The chart (courtesy of Practical eCommerce) details holiday shopping, but I personally think it can be applied to all year. In many ways shopping online is much more advantageous than shopping at the store. There’s no waiting in line to process your order, you can shop at any hour, you don’t have to deal with crazy people, the list is pretty long. However, there are off course disadvantages as well.

Generally speaking, customers dislike the idea of paying additional money for shipping and handling. They’re already shelling out money to buy the goods, why should they spend more just to receive them? When shopping at a store, you’re only paying for what you wanted (plus tax) and then you can drive home with it. There are a lot of people who will avoid shopping online for this reason as well. I’d suggest coming up with ways to make your shipping costs lower.

The other reason the chart shows, is the physical need to touch and see the product. A lot of people like to play with the stuff they’re buying. Make sure they’re kosher so to speak. This obstacle can be a little easier to overcome. By having lots of photographs and detailed descriptions you can ease the customer’s mind. Including a product video or demonstration can be even better!

Can you think of any other reasons people would choose to shop at a store over online?

Tags: Business, Business and Economy, e-commerce, Online shopping, Retailing, shipping, Shopping, shopping cart, small business trends

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