3 Tips for Creating Seamless, Secure Digital Shopping Experiences

In the era of digitalization, today's consumers are better informed and have more choices than ever before. In fact, if just a single digital experience goes awry, consumers are one click away from switching sides and becoming your competitor’s next new customer.

How can organizations provide a great digital experience across their websites and applications without disrupting operations or completely reinventing the wheel? Let’s explore three steps they can take.

1. Keep it simple and personable.

Customers value ease of use. In fact, recent research found that 81 percent say it's important when interacting with brands online.

Additionally, today’s consumers crave a more personalized experience tailored to their interests. This is especially true with younger generations. However, personalization can be a double-edged sword, considering that organizations may ask for additional information — e.g., email addresses, gender, date of birth — to tailor their next touchpoint.

For organizations, it’s critical to balance the act of creating a personalized experience for consumers who want it without encroaching on collecting too much personal data. A way to achieve such a balance is to provide opt-in options, allowing the customer to control the additional information provided to build out their profile.

2. Be mindful of the login experience.

The login experience is often a first impression of the brand. Despite this, consumers often get frustrated with complex, clunky login experiences — especially if it’s related to forgotten or reset passwords. Research found that a staggering 60 percent of consumers have stopped using an online service due to frustration with the login process. An additional 65 percent would switch to a comparable brand if it offered a password-less authentication method, ditching traditional passwords and the frustrations they pose once and for all.

For organizations looking to improve the login experience, it’s important to consider the range of password-less authentication options available for consumers. For example, biometric logins and text/email prompts with a one-time login can serve as alternative options to password logins. While social media logins are another option, consumers are hesitant to use this channel as their primary login method given the security implications this may bring. Which leads me to the final evolving consumer preference …

3. Prioritize security measures.

Years ago, consumers were less worried about security as convenience reigned supreme. The tables have now turned as a result of a record number of data breaches experienced in the past few years alone.

Customers now have a strong desire to know more about what brands are doing with their personal data, as well as the cybersecurity safeguards businesses have in place to protect customers, especially as emerging technologies like artificial intelligence expand the threat landscape.

At a bare minimum, if organizations aren’t ready to go fully password-less, they should implement multifactor authentication and text/email prompts with a one-time login to help verify identities and protect against fraud. Another consideration would be to implement invisible bot protection in front of the login so there’s an extra layer of security upon sign in. Businesses should also emphasize that they're adhering to consumer data privacy regulations as they collect personal information. Most (61 percent) consumers report that having privacy laws enacted to protect consumer data and knowing that the website vendor is complying with those regulations makes them feel more secure when sharing their information online. This is where regulations hold the most benefit, beyond requiring users to accept cookies on just about every website.

As we continue to become more digitized than ever before, customers’ digital preferences will continue to evolve. However, one thing will remain consistent: the power is in the hands of the consumer. Brands must exceed their expectations to be successful in the future.

Jason Oeltjen is the vice president of product management at Ping Identity, a leading provider of seamless and secure digital experiences.