MUET ESSAY : Online Shopping

Today people often buy what they need and want via online. From your experience, what are the advantages and disadvantages for both individuals and companies to shop online? Discuss.

Shopping is an essential recreational activity in today’s modern daily life. People shop for food, for clothes, for entertainment, even for self pampering. With today’s advancing technology, shopping had been made easier with online shopping. In this essay, I will discuss the two advantages and disadvantages of online shopping for both individuals and companies.

Online shopping is defined as the act of purchasing items or services via the internet, where everything is just a click away. Online shopping has a lot of advantages for both the consumers and companies; however there are also detriments of online shopping.

First of all, online shopping allows a company to expand its market. The internet enables connecting with customers and prospective buyers easier. Furthermore with the spurt of social media such as Facebook or Instagram, business owners are made able to connect and promote their merchandise to a wider field. The internet benefits the customers as well as they can access relevant information of their merchandise through the company’s website. Any inquiries can also be made immediately instead of having to visit the store in person.

Secondly, online shopping reduces a company’s long term costs. This is because business owners do not need to pay for expensive store premises, the running costs, and staffs to handle the store. The advantage is a win-win for both company and consumers as shopping are now made comfortable and convenient for consumers, shopping can be made anytime and anywhere, no lines or any visiting stores in person. Shopping online allows customers the benefit of comparing prices and quality of goods from different stores.

Despite the promising advantages, online shopping also has its disadvantage. One of the most common drawbacks of online shopping is the complications of placing orders. Customers who are not Internet savvy might find online shopping a challenge as they would face difficulties in finding the appropriate website, especially with the many fake websites nowadays made to cheat personal information from users. Other complication is the most common frauds or scams done by irresponsible parties. Users or consumers may think that they are protected and that their bank accounts are secured during purchase, however most online websites are frauds that aims at stealing people’s bank information. Online shopping can still be risky even if performed on an actual shopping site, since hackers are capable of stealing private information. On the other hand, companies with online websites alone to market their goods might have a downfall too; they would face multiple spam from customers or dealing with a whole lot more of consumers that are not really buying.

Secondly, shopping online does not grant the customer the satisfaction of choosing or examining the product. Consumers or customer cannot visually inspect the items they wanted; such as trying on clothing items, the inability to touch and feel an item, plus the complications of choosing the right color or size, hence purchasing online goods is all dependable on pictures on the websites, and we purchase the item that catches the eye. Pictures that takes time to load or pictures that does not display the items clearly can be a detriment of online shopping. Furthermore, the items purchased may be defective upon arrival, or the item purchased could be a low quality, opened or refurbished.

In a nutshell, this essay had discussed the two advantages and disadvantages of online shopping for both individuals and companies. Online shopping grants a few advantages for the people, but precautions should also be taken into consideration before purchasing items online for it has its drawbacks.