How important is security when shopping online?

I remember back in the early days of online shopping that there were very real concerns surrounding the issue of security. Indeed, many people were drawn to say that only a minority of us would choose to shop in this way.
Put simply, if there was no sense that financial transactions could be handled in a safe and secure manner, then it seemed legitimate to question whether there might be options for buying anything in this way. Plenty of analysts happily lined up to tell those who were willing to listen that there was no future in the world of Internet shopping.

 Record sales at Christmas

All of the above seems hard to believe right now. We have just entered a new year, with many retailers experiencing record online sales during the course of the recent Christmas period.
It seems reasonable to suggest that the idea of shopping online has very much entered the mainstream consciousness. It also appears to be clear that we can expect more and more people to be shopping in this way in the future.
In order to understand why this might be the case, it’s only right that we should stop to consider the real advantages that are on offer here. After all, we don’t choose to change the ways in which we behave without first having very good reasons for doing so.
In the case of Internet shopping, the changes can all be assigned to the fact that there’s a belief that people can shop more effectively in this manner. Primarily, that simply must involve spending less, getting more for their money, or feeling that they have access to better quality goods and services.
When we think about the situation, it becomes clear that there is some truth associated with all of these elements. It’s certainly true to say that lower priced opportunities should be available, particularly given that it’s possible to shop around. We are no longer left in the situation of visiting a single store and having to show faith in the fact that we are getting a good deal.
Instead, we can easily compare prices online. There’s no reason for us to accept the first price that we are shown, particularly when it takes a matter of seconds to find out whether that is really representative of a good deal. What cannot be in any doubt is the fact that this must be good news for all of us, as consumers.
Access to more goods
At the same time, there’s an awareness that we have access to a far greater range of goods. That ability to quickly browse multiple stores may mean that we view hundreds of options at any given point in time, rather than the more limited range that we were previously used to. Once again, it would seem that we are in a strong position.
But what about that question of security? Is it something that should no longer be a concern? Through our work with PaymentBase, we know that many consumers do still see it as being critically important to transfer money and make payments in a secure way.
Unfortunately, those who would look to take that money away from you are always looking out for suitable opportunities to do so.