A vast majority of people currently prefer to shop online, and one of the main reasons for this is the modern internet revolution and the ease that this type of shopping provides. And because there are so many benefits, buying products online has gained a lot of popularity. In this article, we will try to get a clear picture by knowing the advantages and disadvantages of buying online, which will help the readers to know its benefits and risks
Why do we prefer buying online?
We can find and buy anything we want without having to leave the house, which is good as that makes us avoid many problems, such as the transportation problems, standing in long lines especially during the holidays, sometimes engaging in fruitless discussions with some vendors… etc.
Who offers buying online services?
In fact, most traditional stores now have websites that allow their customers to pick up all their items from them, with the retailer then either delivering the order to the door of the customer’s house, or directing it to the nearest branch of the store to get the items directly from it.
However, there are other sites that only offer e-shopping services, they do not have a physical store that customers can visit, for example, the popular e-commerce site Amazon and other stores such as eBay, Etsy, and Wish.
How do we buy online in general?
Before everything you will need an internet connection, a credit card if the site does not provide payment service upon receipt, a well secured password (preferably contain letters, numbers, and symbols) just in case the store requires opening an account to place orders, email address or phone number in certain cases.
Now all you have to do is to select the store, select a classification to which the desired products, find it, add it to your buying cart, enter your data, then confirm your request by clicking on the button “confirm order”.
Advantages of buying online that attract customers
1-saveing time:
online shopping does not require moving from one place to another, nor to look for a car park, you can buy from anywhere, whether at home, work or anywhere, and there are no queues to wait.
2-convenience in shopping:
You will not need to carry bags and move between the shops, as you can shop at any time that suits you during the day or night. There is no need to allocate certain times according to the working Times of the shops, whatever the weather. You can also shop electronically and add products to your cart for months and complete the purchase anytime.
3- Psychological comfort:
you will not have to deal with sellers and will avoid embarrassment and their harassment.
4- Ease of comparison:
You can directly compare different products produced by sites directly, instead of visiting a store and then moving to another store. you can also find details and specifications written clearly, instead of relying on the information of the seller who may hide
5- feedback of other customers:
Opinions and experiences will not be limited to those around you. But extend to buyers around the world, giving you more confidence when buying online.
6 – Ease of placing purchase orders when the item is not available:
Whether for new items that have not landed in the markets or for items that are not available in the store at the moment, then shipped to you as soon as available.
7 – View all the options available through the site:
you can learn all the options, colors, and sizes available, whether it was available or not. This feature is not available in regular stores that know just the colors and sizes that are currently available.
8 – shopping from anywhere in the world:
Perhaps one of the most important advantages of buying online:
you do not need to travel to visit some of the special stores that have no branches in your country
Disadvantages of buying online
Customers can not see the actual product
You can’t tell what it feels like, or maybe it’s hard to imagine its true size, which is different from traditional shopping.
You do not get the item right away
When you buy online, you should wait for days and possibly weeks to receive it, and the problems that may accompany shipping such as loss, delay, or damage to the product.
The item may not meet your expectations:
The item may not be as original as you expected, or its size, specifications, or color may be different than you expected.
The absence of human experience:
You may need to discuss with the sellers to inquire more about the item or even ask for advice from him.
Provide stores with your personal information:
When buying online, you need to provide the store with your name, address, and other information. While in traditional shopping, especially when paying in cash, you will be just an anonymous customer.
Easy exposure to fraud:
There are some scammers who design a site similar to another real site to defraud shoppers. As the online stores may be hacked, and your information, especially bank card information, puts you at risk of theft.
But with all these disadvantages, buying online is the future. Although it currently accounts for 12% of purchases, it is expected to reach 50% by 2030, and perhaps before that.
