Online age verification is meant to keep minors from buying your products online, but what about your adult customers? Although blocking underage sales, or anyone outside your target age group, is the main purpose of age verification software, it’s important to keep in mind that all of your target customers will have to endure the process. These customers are of utmost value now that you've narrowed your customer profile by implementing age requirements.
If the age verification process required to authorize your website orders is too lengthy or confusing, even your most loyal customers may choose to shop elsewhere. Online shopping is meant to be a breeze, so your website should be as easy and efficient for customers to navigate as possible--with no exception to an age verification plugin designed to support that smooth customer experience goal.
Here are five ways to reduce cart abandonment and keep your target customers satisfied while still enforcing your minimum age requirements in compliance with federal and state laws. If you are shopping around for a real age verification plug-in, or considering a new provider, making the process smooth and efficient depends on several factors to consider:
Does the age verification plug-in you’re considering integrate with your shopping cart? The amount of integration options an age verification service offers says a lot about the breadth and expertise of the company, which should also feature an open age verification API so websites can create custom age verification solutions.
You may be implementing age verification on your website to comply with laws, as part of a qualification program for whatever product or service you offer, or simply to know your customers better. Many websites use our service as a regulatory compliance tool. Federal and state laws specify that businesses must verify the age of a potential customer before authorizing a purchase, so your age verification software should be able to support that--offering both pre- and post-authorization options for your age-restricted web store as needed for its legal compliance.
Does the age verification plugin you are considering come from a well-known technology provider in your industry? RegTech is booming since organizations like the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) started heightening enforcement efforts in industries like tobacco and vape, so it may take a bit of research to separate the wheat from the chaff. Many unverifiable new companies may make unsubstantiated claims without the experience or resources to deliver a reliable solution. Investing in the most trusted age verification software may look like asking fellow business owners, researching companies online, and calling up several providers before wasting time with a scam company or one that’s ineffective.
These fine print items tend to mislead customers into more cost down the road, so we recommend going with a provider that does not lock you into a contract. A low per-verification rate may look attractive at first, only to lead your business into expensive installation or support fees required to actually get, or continue, going. Factor in cost-saving features like customer service for you and your clients, or other features a provider may bundle into its per-verification or monthly rate which are likely to save you money down the road. Cancellation should be free.
Are you just looking for a solid foundation to build out your own app or age verification process? A flexible, open API in addition to the availability of out-of-the-box solutions for different business models give a technology credence and your company opportunities to ideate, design, and develop--or just quickly and easily choose a traditional integration option that’s designed for your industry type.
For example, AgeChecker.Net features an open API many developers use to build their own programs, apps, or age check systems. Alternatively, we offer dozens of out of the box solutions for specific industry types that we’ll set websites up with in less than one day. A quick and easy compliance solution you can trust to protect your business from underage sales, or a base to bring your own ideas to life--you get to choose.
Seamless age verification can mean the difference between you and your competitors, your profits and losses, and your overall success as a company, or, ideally, a leader in your industry. Key takeaways to consider when you are launching a website you want to be running age verification software, or when you realize an upgrade may be in store from your current age verification system, include:
You want an age verification process that is so fast and easy that customers don’t have the chance to think about abandoning their cart. Confusing pop-ups that look like spam, lengthy processes that don’t have a seal from a trusted provider, unrelated marketing ads and other poorly-executed age verification processes drive customers away from your site. Effective age verification helps you avoid all of these while saving you money in the long run.
We offer obligation-free trials if you would like to test our identity software or access our API free for 30 days. Email contact@agechecker.net or call 1-888-276-2303 for more information about our age verification service, full access trials, or to get set up in minutes.
You can find a live demo of AgeChecker.Net in action here.
