Nearly half of all online shoppers are willing to risk their personal details being compromised so long as they can get a decent deal, according to a study, which shows consumer confidence in website security is plummeting.
According to a study for McAfee, conducted by Harris Interactive, only about a third of online consumers believe most websites are safe for shopping, an 11% decrease since McAfee conducted the survey in 2009.
The majority of online consumers, 84%, continue to have some level of concern when providing personal information online.
McAfee senior vice-president of global consumer marketing Steve Petracca said the figures show how big a concern data safety remains. “It is important for online retailers to recognise, understand and assuage these concerns in order to increase sales and earn trust from their customers,” he said.
The survey also found that many online consumers would override their concerns about risks if they felt that they were receiving a substantial price discount. Some 40% of consumers admitted to having purchased from sites where they were unsure about the security of their personal information. In those cases, a discount of up to 30% is what drove them to make a purchase.
Despite advances in technology and in the popularity of online shopping, only 6% say they do not worry about security on the Internet.
At the same time that overall confidence is falling, consumer confidence in trustmarks is growing, especially for consumers shopping on small independent sites.
Some 75% of consumers indicate they would choose a site with a trustmark over a site without one; while 40% indicate they might spend more money online if they had a guarantee of security.
