We are not new to e-commerce. It has brought the world to our fingertips. In the wake of COVID-19, online stores, shopping websites, and e-commerce apps saved us from the deadly inflection and delivered products and services at our doorsteps. It is so easy to buy anything and receive your favourite products on demand. But have you ever wondered how e-commerce gradually became a part of our lives and changed it forever? How does it become the silent hero, and it is helping us get anything from the comfort of our homes? If you had these questions in mind but never got the answers, this blog is for you.
Table of Contents
HISTORY OF E-COMMERCE
The history of e-commerce is amazing. In 1969, CompuServe was the first largest commercial company built in the United States. Although it seems difficult to believe now, computer-sharing services grew from email providers to facilitating telephone purchases in the 1970s. While we all started celebrating the invention of cable television in the early 1980s, some people with interests in developing and inventing new technologies developed the Boston Computer Exchange. It was a market set up to facilitate and increase the sales of computers. Who knew that this would be a start to something so big that it would change the way we shop.
HOW E-COMMERCE IS HELPING CUSTOMERS BUYING PRODUCTS
Overcome the Geographical Barriers
If you have a store, you are limited in the area you can serve. With an e-commerce website, it is a lot easier to connect with the world at your comfort. In addition, with the advent of m-commerce, i.e., the business dealing happens on mobile phones, people no longer have to stick to their desktops or computers for online shopping. They can shop any time, even while carrying out daily household chores or maybe while watering their plants or taking their dog for a walk.
Find New Customers With Search Engine Visibility
The sale of any product is driven by its branding and seller-buyer relationships. It is not uncommon for customers to follow a link to search engine results and come across an e-commerce website they have never heard of. Thus, this helps increase the reach of the products among more customers (buyers) and thus improves the brand’s visibility within minutes.
Low Cost
One of the advantages of e-commerce is reduced costs, as many brands attract more customers and sell their products at a much lower price than their actual market price.
Get the Product Quickly
It’s no longer about pushing a shopping cart to the right place or looking for a product you like. On an e-commerce website, customers can use the search box to search for their required product quickly. In addition, some websites remember customer preferences and shopping lists to facilitate duplicate purchases and then show similar products of their preferences.
Eliminate Time and Travel Expenses
One can shop a product just by a click while sitting at home, which might not take even 15 minutes. Also, it saves our effort as we do not have to go to a store specifically to buy even a single product.
Final Word
Due to the current situation of COVID-19 and mandated lockdown, everyone is sitting at home, which makes it difficult for them to run errands and essential supplies for their day-to-day usage. E-commerce is the best way for retailers to reach out to customers in this pandemic. And now that the advancements in technology have increased the interest of people in buying more products online. It makes the buying process easier for the customers instead of spending their time and energy going to a brick-and-mortar store.
