The digital revolution has transformed our way of consuming. Buying from the comfort of our homes has become a trend that is gaining ground daily. When we add items to our virtual basket, we face several questions: Is it safe? Will it arrive in good condition and on time? What happens if I change my mind? Below, we will clear up these uncertainties to demonstrate why e-commerce is a reliable and convenient option.
Benefits of online shopping
Trust is the pillar of electronic commerce. Once this barrier is overcome, the advantages of shopping online become evident. One of the big attractions is the ease of comparing prices. Imagine looking for a product in a supermarket. Visiting multiple stores can be tiring and expensive. Online, this comparison is done with just a few clicks.
Plus, the diversity of products online is fantastic. Physical businesses are limited by their physical space, while the possibilities are endless in cyberspace. Take Amazon as an example: It was born as a bookstore and has transformed into a platform where you can buy almost anything. How do I do it? I overcome space restrictions by selling third-party products and establishing warehouses around the world.
Online offers are also usually more attractive. Consumers often visit physical stores to see and feel the product and then purchase it online at a lower price. This phenomenon is particularly noticeable in the textile sector.
Another incentive for shopping online is saving time. Amazon, once again, is an excellent example with its Prime service, which promises fast deliveries within 24 to 48 hours. Finally, the opinions of other users help us make more informed purchasing decisions.
1.Geographical limitation
You are limited by the geographic area you can service if you have a physical store.
With an online store, the entire world is your playground. Furthermore, the arrival of e-commerce, that is, electronic commerce through electronic devices, has dissolved all geographical limitations.
Brands and relationships drive physical commerce. Search engine traffic drives online retail as well.
It’s not uncommon for customers to follow a link in search engine results and arrive at an online store they’ve never heard of. This additional traffic source may be the tipping point for some eCommerce businesses.
2. Lower costs
One of the most obvious positive aspects of e-commerce is cost reduction.
Part of these reduced costs can be passed on to customers in the form of reduced prices or advertising investment. Here are some ways to reduce the cost of e-commerce:
Advertising and Marketing: Natural search engine traffic, pay-per-click traffic, and social media traffic are some of the profitable advertising channels.
Staff: Automated procurement, invoicing, payments, inventory management and other operational processes, reducing the number of employees needed to run e-commerce.
3. Find products faster
It’s no longer about pushing the shopping cart to the correct aisle or searching for the desired product. In online stores, customers can click on the product. Some websites will remember customer preferences and shopping lists to make future purchases easier.
4. Eliminates the time of going to pick up the product
It is not uncommon for customers to travel long distances to reach their favourite stores. The online store allows them to access the same store with just a few clicks.
5. Compare prices
The online store makes it easy to compare purchases. Several online services allow customers to search various ecommerce stores for the best prices.
6. Offer deals, coupons and group purchases in the online store
Although there are physical equivalents to sales, deals, coupons and group purchases, online shopping is much more convenient. For example, if a customer has a deep discount coupon for turkey at one brick-and-mortar store and toilet paper at another, they need more time to get a discount on both. However, the customer could do it online with a few mouse clicks.
7. Provide more information
The amount of information displayed in a physical store is limited. It isn’t easy to equip employees to respond to customers who require information across product lines. E-commerce websites can easily make additional information available to customers. Most of this information is provided by vendors and costs nothing to create or maintain.
8. Open 24 hours
Online stores can operate 24/7. From the merchant’s point of view, this increases the number of orders he receives. From the customer’s point of view, it is a benefit since he can make purchases whenever he wants.