ONLINE BRAND TRUST: WHAT ARE THE CONTRIBUTORS?

Thanks to the flexibility, ease of interactivity and personalization, the usage of internet has been increasing since it was first introduced back in the early 1980s. The internet has opened a new window and business opportunity that have never been imagined before, thus changing the way consumers shop. Differs from the traditional way of shopping, online shopping has allowed consumers to decide what kind of product they want, when and where they want to purchase the items within their budget by a click of a mouse or mobile phones. Instead of waiting for a premise to be opened and spending so much time looking for a parking space, online shopping provides a convenient way to shop as digital marketplaces are open all day, every day, throughout the year. However, trust has remained one of the most popular issues that leads to the ineffective use of digital marketplaces.

Because consumers play the main role for any business transactions, their trust contributes to the reduction of uncertainty and complexity of any transactions and relationships involving digital marketplaces. When customers show their trust to the brand and the company, they will show willingness in any transactions, eventually creating a smooth business transaction. Likewise, trust develops not only positive attitude towards suppliers but brings in customer loyalties (Schurr and Ozanne, 1985). Furthermore, a world of abundance for consumers is just another world of rivals for brands. When a particular brand is viewed as trustworthy, it has the added advantage to succeed as opposed to its competitors (Reast, 2005). 

Despite the increasing number of Internet users who spend their time with online shopping, companies should stay committed to Internet branding by considering the consumer’s perception of brand trust online. Ha (2004) defines brand trust as the trust possessed among the customers in a particular brand. In this era of e-commerce, online brand trust is considered as one essential component that spurs online purchases and more consumers are becoming aware of its importance (Quelch and Klein, 1996). When consumers put their trust in a particular brand, they will not be reluctant to spend a premium price not only for the brand itself but its brand extension while carrying on being loyal. Furthermore, when customers view a brand as trustworthy, they would not mind spending their time, sharing feedbacks regarding their behavior, tastes and preferences which would allow the brand to develop.

For businesses to remain strong in the game in the long run, there are several aspects that influence online brand trust which comprise of website factors and consumer factors. Sultan et al. (2002) identifies website factors such as navigation, advice, no error, fulfillment, community, privacy and security, trust seals and brand presentation are responsible in developing consumer’s trust. On the other hand, the study shows that trust is contributed by consumer factors such as self-confidence, past behavior, online shopping experience as well as entertainment experience. Lee and Turban (2001) also agree that the declining of online shopping activity is the result of the lacking of consumer trust. 

Salo and Karjaluoto (2007) suggest that internal factors namely consumer characteristics, previous experience with digital marketplaces, reputation, website quality and non-government association are likely related to online trust. As for external factors, they conclude that the product or service characteristics, the distinctive markets, cultures and countries act as the driving factors to the level of trust among consumers. Also, Srivinasan (2004) concludes that brand trust is greatly affected by word of mouth, positive online shopping experience and quality of information. In Malaysia, a recent study involving studying online brand trust in online ticketing determines word of mouth, online experience, quality information and brand reputation as the factors (Alam and Yasin, 2010). 

To make digital marketplaces fairer, it is not an easy task and Rome was not built in a day. As a developing country, it is important for online businesses to be prepared with the new challenges in building consumer online brand trust. They should execute effective plans and consider numerous factors such as demographic variables based on the previous studies. These online businesses must acquire an in-depth knowledge of factors contributing to online brand trust. 

MALAYSIAN CONSUMER’S AWARENESS ON DIGITAL MARKETPLACE ISSUES

The e-commerce which was first introduce in the mid-1990s has been recognized globally as a multi-trillion dollar industry over the last 10 years. As for the Malaysian e-commerce, it is maneuvered rapid knowledge driven economy and ICT enablement. Furthermore, 6 out of 10 Malaysians preferred to buy flight tickets online, 58% Malaysian bought movie and performance tickets online while nearly quarters of Malaysian survey respondents utilized social media to look for promotion code while shopping on digital marketplaces (Mukhtar et al., 2016; Fathil Asri, 2015; Nelson Global Survey, 2014). This clearly shows that Malaysian consumers are accepting the existence of e-commerce with open arms especially due to the development of internet and technology. 

According to the Department of Statistics Malaysia (2016), it has been reported that age 15 and above using the internet was at 57% in 2013 while the percentage has increased by 14.1% to 71.1% in 2015 where most of them were using their mobile devices to surf the internet. Today, consumers be it adults or teenagers are actively making use of the internet, consequently contributing to the steady growth of the e-commerce. Unfortunately, Malaysian consumers are only willing to go digital using the latest technology if and only if they are shown a real evidence or positive development from other superior foreign countries (Che Mohd. Zulkifly, 2014). Although the e-commerce industry contributed to USD984 million the Malaysian revenue, there are still issues concerned by both businesses and consumers such as security and customer safety (Krishnan et al., 2017).

The level of internet security has been one of the fears to businesses and consumers to engage with e-commerce (Niranjanamurthy and Chahar, 2013). Generally, both parties want to protect themselves from such harms namely unauthorized access, uses, alteration and destruction. E-commerce security offers three essential component data security, network security and privacy of the customers. Furthermore, many businesses are updating their security system to prevent risks, consequently contributing to the efficient digital marketplaces. On the other hand, consumers are still doubting the digital marketplace due to their perceived risks involved (Muthaiyah et al., 2011). Thus, to ensure their security and privacy are protected, it is vital for consumers to enrich their knowledge on how to safeguard their highly confidential personal information and consumer rights.

Next, customer safety remains as the common issue be it in any activities (Cagaoan et al., 2014). E-commerce or digital marketplace is operated in global network internet which is entrusting. Henceforth, because confidentiality is listed as the requirement, it is also a must to keep it away from all kinds of threats. Moreover, customer awareness on digital marketplaces’ security is increased through the deployment of the Consumer Protection Act in 2007. Plus, the Consumer Protection (Electronic Trade Transactions) Regulation 2012 was introduced in 2013. These regulations that come with certain obligations to digital marketplace are implemented with aims to consumer’s confidence in making online transaction and shopping. Once these regulations are imposed, other than making the growth of the digital marketplace industry to spur, it is predicted that the people in Malaysia will be persuaded to access the e-commerce platform without hesitation.

GOODS ARE FAULTY? WARRANTY!

Although e-commerce is still developing and maturing rapidly in Malaysia, there are a few areas that need to be focused on in dealing with consumer protection. Other than being scammed by unethical sellers, online buyers are actively expressing their concerns regarding the warranty of their purchased goods. In general, any user guides are attached to the products being sold and return or exchange policies are often posted on the merchant’s website. Consumers are advised to register with them and store any proof of payment be it receipt or bill with them should any events occur. 

 Nevertheless, the warrant claim process could be tiring for buyers as it took quite some time to settle, which could lead for months. On the contrary, from a study carried out by Mukhtar et al., (2016) stated that half of the consumers mentioned that the process of claiming warranty for a product bought online usually required less than 14 days to accomplish. This issue arises because of several factors. Other than the delays, consumers are always denied of warranty because of the dispute between the service centres and their respective brands, together with the lack of service centres in the buyer’s location. 

In other cases, warranty claims are often ignored due to the absence because purchasers do not acquire formal bills from the sellers. Furthermore, the negligence of the dealer to stamp or sign the warranty card may decline the purchaser’s rights. Plus, due to the component being phased out by the goods manufacturer despite the products are still under warranty, dealers are not able to cover any future warranty claims. The issue involving the product life-cycles and growth in outsourcing is evident when purchasers buy items belong to the computer industry. 

It is important for both purchaser and dealers need to be certain that the warranty card is stamped with a clear date of purchase. Consumers should always keep in mind to check the expiration date of the warranty and the conditions that may void coverage. Also, it is recommended for consumers to look for conditions that could prove expensive or inconvenient especially when buyers need to deliver a heavy purchase to a factory for service. Lastly, because the e-commerce in Malaysia is lagged behind approximately 3 to 5 years when compared to industries in the US (Mukhtar et al, 2016), both stores and brands should come up with a feasible solution to resolve their issues. 

MALAYSIAN DIGITAL MARKETPLACE AND ITS FUTURE

Traditional retail industries are making their ways to participate in the digital trend. This eventually has heightened the fear of market saturation to the e-commerce industry. In order stay in the game for a longer period of time, digital marketers are investing their time, money and energy on newer technologies to further improving their businesses. Furthermore, technology experts believed that with the implementation of innovative and creative technology, the e-commerce industry is predicted to be more mobile and would involve the latest virtual reality market. Online shoppers will be dealing with sellers through such medium such as augmented reality and virtual reality when making purchases over the internet (Global Retail Trends, 2017). 

Furthermore, KPMG International Cooperative (2017) mentioned that online shopping via the digital marketplaces is predicted to be available on mobile devices. Mobile-first sites, dedicated apps and various payment methods made it easier for people who are busy running their day-to-day lives to shop by using their phones. For example, global mobile sales accumulated to 34% of all e-commerce transactions worldwide and it was predicted to grow 31% in 2017 (e-Marketer, 2017). Hence, businesses are utilizing omni-channel services as they believed that the consumers are always looking for a more convenient way of shopping. 

To provide a positive customer experience, businesses are working on a communication through the usage of technologies such as bots. Businesses are seen to be doing a good job connecting their physical and digital presence in enhancing the customer experience. For customers who expect a ‘phygital’ online shopping experience, investing in innovative and latest technologies is the answer. Other than fulfilling savvy consumers demands for customized services and experience, the latest technologies offer businesses to rise to the personalization challenge. 

PROVIDING ONLINE DISCLOSURE; WHY DOES IT MATTER?

Businesses embarking on digital marketplaces should at least provide a clear, accurate and easy to access information about their identities. For instance, businesses should justify the identification of the business, provide prompt, easy and effective consumer communication with the business, appropriate and effective resolutions regarding any disputes, service of legal process in domestic and cross-border disputes and the location of the business. This is to ensure that the customers shall have sufficient details when making an informed decision concerning a particular transaction. Furthermore, when businesses announce their membership in any relevant self-regulatory programme, business association or other body, consumers may use the opportunity to take advantage of the dispute resolution mechanisms provided by the organization should any issues arise.

Besides that, they should justify information regarding the goods or services they are offering as sufficiently. This is to enable the consumers to be aware of their products before proceeding with their purchases. Furthermore, Oxley and Yeung (2001) found out that consumers whose behavior tends to be influenced by the availability of information on the internet when making online purchases are more likely to navigate away from website with insufficient relevant information. Whether businesses are selling goods or services, the key functionality and interoperability features, key technical or contractual requirements, limitations that might affect a customer’s ability to acquire, access or use the good or service, safety and health care information as well as age restrictions should be stated. 

Finally, businesses should feature a clear and an unambiguous confirmation process after the duration of payment is due, else the customers are contractually bounded. The confirmation process should come with a summary of their purchases which include the items, delivery and pricing information so that customers can take a final look at their order and make modification if necessary. Next, if customers do not provide expressed and informed consent, businesses should not carry on the transaction. Also, businesses should allow customers to keep a complete, accurate and durable record of the transaction that is compatible with their technology devices.