There are many ways to create online store free. Many of the free eCommerce platforms offer great tools to build your online store – if you know exactly what you’re doing and have the technical skills to do it properly. If not, open-source platforms can have many security vulnerabilities, which is a disaster in eCommerce.
The Importance Of Website Security In eCommerce
Security is important even in normal static websites. In eCommerce sites where you collect sensitive data like personal information and payment card info, it’s a high priority. So, wonder how to avoid security threats to online commerce? choose the right platform
Website Security Reduces Hacking Attacks
Well-implemented security can make it hard for hackers to find entry points into your website, to cause crashes, malfunctions, steal data, and otherwise cause harm. Hacking is on the rise, and information theft is a cybercrime that’s also growing fast. So, using various security measures to keep your site safe from malicious attacks can ensure your business runs smoothly and all your data is kept safe.
Website Security Helps Protect Customer Data
By blocking many loopholes and weaknesses, hacking attacks are reduced. This also brings down the possibility of theft of sensitive customer data.
Website Security Is Crucial For Seo
If search engines perceive your site as insecure, or as a malicious site, they can block you from their search result listings. It’ll take a long time to get back in and then rank high in SERPs again.
Good Security Builds Trust
If customers see that your site is secure, they’re more likely to do business with you. Savvy customers now look for HTTPs instead of HTTP on the pages where they enter any sensitive info. If you also display authentic security certificates on your site, it builds their trust in you. They see that you care about keeping their data safe, and so are more willing to share any required information with you and to enter their credit card/bank info, etc.
The Vulnerabilities Of Open Source
- The free downloadable eCommerce software like WooCommerce is mainly open source products. This means that the source code is accessible to everyone, many programmers contribute bits and pieces to the software. This makes it difficult to track all changes. Even if you download a standard version, some unscrupulous programmers can embed malicious code in updates or plugins, which can then cause havoc on the platform.
Open Source platforms aren’t as secure as compared to paid eCommerce platforms
- WooCommerce is a great platform, and as a plugin for WordPress, it can provide many great features for WordPress users. You can easily create online store free. However, the platform isn’t PCI Compliant out-of-the-box. You will need to add this feature yourself. You will also need to set up SSL on the website.
- WooCommerce works with WordPress. So, WordPress vulnerabilities will also become WooCommerce weaknesses. This is in addition to any loopholes in the eCommerce plugin itself. You will have to dedicate all the time and effort to keep the platform secure.
- Eventually, you will need to hire the services of eCommerce security experts to keep your website safe and secure.
The Closed Box Safety Of Proprietary Platforms
- With proprietary solutions like Shopify, the source code is closed and secure. Only the team of programmers who developed the software have access to the source code. They make regular updates and they check for bugs, trojans, and other issues.
Shopify safeguards both the retailer as well as the consumer’s data
- In a hosted solution, the task of backend management and maintenance, software updates, security updates are all taken care of by the solution provider.
- Shopify even encourages ethical hackers to spot weaknesses in their proform. They then act quickly to remove the vulnerability.
Measures You Can Take To Improve Website Security
If you want to ensure a secure shopping platform for your customers, here are a few safeguards you can implement:
- Look for eCommerce platforms that implement SSL, and provide full PCI compliance as part of the basic features.
- You will also need to use a VPN (Virtual Private Network) to increase security. Choose a SaaS-like Shopify to be free of most of these worries
- You may consider implementing two-step authentication on your website
- Educate your customers and employees on information security:
- Send emails, text messages, and other notifications to customers to educate them on phishing and other techniques used by cybercriminals to steal sensitive information
- Explain your best practices for protecting their data
- Warn them not to disclose personal and/or confidential details via email or chat
- Educate your employees on how to keep customer data safe
- Implement strict policies your employees have to follow to safeguard sensitive data
Website security is a high priority on eCommerce sites. This may be hard to implement on free open source platforms without the aid of professional services. If your site security is compromised, it will result in huge costs to get the site working properly again and also involve loss of sales and customer goodwill. You have to consider all these factors before you create online store free.
Shopify is not a free solution. But, as a hosted platform, it takes care of the backend and security concerns, leaving you free to focus on your store and its growth.
