While there is a perception amongst the South African online community that the Internet is not a safe place in which to transact, website owners have had to take a more proactive stance on security. Reputable online business and banking websites have repeatedly been placed under the spotlight by online consumers demanding that website owners rise to the challenge in creating a trustworthy platform that will offer them the much desired (and well-deserved) confidence and self-assurance required to restore their confidence in the internet.
Despite these concerns, www.bidorbuy.co.za has continued to see increased growth, reporting over R6 million rand in turnover for March 2007. With over 6.5 million page impressions and 372 000 new visitors visiting the website during the last month, it shows a renewed confidence in South African e-business.
“We realise that security is still regarded as one of the largest barriers inhibiting online shopping and as a result we have continued to invest resources, time and capital in enhancing bidorbuy’s security measures in the interest of providing our community with the reassurance that our website is a safe place for them to trade.” says Gillian Meier, business manager at bidorbuy.
“Last week a first time buyer purchased a diamond ring for R38 000 on bidorbuy and agreed to have the item couriered to him via a local courier service without even having touched the item. The buyer commented that due to the high value of the purchase he naturally was a little apprehensive and the fact that the item was being sold online had no bearing on his decision to purchase the ring,” continues Meier.
Transactions of such a high value are by no means an isolated case on bidorbuy: in another instance a rare South African coin set was successfully sold for R35 000 in the past month.
Although these high valued purchases are indicative of the renewed faith that consumers have in online shopping, bidorbuy believes there is no room for complacency and constant enhancements and improved security measures should be implemented to ensure that the industry will continue to grow.
