Thousands of people start their e-commerce businesses without paying much attention to the security of the platform they’re using. Nowadays, it is easier than ever to start an e-commerce business. However, some of those businesses fail because of security-related issues. After all, e-commerce platforms record users’ information for payments and administrative processes.
Failing to secure all that data can lead to disastrous financial consequences and even shut down the business entirely. Recovering from such incidents can be difficult and in some cases impossible. Therefore, it is important to implement certain safety measures before it’s too late. Here is a list of five safety measures that you should pay attention to right away to secure your e-commerce business.
5 Safety Measures to Start Implementing Right Now
#1 Don’t Store More Information Than Necessary
E-commerce websites usually require the customers to enter basic information such as names and addresses to fulfill a payment. Some sites have very complex order forms that require more information than necessary. Try to keep the order forms as simple as possible. Besides, asking for too much information might put off some buyers and cause you to lose potential sales and customers. The less information the website retains, the lower the risk is going to be.
#2 Start Using SSL Encryption and VPN
Ensuring full security is an essential aspect of running an e-commerce business. As your website will collect sensitive data, it is recommended to put some security measures in place, such as SSL encryption. This type of strong encryption makes it very hard to hijack data from a website or interfere with payments and transactions. We say “nearly” because hackers often find ways to get one step ahead of us. What you can do to improve security besides setting up SSL encryption is use a VPN (such as this one). A VPN will make your traffic and data invisible to third parties, making it more difficult to breach the security wall.
#3 Use Reliable Payment Systems Such as PayPal and Stripe
Collecting money from customers through online gateways can cause many headaches, especially if you’re using unreliable payment systems. The best way to ensure full security for both your business and its customers is to use popular solutions such as PayPal and Stripe. These third parties will take a small percentage of your profits, but it’s well worth it considering that they will further secure the transactions.
#4 Choose a Secure E-Commerce Hosting Service and Platform
One of the best ways to secure your e-commerce business is to opt for a secure platform right from the beginning. A reliable e-commerce platform should operate 24/7 and provide a backup for the content on your site. Nowadays, the most popular e-commerce platform is Shopify, and it is also the most reliable one. Shopify adds a layer of security to your website. Besides, they offer great customer support, which means you can turn to them and ask questions whenever necessary.
#5 Run Vulnerability Tests On Your Website
Lastly, it is important to keep track of your site’s security at all times. Popular e-commerce platforms offer different tools that will allow you to scan the website for any vulnerabilities. It is best to scan the website at least once a week to make sure there are no holes in the security system. Furthermore, if you are using Shopify to host the e-commerce business, you can install additional third-party applications to improve certain aspects of security.
Conclusion
With thousands of new e-commerce businesses emerging every week, it has become easier for hackers to breach through vulnerable systems and steal customers’ data. Unfortunately, many e-commerce business owners focus on growing their business far more than on securing the actual platform. We recommend you to implement the five safety measures to reduce the risk of security breaches and unwanted consequences.