Care to be taken when shopping online

The third of the four dimensions of knowledge is thought. When we decide to buy any product, our third dimension is to start thinking about that product to get the information. In the internet age, to get information about any object is available at the click of a button. But what exactly do you need to know about that object? While looking for the right information, we keep surfing the other way.

Nowadays, in the age of social media, choosing any product should have been so easy, but it has become very complicated and more confusing. The reason is the explosions of advertisements through various social media instruments. In such a case, it is not easy to choose the right product.

What is shopping?

Shopping is an act in which a customer makes the right choice of goods or services. Customers purchase goods in nearby stores, markets, or online.

What is online shopping?

Online shopping is a form of e-commerce. Electronic commerce allows customers to buy products from a seller. Consumers can purchase the goods and pay using a mobile app or a web browser. Customers can shop online using different devices, like desktop computers, laptops, tablets, and mobiles.

What is B2C?

B2C means business to consumer. When the seller sells the product to the consumer is called the process of B2C. E-commerce is the way of online sale of products or services of a business to consumers.

What is B2B?

B2B means business to business. When one businessman purchases products from another businessman are called business-to-business (B2B) online shopping. A typical online store enables the customer to browse the firm's range of products and services, view photos or images of the products, along with information about the product specifications, features, and prices.

Online Customers

Who bought or purchase goods online are called online customers. Online customers must have access to the internet and a valid method of payment to complete a transaction. Generally, higher levels of education and personal income correspond to more favorable perceptions of shopping online. Increased exposure to technology also increases the probability of developing favorable attitudes towards new shopping channels.

Online Product Selection

Consumers find a product of interest by visiting the website of the retailer directly or by searching among alternative vendors using a shopping search engine. Once a particular product has been found on the website of the seller, most online retailers use shopping cart software to allow the consumer to accumulate multiple items and to adjust quantities, like filling a physical shopping cart or basket in a conventional store.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Shopping

Advantages of online shopping

Nowadays, online shopping is increasing. Most people prefer online shopping instead of traditional shopping. There are a variety of products on a single platform and also due to offers and discounts.

With the growth of technology, different business organizations have accepted the electronic method of purchasing and selling goods. Buyers and sellers use the internet as the prime medium to conduct commercial transactions.

Online stores do not have space constraints, and there are a variety of products displayed on websites. It helps the analytical buyers to purchase a product after a good analysis.

1. Convenience

Shopping is made easy and convenient for the customer through the internet. It is also easy not only to purchase the product but also to cancel the transactions. Customers can buy any product from their home, workplace, or from anywhere. Online shopping saves time and effort.

2. Saves time

Online stores are usually available 24 hours a day. Customers do not have to stand in queues at cash counters to pay for the products that have been purchased by them. They can shop from their home or workplace. They can save the time of traveling. The customers can also look for the products that are required by them by entering the keywords or using search engines.

In contrast, visiting a conventional retail store requires travel or commuting and costs such as gas, parking, or bus tickets, and must usually take place during business hours.

3. Price and selection

If you want to buy any product online, you can access the internet instantly and see the details of the product. Shipping costs reduce the price advantage of online merchandise, though depending on the jurisdiction, a lack of sales tax may compensate for this.

4. Saves money

Most of the shopping sites offer discounts to the customers on the occasion of festivals. Because of the direct sell, elimination of maintenance, real cost, the retailers sell the products with attractive discounts. Sometimes, large online shopping sites give a comparison with products and their price. It also helps customers to purchase the right product at wholesale prices.

5. Free shipping

Shipping a small number of items, especially from another country, is much more expensive than making the larger shipments bricks-and-mortar retailers order. Some retailers offer free shipping on large orders. Another advantage of retailers are the ability to rapidly switch suppliers and vendors without disrupting users' shopping experience.

6. Check the status

There is a facility for customers to check the purchase status of the product. They can track the order status and delivery status. Tracking of shipping is also available.

7. Home Delivery

Once the customer paid online, the goods or services can deliver package delivery, the postal system, and courier at home.

Delivery was always a problem that affected the convenience of online shopping. However, to overcome the delivery problem, the retailers brought in a store pick-up service.  In this service, customers could purchase goods online and pick them up at a nearby convenience store, making online shopping more advantageous to customers.

8. Ease of Return

Consumers may need to contact the retailer, visit the post office and pay a return shipping, and then wait for a replacement or refund. Some online companies have more generous return policies to compensate for the traditional advantage of physical stores.

9. Online payment

Online shoppers commonly use a credit card or a PayPal account to make payments. However, some systems enable users to pay by using alternative means, such as; cash on delivery, check credit card, debit card, e-money, gift cards, etc.

10. Comparisons

Companies display the whole range of products offered by them to attract customers with different tastes and needs. It enables the buyers to choose from a variety of models after comparing the finish, features, and price of the products on display. Sometimes price comparisons are also available online.

Disadvantages of online shopping

Ease of use is the prime reason that drives the success of e-commerce. Though the internet provides a quick and easy way to purchase a product, some people prefer to use this technology only in a limited way. They regard the internet as a means for gathering more information about a product before buying it in a shop. Some people also fear that they might get addicted to online shopping.

1. Hidden cost and other charges

The lack of full-cost disclosure may also be problematic. While it may be easy to compare the base price of an item online, it may not be easy to see the total cost upfront, like shipping charges, tax, and packing charges. Customers can see these charges when proceeding with the payment. The problem is especially evident with cross-border purchases, where the cost indicated at the final checkout screen may not include additional fees that must pay at delivery. 

2. Lack of bargaining experience

Indians love bargaining. The traditional shopping exercise provides a lot of fun in the form of a show-room atmosphere, smart sales attendants, and sounds. But the customer cannot experience it through a website. In online shopping, you get cashback, discounts, and coupons, but this is not the same as bargaining. Consumers look forward to it as an opportunity to go out and shop.

3. Delay in the delivery

In traditional shopping, you can receive the product instant after the payment. It doesn't happen in online shopping customers should have to wait for some time or days.

Long duration and lack of proper inventory management result in delays in shipment. Though, the time of selecting, buying, and paying for an online product may not take more than 10 to 20 minutes. But the delivery of the product to the customer's doorstep takes about 1 to 30 days. During big sales, it takes too long to deliver the product.

4. Lack of interaction

Physical stores allow price negotiations between buyers and the seller. The showroom sales attendant representatives provide personal attention to customers and help them in purchasing goods. Online shopping mart offers a service to talk to a sales representative. If purchasers have any queries, they can ask right there. But, this does not happen in online shopping. 

5. You can't touch the product

In traditional shopping, customers can touch and check the object, but in online shopping, customers cannot touch or feel the thing. You can see the image and read the description. Online shopping is not suitable for people who wish to buy the product only after trying it or by touching it.

6. You can't examine the product

The customer has to buy a product without inspecting how it looks by checking all the sides. Customers may click and buy some products without checking and touching the products. The electronic images of a product are sometimes misleading. The color, appearance in reality may not match with the electronic images.

People like to visit physical stores and prefer to have a close examination of goods, though it consumes time. The electronic images from the physical appearance when people buy goods based on electronic images.

7. Privacy

Privacy of personal information is a significant issue for some consumers. Many consumers wish to avoid spam and telemarketing, which could result from supplying contact information to an online merchant. Online payment methods are not much secured. The rate of cybercrimes has been increasing, and customers' credit card details and bank details are misused, which raises privacy issues.

Many websites keep track of consumer shopping habits to suggest items and other websites to view. Brick-and-mortar stores also collect consumer information. Some ask for a shopper's address and phone number at checkout, though consumers may refuse to provide it.

8. Fraud and security concerns

Fake online shopping portals attract customers by showing great offers. These types of websites accept only online payment, and they don't receive cash on delivery. In this case, customers will either receive a replica of the products or no product at all. With the lack of ability to inspect the product before purchase, consumers are at higher risk of fraud than face-to-face transactions. When ordering a product online, the item may not work appropriately, or it may have defects, or it might not be the same item pictured in the online image.

What is most important while buying any product?

·         Choose proper purchase time or season.

·         Think about the need for the product.

·         Find information about the product manufacturing companies.

·         Know the credibility of the company or the product seller.

·         Get information about the specifications you needed.

·         Choose the right company product.

·         Inform market demand at the time of purchase.

·         Find the quality and the market price at the time of purchase.

·         Compare the quality and market value of other companies' products.

·         Check the concession offered by the company.

·         Choose the attractive look of the product.

·         Think about the weight of the product.

·         Know the size of the product.

·         Think of the space required for the product.

·         Know about the guarantee of the product.

·         Check the result of the product.

·         Discuss about the Product Service Centre.

·         Keep receipt of purchase.


Tips for safe online shopping



1)    Select a safe site with HTTPS:

2)    Use a good anti-malware program.

3)    Optimize PC or laptop’s security settings.

4)    Share your information only with a familiar shopkeeper.

5)    Find that no one observes you when you fill in the information.

6)    Use a credit card instead of a debit card.

7)    Save or print a copy of your orders.

8)    Keep the print of the bill.

9)    Check your order status often.

You will not deceive if you consider all these factors before buying expensive products. Also, there will be no time for remorse after purchasing goods.

If you understand the difference between being and appearing, then you will never deceive. Shopping is the best remedy for all ailments. With a little care, you can enjoy a lot of online shopping. We don't even trust the breath, and we put our trust in unknown people.