Your business is important to you. That’s why you’ve spent time and money making the 4 Ps of marketing – product, price, placement, and promotion – work to make your business successful. But there’s one more P that you can use to take your business to the next level: protection. Investing in protection adds value to your business, especially in the eyes of your customers.
Cyber threats put both your business and your customers at risk. Your customers want to know that the security of their information is important to the businesses they deal with. Showing your customers that you care about their cyber security is a sure way to build their trust and earn their loyalty.
It makes you stand out
Canadians care about protecting themselves from online threats. A big concern is the privacy of their digital identities, which includes all their personal identity information available online (including their login credentials and mailing address). It’s your responsibility (and the law) to protect your customers’ personal information. This includes the information that makes up their digital identities. Making cyber security a priority for your business is an easy way to differentiate your business from the competition.
Stand out by taking steps like securing your point-of-sale (POS) transactions with encryption and protecting your networks. Your customers will thank you.
It keeps things running smooth
In addition to losing important data, recovering from a data breach can cost businesses a lot of time and money. Time spent recovering data is time away from building your business. Data breaches could also result in customers taking their money to another business that protects their data. But there are steps you can take to prevent data breaches.
Prioritizing sensitive information, creating password and passphrase standards for employees, installing anti-virus software and offering employee cyber security training are important first steps towards securing your business. Protecting your data allows you to focus on strengthening relationships with your customers.
It strengthens relationships with your customers
Just like you might not return to a restaurant that lost your order, your customers might not return to your business if you lose their data. Cyber security threats to your business, like phishing scams, are easy ways for your customers’ personal information to fall into the hands of cyber criminals.
Taking steps to ensure your customers’ data stays private is a good way to strengthen relationships with your customers.
Conclusion
If protecting your business from cyber security threats isn’t a top priority, then your business may be losing some great opportunities. Protection distinguishes your business from competitors, allows your business to run smoothly and strengthens relationships with your customers. Investing in protection can, along with the other 4 Ps, make your business the best it can be.