Counterfeit goods have been on the rise over the past several years. Trading counterfeit products internationally is a massive industry that many governments are trying to stop. Unfortunately, millions of fake products are still circulated through eCommerce shops and websites.
Counterfeiting is extremely harmful to customers and businesses alike. If a customer pays a certain price for a product, they are expecting a certain level of quality. Therefore, if they are duped with a fake, lower-quality product, they lose money.
The business which offers the legitimate product is also harmed because some customers may believe the fake, cheap product is the real thing, thus giving the brand a bad reputation.
If you own an eCommerce business, it is imperative that you protect both your business and your customers from the perils of counterfeit trade. Here are four steps to take to help.
Help Your Customers Buy from Reputable Sources
The stereotype of online counterfeiters selling items off of sketchy websites is not always the case. Unfortunately, they often utilize well-known websites and markets like eBay and Amazon. If your customers are not careful, it can be extremely easy to fall into the clutches of a counterfeit purchase.
However, there are steps you can encourage your customers to take to make wise purchasing decisions.
If your website does not directly sell the products, provide a list of trusted sellers on your website. Be sure to keep the list updated, so your customers know exactly where they can purchase legitimate products.
- If you do offer the products on your company’s websites, offer promotional incentives such as discounts to encourage your customers to buy directly from the source.
- Whether your website actually offers the products, or you simply advise customers on where they can purchase, helping customers avoid buying fake products is essential to helping prevent product counterfeiting in the long run.
Teach Customers to Identify Counterfeit Products
You can help prevent counterfeit purchases by educating your customers. Provide information on your website that will help your customers identify and avoid counterfeit goods. Utilize the blog on your website to write some articles, warning your customers against counterfeit products and educating them on how to avoid purchasing them.
There are many tactics, strategies, and even telltale signs that may give away a counterfeit dealer.
Include a list on your website that describes some of the indications a product may be counterfeit such as:
- The price seems much too low
- Product imperfections
- Misspellings in the product description or on the product itself
- Customer reviews that seem untrustworthy
- A non-responsive seller
- A non-secure checkout
Be Detailed
Keeping your customers’ online shopping experience detailed will help in the fight against product counterfeiting. Here are two extra tips to help you do so:
1. Authenticity
It is essential that your customers know the products you are selling are the “real deal” and not fakes. This will help your brand both because you are ensuring higher-quality products and also because it will build trust, and thus loyalty, to your brand. Be sure there are ways for your customers to verify that your products are authentic.
Consider providing your customers with a certificate of authentication for every purchase. Giving them a money-back guarantee will also allow your customers to feel safe while shopping on your eCommerce website.
2. Transparency
It is always important to be as transparent with your customers as possible, but it is especially important when it comes to more expensive products. If you are up-front with your customers, they will feel more comfortable buying these pricey items from you.
If a customer does not feel safe on your website, they will not make a purchase; it’s as simple as that. Provide your customers with as much information as possible, so they can make educated purchases.
Labeling your products, packaging, and other materials with your logo and brand image is not only good for marketing, but it also helps to familiarize your customers with your brand, so they know how to spot a fake.
Providing a real-time chat service or other similar high-quality customer service experiences will also help your customer to feel safe and that they are purchasing from a reputable source.
Feedback
Keep up the interaction with your customers. By encouraging your customers to leave feedback, you are helping them to develop loyalty to your brand. This will encourage them to make more purchases from you as well as discourage them from buying anywhere else.
Customer feedback is also extremely helpful because customers notice a lot while they are shopping. They might see a counterfeit and be able to alert you. Customers really are your closest allies.
Everyone wants to be listened to. Listen to your customers because it may prove advantageous in more ways than one.
An Extra Step
Now that you have ensured your customers are purchasing legitimate products, it is important that those valuable items arrive to your customers in perfect condition. In order to ensure that, it is vital to partner with a quality third-party logistics provider such as Smart Parcel 24/7.
Smart Parcel 24/7 utilizes an array of carriers across the world in order to ship your products at the best rate at the best time. Our warehouses are expertly staffed to safely store and track your inventory before carefully fulfilling your orders.
If you want to provide your customers with the best quality service, Smart Parcel 24/7 is on it.
