Introduction
The 21st century has presented various advancements in the marketing industry. There have been numerous competitions among businesses with companies striving to implement the latest media applications to reach a maximum population. To acquire clients, incentives and better means of packaging is applied to generate maximum returns. There has been specialization and delegation of duties to target the mass that finds difficulty in performing basic tasks like shopping and cleaning.
The modern society makes it difficult for individuals to acquire livelihood, and, therefore, they find measure to apply in bridging this gap of economic troubles. Costs are reduced in transportation and advertising products through websites that have a variety of services including delivery. Companies of the modern society implement measures to serve their customers effectively without employing sales executives or giving the customer power over their purchase desires.
One platform that finds massive use in advertising and purchase is the internet. Through E-commerce, trade has become easier, and transactions made without difficulty through programs that guarantee safety to the customers. This advanced technology should be implemented in a method that it is easily accessed and provide less strain on the individual. Customers prefer to engage in E-businesses that are user friendly and provide the best rates to acquire the commodities that they need in satisfying their needs (Leiber, 2009).
Websites have provided businesses with an opportunity to sell their merchandize to consumers more effectively through allowing them access to their assorted product range. This paper stresses on the importance of shopping websites selecting three examples to highlight on the services these channels offer.
Shopping Online
Consumers are allowed to shop for variable product variety with an effortless step of clicking on their desired item. Shopping websites provide consumers with services that allow them to save on extra expenses and time used to visit shops physically. They further provide delivery services that guarantee safety of the delivered merchandize on payment.
There can never be total satisfaction in service delivery. Therefore, a high standard is set by consumers to acquire high-quality products. Popular websites that offer quality services is preferred by customers to deliver services as compared to beginners. This is articulated to the industry that is sometimes flawed with fraud artists and tricksters that take advantage of these channels to swindle ignorant users.
Shopping websites are preferred to traditional shopping strategies because thy save on time an allow access to a wider range of products (Smarter, 2012). User-friendly websites protect their consumers from fraud and ensures that their products are delivered in the period given. Guidelines provided to customers to practice online shopping strategies should be presented for beginners to access information easily curbing the risks involved in insecure sites.
What to know about website shopping
Before embarking on the program, consumers should have basic requirements to solve cases of fraud and limit losses that may be incurred in the activity. Purchasing products online may be insecure because most users find difficulty in meeting several requirements, especially during payment leading to inefficient service from the suppliers. Companies that one decides to utilize for online shopping should be known.
Several shopping websites are created, therefore, most of them may be fraudulent. Consumers need to do a quick background check on the website they choose to undertake their business or opt for popular websites. Popular websites normally have referrals that have successfully conducted business with the company. There are government websites and organizations that have provided a list of secure shopping sites that are recommended.
A user-friendly shopping site provides a clear procedure of operational steps undertaken in trading. They give consumers the procedures that they implement in service delivery from the time they click the desired product to its arrival at the desired destination. There is a need for consumers to shop with companies based in the US, because they present the legislation that protects consumers from fraudsters who present a key challenge to the online industry.
The system presents a record of purchases that the client has conducted, and the customer is required to keep their own personal records for confirmation purpose. User-friendly sites have a wider selection of products to offer efficiency to the customer.
They maximize on the reliability the customer accords them and creates discounts on the delivery services and products. Some sites present tasking procedures that may lead the consumer to prefer the traditional method to purchase their products. The application procedure involved is tasking and may create questions that the customer feel are a violation of their privacy.
Features of a reliable shopping site
A reliable site gives the customer total control, and access to their personalized profile for them to change critical information whenever desired. The sites offer customer protection from fraudulent measures through constantly reminding them of their offers and packages that could be purchased to improve their service (Leiber, 2009).
Shopping websites have capability present customer with the choice of the product desired and would obtain any merchandize that are not in their catalogue. The catalogue should be designed in a manner that distinguishes products from their prices to their functionality. A jumbled shopping website with no clear distinction in product set-up would lead to consumer dissatisfaction.
Consumers prefer sites that locate the desired product that are not in the stock within a shortest period to ease product accessibility. The website design should be flexible to encourage transaction from every gadget in every continent to target a wider market group. Consumers would prefer trading with sites that contain the most number of individuals using their site as compared to limited users that may suggest disinterest in the website (Mascull, 2010).
An updated website would stock the latest gadgets and fashion keeping the old antiques within grasp. The general idea is to generate a platform that consumers can utilize to acquire their goods within the shortest period limiting fraud while providing exemplary service. Moreover, it should be easily accessible and a manual of operation issued to the consumer to apply payment procedure easily.
About Shoppers Advantage
A company based in Stamford to provide ease of shopping to customers that choose to use the site for online shopping. The website provides information on their company on the homepage insisting on their dedication to providing customer privacy. A link allows members to browse on a list of products by their brand name before narrowing to the desired commodity.
They inform new users of the information needed to set-up a personal account with basic contact information and location given to access the company’s physical location. The website is accessible with a help icon to help consumers contact them and ask questions in the transaction or order of service (Shoppers Advantage, 2012).
About Smarter
The website is accessible to any new member but has a section for registered members to access. The first presentation from the website is to list a range of products that consumers are able to access according to sex and age. It also stocks other products like home appliances, electronics, gifts and flowers.
The access to this website is easy, and the customer can access visually the products stocked. The website further advices users on the current trend of merchandise and the leading stores in the market. Moreover, consumers can bargain on the prices of various products as they provide a direct link to the stores (Smarter, 2012).
About Bizrate
The website gives a list of popular product searches and gives a visual list of the updated product list. At the bottom are links that can provide more information on the website and terms of service that it offers. It has a shop by department section where users can easily access their desired products on clicking the topic. Customers can acquire the rating status of the website and the users who have previously acquired products from the website (Bizrate, 2011).
A common trend witnessed across this website it their strict policy on terms of use and customer privacy that is provided in the about section. There is a link provided to contact these websites to contact the support department to ask questions on cases of inconvenience. The customer can choose on the mode of payment that they would want to apply and choose products from the range of prices that are affordable.
Table comparing the three websites
“
References
Bizrate. (2011). Web.
Leiber, N. (2009). Why Your Web Site’s Privacy Policy Matters More Than You Think. Businessweek. Web.
Mascull, B. (2010). Business Vocabulary in Use: Intermediate with Answers and CD-ROM. Cambridge. Cambridge University Press.
Shoppers Advantage. (2012). Privacy Policy. Web.
Smarter. (2012). Web.
Wan, Y. (2009). Comparison-Shopping Services and Agent Designs. London. Idea Group Inc (IGI).