We are all suffering because of the current global pandemic, which has turned many people to shopping online, as this eliminates human contact, but prior to Covid-19, e-commerce was growing exponentially, and here are a few of the reasons why.
- The Lowest Prices – The online store does not have the overheads of the traditional retailer, therefore, they can offer lower prices, very often at trade. Some online stores simply have the product sent directly from the manufacturer, which cuts out the middleman completely. Take CMC Gold’s baby keepsake shop as an example, they offer top quality goods at very low prices and family businesses are able to do this, which is great for the customer. When you shop online, you shop at your own pace, and if you are not entirely satisfied with your choice, sleep on it and decide the next day.
- Greater Choice – The online store can display much more than a bricks and mortar shop, giving you more in the way of choices, with hundreds of products in the average e-commerce store. The online store can easily add to their inventory, indeed most do, and there isn’t anything you can’t buy online, and with Google, you can source everything. If you run a business, here are a few tips to help you understand your customers.
- Secure Payments – All e-commerce websites use SSL Certificates, to ensure customers’ financial data is secure, plus you are insured with your credit card provider, so online shopping is safer than other forms of transactions. When e-commerce first emerged, people were naturally wary of paying for something remotely with no guarantee the sender would dispatch the goods, yet things have changed and today, the online shopper is fully covered for every eventuality. Here is a link to the Australian government website about cyber-security, which is worth reading.
- Prevent the Spread of Covid-19 – When you shop online, there is zero human contact, with perhaps the exception of receiving the goods on your doorstep, but social distancing takes care of that. Rather than having to visit a high-risk area like a shopping mall, you can simply Google away until you find what you want, and a secure online payment will see your items packaged and shipped to your door. Make sure to keep up to date with current Covid-19 state restrictions, which might be put into place at any time.
- Sheer Convenience – There’s nothing that can touch online shopping regarding comfort and convenience, sitting in your lounge, browsing items, and you shop at your pace, with no salespeople pressuring you to commit. You could think about the purchase for a few days, as when you return to the online store, the items will still be in your shopping cart, and you decide when to make the purchase, if at all.
One thing we can be sure about; online shopping is here to stay, and soon automated drones will be delivery products in all developed countries, making it easier than ever to order what you desire.
