Shopping Online

I. brief outline of the whole essay
Introduction
Terminologies
History and growth in online shopping
Thesis statement
First topic sentence; Design and payments
Design
Loading systems for information
Expectations and needs of the consumers
The users` interface
Delivery of products for the cart systems of e-shopping
Second topic sentence; Advantages
Affordable prices
Convenience
Time management
Availability of wide information for clarification
Third topic sentence; Disadvantages and Corrective Insight
Insecurity and fraud
Delayed delivery
Refund and compensation challenges
Privacy and lack of full expenditure disclosure
Corrective insight
Wide research about e-commerce
Knowing terms and conditions of particular e-retailers
Reviewing the brand and history of suppliers
Conclusion
Affirmation of the Thesis Statement
Brief history of online shopping
Advantages of e-commerce

Disadvantages of e-shopping



















Summary

Online shopping is a diverse commercial industry that links the whole world in the purchases and supplies of goods and services on the internet. Both suppliers and buyers have different expectations, and more so consumers have specific needs that they need satisfied. The reliability of the customers and the accountability of the e-retailers is indispensable in the whole process. Most consumers of online goods and services are bothered by swift and fast internet browsers of respective e-seller to make the purchases convenient. Furthermore, most clients embrace safe and fraud free business transactions, hence the need to put in place mechanisms that could ease the anxiety and fear of buyers for a healthy business environment. Payments are made online by use of PayPal, credit cards or such means, through established accounts or Cash on Delivery in particular cases. Online shopping comes with advantages like diversity in shopping, convenience time management, and low prices as comparisons are made to the many and competitive vendors. Nevertheless, accompanying disadvantages include shipping of goods that do not meet the needs of the customers either due to destruction en route or due to misinformation. Lost goods, too much time taken in transportation due to unavoidable circumstances and fraudulent habits. Nevertheless, online research and prior transactions review on the reputation and brands of potential sellers could help the buyers make informed choices.













Online Shopping

Electronic commerce has become an indispensable characteristic of the delivery of goods and services to all destinations in the world, following the technological inventions of the twenty-first century, and the engagement of web browsers on the internet has made online shopping real, convenient, and reliable. The consumers from different countries engage appropriate software specifically tailored as The Suitable Search Engines for shopping to browse and scrutinize the e-retailers` products on an online platform (Kulviwat 33). Consumers use typical electronic gadgets like tablets, desktops, smartphones, and laptops to carry out their operations. Terms like e-tailing, e-shopping, e-store, and m-commerce are used in the discipline of online business to mean electronic retail, electronic shopping, online store, and mobile commerce respectively. The history of online shopping dates back in the mid-1990s, when wine, flowers, and chocolate were the standard commodities sold to consumers, and even art content like the music and movie albums (Alsharief 17). Therefore, it is not online important to consider the roles played by e-sellers and consumers to facilitate e-commerce, but also the advantages and disadvantages that accompany online shopping as well as the insight to avoid inconvenience in offline operations.

E-commerce is a bi-partisan affair, whereby both the consumers and the e-retailers are required to actively participate for a fruitful and fulfilling eventuality. For online shopping to be valid, the customers must have authentic and reliable payment systems, be competent and dependable on internet maneuvers. Furthermore, educated minds and people who have steady income make up the larger segment (80 percent) of e-commerce enthusiasts (Kulviwat 241). Exposure to technology and sophisticated online operations increase the interest of concerned parties in online business. By utilizing the search engines for shopping appropriate to several vendors, or directly engaging a specific website of a particular retailer, the customers are capable of searching through the e-store to realize the products they are interested in. The shopping cart application is a software used by buyers to select the items they want, about the typical collection of goods into the shopping cart at a retail shop or supermarket. Payments are done online, and some suppliers give operating personalized accounts to their customers, whereas other do not. The buyer sends a message to confirm the successful end of the transaction. The customers without particular accounts with the producers could use either PayPal or credit card to make their payments. However, those with accounts can use Gift Cards, Cash on Delivery, mobile phones, cheque, electronic money, or postal money order to make payments. When it comes to transferring the goods and services to the buyer, the e-retailer has many avenues at their disposal to utilize. Shipping is one such method, where the merchandise is delivered by courier or postal systems, unlike drop shipping where the manufacturer is involved in the chain of supply, to drop the goods at the consumer’s destination to cut on extra costs. Furthermore, the locator software is critical while using the In-Store Pick Up, whereby the customer chooses their convenient store online, and the supplier drops the goods thereby. Among other techniques, emailing links that can enable the consumer download purchased content like songs, movies, software, or images is a reliable supply method. Therefore, in the whole process, both the consumer and the e-retailer are indispensable partners in the e-commerce processes

Other than the design of the online shopping business, customers have particular needs and different expectations to be satisfied by their e-retailers. The ability to access more information, competitive prices and wider selections are the elements that attract and motivate online consumers, other than the convenience that comes by. Ideally, the suppliers equally embrace online business not only because it offers access to a global market, but also sustainable capabilities are created, and the customer value is maximized. Other than the availability of much reliable software to navigate the Internet, many expectations have to be met for successful transactions. Building good relationships with clients is a central segment to mention. Furthermore, consumers must be challenged to come back for additional shopping by meeting their unique needs at every moment of contact (Alsharief 24). A study conducted in 2011by Dyn confirmed that over three-quarters of online consumers in 33 Asian, North and South American and European countries are of the concern that online retailers ought to increase their respective website speed, and that mechanisms should be put in place to ease the fear and anxiety accompanied with online shopping, factors that discourage over 60 percent of would-be online shoppers from engaging in e-commerce.

Online shopping comes with many advantages, both to the seller and the buyer, but more so to the latter. The prices in the online purchase are relatively low. The offline retailers raise their prices. Nevertheless, online sellers know that clients do extensive research before shopping, and with many online outlets, the heightened competition has led to lowered prices at the consumer's advantage (Madlberger 643). Online shopping is time saving, as it does not require busy-scheduled persons to cover the distance in jam and queue in the supermarket, rather, the convenience of typing several items online facilitates the transaction. Offline stores could run out of stoke, forcing buyers to wait for weeks and months for the subsequent supply, unlike e-businesses where consumers can switch from one e-store to the next within seconds to satisfy their wants. There is no coercion to influence one's buying, in contrast to offline stores where impulse buying is a common challenge. Access is very fundamental, as consumers can buy from all destinations of the world, at a single sitting, anytime, and from anywhere. Promotions and online deals characterize the online transactions, hence the convenience of noting new trends, products, and innovations in the market, at the consumer's advantage (Madlberger 702). Consequently, online shopping is a very advantageous adventure to the buyer.

On the contrary, online shopping comes with its disadvantages, but there are a couple of tips to overcome the challenges. Even though most companies offer expressly free flat rates without delivery costs, some of them are very exorbitant, making the whole transaction costly to the consumer. Occasionally, certain circumstances emerge leading to inadvertent delays in the shipping process. The delays could cause anxiety, stigma, and fear among the buyers, as well as the inconveniences if the goods are to be used immediately following delivery. In the case of refunds, the disputes can be both duteous and costly in time and expenditure. The delivered goods might be damaged, or not as described on the purchase. Laying a complaint about refund could mean more time to ship back the item before the e-retailer refunds cash. Hence time and money wasted, even opportunity cost. On the other hand, different sellers have various policies and regulations, and some could not refund once goods have been delivered. Fraud is a possible encounter, whereby the buyer pays money, but the goods are not delivered, just in case the purported supplier is a fraudster, hence the many inconveniences of online shopping (Wang 26). There are various tips which are essential for an online shopper to follow, to avoid many problems during the operations. Researching about the potential company or organization for supplying the anticipated goods and services is paramount. The reliability, the brand, the reputation, and the history of the firm is crucial to consider. By so doing, it is possible to sieve reliable suppliers from those that could be otherwise (Soopramanien 39). Decision making can be informed after exploring the online reviews of other customers who purchased similar goods. Their comments are always worth considering, whether they were satisfied or disappointed. The purchasing risks are always inevitable when it comes to online purchasing, hence the need for the buyer to understand the return and refund policies of different companies. Knowing online deals is critical, as one can compare prices across different vendors, to purchase goods at the lowest prices possible. Therefore, there is great essence in staying alerted and informed while transacting online.

In conclusion, therefore, Website based shopping is an assorted business industry that connects the entire world in the buying and supplies of merchandise and enterprises on the website. Both providers and purchasers have diverse desires, and all the more so customers have particular needs that they require fulfilled. The reliability of the customers and the accountability of the e-retailers is indispensable in the whole process. Most consumers of online goods and services are bothered by swift and fast internet browsers of respective e-seller to make the purchases convenient. Furthermore, most clients embrace safe and fraud free business transactions, hence the need to put in place mechanisms that could ease the anxiety and fear of buyers for a healthy business environment. Payments are made online by use of PayPal, credit cards or such means, through established accounts or Cash on Delivery in particular cases. Online shopping comes with advantages like diversity in shopping, convenience time management, and low prices as comparisons are made to the many and competitive vendors. Nevertheless, accompanying disadvantages include shipping of goods that do not meet the needs of the customers either due to destruction en route or due to misinformation. Lost goods, too much time taken in transportation due to unavoidable circumstances and fraudulent habits. Nevertheless, online research and prior transactions review on the reputation and brands of potential sellers could help the buyers make informed choices.





Works Cited

Alsharief, Raja Y. "Saudi Consumers Attitudes Towards Online Shopping:" International Journal of Online Marketing, vol. 7, no. 1, 2017, pp. 16-36.

Kulviwat, Songpol, et al. "An Exploratory Study of Consumer Adoption of Online Shopping." Comparison-Shopping Services and Agent Designs, 2013, pp. 1-354.

Madlberger, Maria. "Online Shopping and Catalog Shopping." Web Technologies for Commerce and Services Online, vol. 4, no. 2, 2010, pp. 540-780.

Soopramanien, Didier. "Conflicting attitudes and skepticism towards online shopping: the role of experience." International Journal of Consumer Studies, vol. 35, no. 3, 2010, pp. 338-347.

Wang, Ming. "Shopping Agent Web Sites." Web Systems Design and Online Consumer Behavior, 2014, pp. 222-231.