Stages of online shopping

Online shopping

Online shopping is defined as the process through which goods and services are searched for and purchased over the Internet using a web browsing program (in English: Web Browsers). So that it is delivered to the buyer without him needing to leave the house.

Some markets provide websites as an alternative means that enable customers to buy what they need from these markets without having to visit them. The required item is delivered directly to the buyer’s home, or to a nearby market to receive it from. There are some markets that only sell their products through websites.

Stages of online shopping

To purchase through electronic markets, the user needs a credit card that supports the online payment service. Some sites can also accept payment via checks, but this case is relatively rare, and it is clear that it is not possible to pay with cash. The online shopping process can be divided into stages, which are as follows:

• Selection of desired goods: The user chooses the goods he wants to buy through the site, and the user usually has the feature of adding the item he wants to a virtual shopping cart. When he finds the item he wants to buy, he presses a button meaning (in English: Add to Cart) or something similar, and after completing the process of selecting the goods he wants to purchase, he presses the payment button (in English: Checkout), which is usually located at the top. To the right of the website page, it is preferable to check the items in the basket, such as the number of pieces of each item, in addition to the color, measurements, and any other information.
• Enter the shipping address for the goods (in English: Shipping Address): The user enters the address to which he wishes the goods to be shipped, and when he enters this information, the additional cost resulting from shipping is calculated, as it depends on the address he entered.
• Choose a payment mechanism: The user chooses the mechanism through which he wishes to pay, so he chooses the credit card as the payment mechanism, and then chooses the type of card. If the type of card that the user holds is not among the options, this means that the website does not support payment through this type, then you must choose another type.
• Enter credit card information: The buyer enters his name as written on his credit card, then enters the remaining information related to the card, which is the card number (in English: Credit Card Number), its expiration date (in English: Expiration Date), and the security code (in English: Security Code) consisting of three digits, and is usually printed on the back of the card, knowing that some types of cards may have the security code consisting of four digits instead of three, and it is printed on the front of the card. If the card is designated for purchase from a specific store and is not of a known type, it will not be required. The user has to enter this code in the first place.
• Enter the address where credit card bills are received (in English: Billing Address): This address may differ from the shipping address. If credit card bills arrive at the post office, for example, but the user wants the goods to be delivered to a different place, he must enter this address as the shipping address, and thus it will be different from the address for receiving the bills.

Advantages of online shopping

Online shopping shortens the process of purchasing goods and services for the user, so he can choose the goods he wants, pay for them, and then receive them without having to leave his home. In addition, the buyer can compare the prices of different goods offered on websites. He can also choose the goods he wants from among the many sites without being restricted to just one market. The user can benefit from the opinions of those who have tested a particular product, by looking at their evaluations of it before purchasing it.

Disadvantages of online shopping

Perhaps security and privacy are among the most important weaknesses of online shopping. The buyer should take caution when shopping and apply the necessary measures to ensure his security. In addition, the buyer is not able to try the item before purchasing it, and this is a very important matter when buying clothes.

Security tips

When shopping online, some security risks may expose the buyer to theft; For example, the buyer may be deceived when he is asked to enter his information in addition to his credit card information through fake websites, and the buyer’s device may also be the victim of a malicious program (in English: Malware). There are some security tips that it is best to take into consideration when shopping online, including the following:

• Purchase only from well-known online markets; It is not preferable to resort to search engines when searching for goods or markets. This is because the search results may lead to fraudulent sites, and the buyer must ensure that the entire website address is correct, as it must not contain spelling errors, and it must end with the correct domain name (in English: Domain).
• Purchase only from websites that provide a layer of protection via the Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS), and you can confirm that the website supports this protocol by the appearance of a lock symbol in the web browser (in English: Web Browser) when visiting the site.
• Use an anti-virus program (in English: Anti-virus); To protect the buyer's device from malicious programs.
• Use passwords that are difficult to crack and guess when logging into shopping or banking sites.
• Avoid using public computers to make your purchase.
• Avoid accessing the Internet through public Wi-Fi points, and if the user is forced to do so, he should use a virtual private network (in English: VPN) to access the Internet.
• Avoid falling for scams found on websites; Especially the obvious ones.