce shops but you need to be sure that they are reliable and that you will get your money’s worth.