SECRETS OF INTERNET SHOPPING

It's fascinating and difficult to tear yourself away - site after site, link after link. Clicking on the cherished button "order", you can already see yourself in the dress and imagine how it might look. But is it only clothes? No. Today, consumers can order anything, anytime on Internet websites, buying in a faraway country something that may not be available on the domestic market - whether it is household goods, spare parts for a beloved car, household appliances, luxury jewellery, cute gifts and so on. If some 10 years ago, buying something from an online store was exceptional for our fellow countrymen, now this phenomenon is firmly established in the everyday reality of millions. This has been facilitated by several factors. First, the spread of high-speed Internet, which made interactive "heavy" websites available for the majority of Internet users and online shopping a pleasant experience. There is no need to wait a few minutes to download a photo of goods, you can "roam" around the store, flipping through the pages and even viewing 3D images of products. Second, the simplification of calculations. The traditional payment by mail has been supplemented by electronic payments. More and more people get a webmoney purse and use the PayPal system of cash payments. You can even pay with your credit card through your bank.

Statistics show: more than one billion people prefer to do their shopping via the Internet. That is, every fifth or sixth inhabitant of the planet has been tempted to buy goods online. This is a great achievement of civilization for those who work or do not like tiring shopping. And we must admit that virtual shopping is a good way to get rid of annoying vendors, who are often more interested not in recommending something, but in selling it as quickly as possible. As a result, shopping becomes a kind of torture for many, and these many have found the way out in online shopping.

The most significant advantage of virtual shopping is that it erases both customs and geographical borders. This means that the Internet user can always order exclusive clothes, which, incidentally, even despite delivery expenses, will be cheaper than those available on the domestic market. And if for many local consumers, purchasing brand clothes was a dream, Internet shopping makes it a reality. Foreign websites almost always have special offers that motivate consumers - it could be free shipping or holiday and seasonal discounts. The main thing in this business is to be successful. It is not enough to choose a model, with discounts you also have to find the right size, for clothing sells fast. But it is a fact that online shopping saves not only time but also money. As a rule, Internet products are much cheaper than their counterparts on store shelves. And the quality is not inferior. This is explained by the fact that a virtual store has no staff, pays no rent for shop premises and spends no money on buildings maintenance. So it is quite realistic to save money, buying household appliances, furniture, home textiles, clothing and footwear.

As for the assortment of goods, it is unlikely that a real store has such a wide range as a virtual one. Very often, a whole family has to run to different stores for quality clothing. Visiting the same virtual stores, you can see that you can buy clothes, shoes and accessories in one place, not to mention the fact that sitting at home, you can do your shopping in the US and Europe. Few of us can boast of really high quality stuff from the US and Europe. The Internet, as we said above, has no such boundaries.

Lazy people can order food over the Internet, as today there are enough websites in the country through which you can do this. But it is possible that much of the produce will not be fresh. However, as soon as you find a tried and tested site, you won't have these misunderstandings. You can also order everything you need from local sites, but it is unlikely to be beneficial for the purse. If around the world ordering from a website is cheaper for the consumer than buying the same thing in a store, in Azerbaijan, it is the other way round - the store will sell cheaper than the website. Probably because this type of business is new to our market and there is little competition in this segment.

Inexperienced consumers in Internet shopping may use the services of intermediaries who either live in the country where the website originates or have their own representatives abroad. The buyer only needs links to the product indicating the size, colour and other necessary parameters and the mailing address. The mediator himself places the order and ensures that the parcel is delivered to the recipient. Certainly, it is very convenient, but the help of intermediaries is not free and ranges from 10 to 20 per cent of the order. Mediators often operate on 100-per-cent prepayment. In addition, there are joint shopping forums, and it would be useful for newcomers to visit them. At the same time, joint shopping is organized in a particular online store through an intermediary - the savings come in service fees and shipping.

Of course, online shopping has its own drawbacks, particularly the lack of fitting rooms when purchasing clothing. But let's share a little trick. In Baku there are many "doublet" shops. This is when there is a real shop and its virtual counterpart. The consumer can try on shoes or clothing in a real store, and then place an order with the virtual one. It is very convenient, but certainly not all of the real brands have doublet stores in Baku, i.e. their representations. So before virtual shopping, it is worth examining carefully the table of international sizes and reading the reviews of customers who have already bought the item, because the buyer may get not only the wrong size but also the wrong colour which looked quite different on the picture. It also happens that, after receiving the parcel, the buyer is disappointed in the quality of the goods, because they did not have a chance to touch the product before buying it. In this case, on foreign websites you can change a product within 14 days of receipt, but it will certainly be costly, because you will have to pay for return shipping. So many, trying to avoid this red tape, sell the item or give it to someone else.

Another drawback is that not every virtual customer evaluates the risk of online shopping. You may not get what you ordered - this problem can happen by mistake when processing your order. But fraud is also common on the Internet, and in this case, the buyer will receive nothing. It is difficult even for an experienced shopaholic to determine at first glance whether they can trust the virtual store. But it is possible to avoid fraud on the Internet, if you buy goods in tried and tested shops on recommendations from friends or reading reviews about them on shopaholic forums. A store may already be blacklisted. In this case, it is not worth ordering the item, no matter how much you like it. In addition, in online shops, you might encounter delays in the processing of the order and other troubles associated with the work of the service. But, after weighing all the "pros" and "cons", each of us, of course, is able to make the right decision. Millions of people around the world buy all sorts of things from online stores - from cosmetics to books and works of art and silverware. The choice remains with the consumer. After all, the benefits of online shopping - saving time, money and nerves - outweigh the small drawbacks.