The pros and cons of E-business from a consumer's perspective

There are various disadvantages to buying goods online. At the same time, a consumer can suffer from this experience. Here I shall examine these and see if the positives outweigh the negatives, or vice-versa.

An advantage the internet has that physical shops cannot compete with is the sheer variety of goods it offers. No matter how big they are, shops and retailers have limits to the amount of stock they can hold. Online, the products at the consumers' fingertips are limitless.

Another plus is the information that can be provided digitally in regard to these products. The person trying to sell you the product can only tell you so much, and may use propaganda to make you but underwhelming goods. With the internet, you can discover the reliability of these products from numerous sources.

Another plus point is accessibility. When shopping online, sites such as Amazon can keep a record of your buying history and recommend products that may be useful or enjoyable to you.

The online shopping community can also be a place to get verdicts and recommendations, both for products you are seeking and others you may not be familiar with. It is a great way to find new friends who have similar interests to you.

Buying things online is also hugely convenient. No longer does one have to drive large distances and spend ages looking for what you want. Now a great variety of products can be bought from one's laptop, no longer needing to leave the house. Furthermore, items can be found for a cheaper price than they would be in a shop.

There are several downsides to this, however. Buying objects online requires giving one's personal details and credit card information. If their systems are hacked, your funds may be at great risk. Another disadvantage of this is that giving such details can make consumers very nervous and feeling vulnerable.

An advantage of physically buying something is that the consumer knows that their purchase has no chance of getting lost. This is not the case when buying things online, which can sometimes prove unreliable.

Overall, buying online can prove very helpful when all goes to plan.