Confidence, reliance and fairness are some of the keywords at the back of trust.
In an estimated world population of 7 billion people, some 40% of the people have access to the internet. This is good for humanity. It is also good for business.
With this impressive statistics, more and more people and businesses are expected to be interacting online every minute of the day.
Recently, I read an interview where an online shopping outfit owner complained that 95% of people still prefer to buy from the open market. This means only 5% buy online.
But, I have not had time to check whether this was a global percentage or not. However, it coming despite the revolution in information technology, which has reduced our world to a global family.
Trust is a huge burden here, especially for online business owners, who are just starting out and possibly established online business persons or outfits as well.
Trusting someone or business ought to be a slow, gradual process. We take risk everyday and must interact with people, one way or the others.
The social media is filled with people, groups, businesses, etc, who promise heaven on earth, as far as selling their products or services are concerned.
I have had course to interact with some of these social media entrepreneurs. Some are genuine, some are fake.
It is a situation we have the good, the bad and the ugly interacting in this complex world and trust are either built or destroyed over time.
For an online business owner like me just starting out, I need to be careful with people and groups that make fantastic claims. It is also my advice to other people out there.
No man is an island is a popular saying. Therefore, we must interact everyday with one another physically or on the net.
But, our motive at the point of interaction with others could make or mar our trust for each other, credibility and integrity.
In this modern age, security like other areas of life has also gone online. Therefore, people, groups or firms with criminal, fraudulent motives who are on the social media may pretend that they are safe.
This is not true for sooner than later, these criminally motivated people, groups or firms could be unmasked by undercover security agents, who are also on the social media, doing their jobs.
But, let me confess there that I have also benefited from my dealings will some genuine people, groups and firms online in recent times.
To every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. This is the mantra of scientists and it is true. So, our motives while online doing business or interacting one way of the other with people could be revealed with time.
Emmanuel Udom is editor: http://www.vicnuel.blogspot.com.ng. He is also senior correspondent, metro desk for http://www.independentnig.com.
Udom, a journalist, teacher, blogger and researcher could be reached on: eeudom@yahoo.com, eeudom@gmail.com or 234827066807
