In online
marketing, and especially for retail-oriented businesses, E-Commerce
can offer you a great competitive edge in the digital world, to inform your
clients that your website has a Shopping Cart/Basket. In the world we live in,
convenience is a huge necessity for a happy client, for that reason -
online shopping had a quick and easy rise to fame. Great examples would
be eBay.com, Amazon.com and even locally at takealot.com. Comparing prices to find
the best deal and having a wider selection has never been this simple! While
many consumers still prefer the in-store shopping experience, e-commerce is the
way of the future. South Africa is finally catching up it seems and embracing
all the things the internet has to offer, over the past few years our online
shopping has had a significant increase, while retail shopping has had a slow
decrease in statistics. Retail stores have begun competing to make shopping a
pleasure and seeing E-Commerce as a threat. While this is true, they should be
seeing at as an opportunity for business. It is a fact that online shopping has
been killing the future of retail stores in the USA, such as Borders - a chain
of extinct bookstores that has been abandoned because of the convenience of
digital merchandising. Books, music and movies have all be traded for
digital downloads after purchase, cutting out delivery time completely and
making online shopping a further convenience for consumers. Many South African
stores have now embraced online shopping, adding shopping baskets to their
websites such as Incredible Connection, CNA and
more recently, Mr. Price. Embracing online shopping is certainly a double-edged
sword for retail stores, while creating convenience for your clients, you are
also creating unnecessary costs by keeping a shop open and having a decrease
in sales, as well as destroying job opportunities, which is already an issue in
our country. On the other hand, online shopping has already created a solution
for that - a way of generating an income by creating your own stores via Ebay.com and bidorbuy.co.za.
Anything
can be sold these days; Amazon has become a big retailer for Pampers nappies.
No matter what the product - some online store somewhere is selling it. Choose
- Pay - Deliver, or should you prefer Cash on Delivery - remember, it's all
about your convenience, that is the beauty of online shopping, that and of
course everything online can be found at a cheaper price than the price in
retail stores, because online stores don't have the extra costs of rent and
staff. The saying 'Time is Money' connects directly to online shopping -
because you save on both.
Online
Shopping vs. In-Store Shopping
Online
shopping is a convenient, easy way to shop. The stores never close, you receive
quick service and you can easily compare prices while having a greater variety
to choose from. You get an extensive view of the product, reviews and you can
also do your own research before you buy from the comfort of your own home.
While
with in-store shopping the term "out-of-stock" is ever popular, which
leaves you to go from shop to shop, losing patience and time, looking for your
desired item. Many enjoy the look-and-feel of physically going to the store and
seeing the product before purchasing, and although that could be an advantage
of retail shopping, but many online stores now offer a replacement policy
should the item reach you damaged.
Shopping
Baskets at ITWWW
We offer
a hassle-free Business - to - Consumer online shopping basket to your website
that has the essential product, basket, payment options as well as
all the relevant product information for a one-stop-shop experience along with
a design that suits your website.
It's all
about:
- Convenience
- Information
- Price & Selection
- Safety & Security
South Africa is slowly following in the footsteps of the USA, and with iTunes SA and kindlebooks.co.za, there will definitely be a
decline in CD and books sales around the country in the next year. Retail
stores are losing their appeal to the convenience and availability of online
shopping.
Adding a shopping basket to your business is an essential part of
attracting customers and a user-friendly shopping is the way to keep them
coming back.
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