Content Providers 'Need New Payment Options'
Online content sales could benefit from ônew payment alternatives to the credit cardö, according to a joint report by PSP, PaymentOne, research firm Javelin Strategy and eContent Magazine. ôToo few executives at content and service provider companies perceive payment as a critical strategic business issueö, Europemedia.net reports, while ôconsumers ... perceive serious shortcomings with todayÆs online payment options, particularly with respect to securityö. Of the more than 10,000 consumers profiled in the survey, 61 per cent would be more likely to buy online if secure payment alternatives to credit cards were offered.Fifty-two per cent of consumers are most likely to purchase classified ads, with 12 per cent willing to pay for online news, and 11 per cent, for music and games. In total, 59 per cent of survey respondents had paid for Internet content or services online at least once, even if ôInternet service and content providers appear out of touch with the payment concerns and preferences of potential customersö. Ninety-two per cent of consumers are concerned about the security of using their credit cards online, according to a recent UCLA Internet report, with over 63 per cent being æveryÆ or æextremelyÆ concerned about this.
eCommerce sites are also increasing offline sales, according to e-business firm, Channel Intelligence, with one-third of electronics shoppers going from a manufacturerÆs to a dealerÆs website, completing the purchase within a week. Of 4,000 Internet users surveyed by CI, 34.3 per cent made a purchase within a week of following the Internet link, while 22.8 per cent had plans to buy the product within 30 days of their initial visit. Interestingly, the respondents shopped for products averaging USD 407 in price, but the actual value of purchases averaged USD 262, vnunet.com reports, with those buying within a week, spending more. Related Links:
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