Online shopping is an easy and much sought after process which has become increasingly popular over the years . Here, customers can purchase goods or services over the Internet. The prime advantage of this kind of shopping is that it is done from home without the need to drive to the nearest retail store or shopping mall . The process is speedy and saves both time and energy from the customers point of view. Online shopping first came into vogue in the early 1990s. In 1994, Netscape released the Navigator browser under the code name Mozilla. In the same year, the first online banking service kick started and Pizza Hut offered pizza on its website for the first time . Magazine subscriptions and flower deliveries were also accessible online. Amazon.com and the first commercial 24-hour Internet only radio station ‘Radio HK’ started broadcasting in 1995. The very next year eBay was founded. The purchasing and downloading of Electronic postal stamps were initiated in 1998.
With online shopping, the internet helps customers enormously in their search for the lowest priced items or services. Price comparison services are also on hand with ratings and reviews of reputable online stores. To shop online, the customer first browses through product categories using a web browser. Having chosen the items required, these are transferred to a virtual shopping cart or basket. The customer then has to create a username and password for logging in. Personal information including phone number, e-mail address, billing address and shipping address are also inserted. Subsequently, means of payment and method and place of delivery are also required. Confirmation of the order follows which the customer prints and then logs out. Simple as that!.
Regarding payment, credit cards are the much-preferred means. In some cases though, accounts are created and alternative methods for shopping are obtained. These are postal money order, debit card, wire transfer or delivery on payment, several types of electronic money, cash on delivery or check . After completion of the payment , goods or services are either downloaded from the Internet or delivered to the consumer via traditional means. |
