You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
We are seeing a significant increase in online shopping nowadays. What are the advantages of this trend?
Give your own opinion and relevant examples to support your answer.
You should write at least 250 words.
Sample Answer:
With the technological advancement and widespread use of computers, smartphones and other hand-held computer devices, people are doing online shopping nowadays more than ever. More store owners are going online with their products and because of the convenient shopping mechanism, customers are opting to this new trends. The advantage of this online shopping facility is huge and there are some drawbacks as well.
To mention the advantages, we have to consider the conveniences of both merchant and shoppers. Merchants can run their shops 24/7 and without any utility bill to be paid, employee salary is not required and they can reach to a whole new segment of customers. Online shopping sites like e-bay & Amazon have more than several millions of online customers and these two websites can be two great examples of online business potentials. The merchants can reach to the new and potential shoppers with their online offerings beside their physical stores. This is indeed a great prospect for the business owners to expand the business. In fact, going online is no longer an option it has become a must in today’s world.
From the customers’ point of view, online shopping saves their time and money. They no longer have to go to the shops, accept the hassle and spend more to purchase their necessary products. Nowadays all they have to do is visit online shops from their computers or phones compare products and pay online. That’s it! And the quick delivery system would ensure the delivery of the ordered products to the shopper’s doorstep. This is a comprehensive lifestyle improvement for the online shoppers. They can spend more time at home with family members than spending time in marketplaces. They do not need to carry cash and that’s a better safety in terms of payment towards the purchases.
Among the disadvantages, the first and foremost is the inability of touching and feeling the product before purchasing. An online shopper cannot touch the product and judge the quality of it before making the final decision or purchasing. They have to rely on the images and description of the products and that might often lead to dissatisfactions of the customers. The second threatening issue is the online theft and credit card information hacking that might become an alarming issue soon.
A potential hacker and the malicious computer software worms can steal the sensitive information of an online customer and cause numerous troubles to the card owners. From the merchants’ point of view, customers often disagree to pay in case of pay-on-delivery payment option and this is very negative for running a smooth business.
In conclusion, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages and with time the online shopping would be the primary mode of shopping for us.