Online Goods and Services Flashcards
What is online shopping?
This refers to the buying and selling of goods and services using websites accessed through the internet. The items can be physical, ie books, films etc. or non physical like music downloads.
How do online shops work?
Website displays the goods for sale
Customer places items in virtual shopping basket
Check out
Payment is made and confirmed
Goods and services are dispatched and delivered to the customer
Features of online shopping?
Can sort and search for goods Images of products provided 24/7 availability Comparison of prices to similar products Suggestions of future purchases Customer reviews of products Comparison sites Bookable delivery service, ie for food.
How do online booking systems work?
Booking system displays available events
Selection of seat/flight/holiday and placement in virtual shopping basket
Customer enters personal details
Payment is made and secured
Confirmation email ticket sent and customers print the ticket
Advantages of online shopping for customer
Greater choice because there is no geographical limitation
Can shop all day, every day
Find best prices using comparison websites
Do not need to leave the house
You have the right to return the goods for any reason within 7 days of delivery unless good are customised
You can read other people’s reviews of the product
Disadvantages of online shopping to the customer
You need internet access and computer skills
You cannot pay using cash
You cannot see or touch products and you cannot try them on
Delivery fees usually apply
You need to submit personal info through a website
Risk of not receiving goods or having personal details stolen on fraudulent websites
Impact of online shopping on businesses
Online businesses can be located anywhere- do not need to pay expensive high street rental prices
Smaller staff require- saves money
Do not display stock- carry a greater range of products
Attract customers from all over the world
Impact of online shopping on lifestyles
Easier access for people with physical disabilities or young children
More choice for people in remote areas
Reduced carbon footprint
Available any time for people who work unsocial hours
How do online auctions work?
Seller and bidder create online accounts
Seller supplies a description and photograph of an item for auction
The bidder with the highest bid at a scheduled time wins the item
The bidder is obliged to buy the item they have won in the auction
The seller and bidder exchange emails to arrange payment and delivery
Features of online auctions
Can search for items you want
Bidders can see status of their bids
Changes can be made before the scheduled end time
Users of the auction service can rate each other
Sellers can choose to make an item available for purchase immediately rather than have bidders bid for it
Secure payment is arranged by the auction site
Advantages of online auctions
Ability to search for good required
Community of users which builds trust by rating both buyers and sellers
Third party payment options for secure payment
Large number of sellers= More competition= Prices being lowered
How does online education and training work?
Student creates online account and selects his or her courses
Teaching material is provided on a website
Assignments submitted and returned to students electronically
Features of online education and training
Interactive teaching material
Communities of students interacting online
Provides personalised learning
Students work from home
How do online information services work?
News reports are written by newspaper and TV companies- made available online for free or by subscription
Users access websites to read the news of select news using RSS feeds
Features of online information services
Easy to search for and sort news items Up to date news available worldwide Review news items from different sources- some may be biased or make up untrue stories Allow users to select news News presented in text, images and videos Extra content provided for subscribers Users can add comments Users can subscribe to content
How do online banking and other financial services work?
User creates a secure online bank account
Money can be transferred electronically into the account
Payments can be made to other accounts
Features of online banking and other financial services
View up to date bank account details View all transactions Pay bills online Create new bank accounts Secure access provided Offers promotions to online customers
How does online gaming work?
A central server runs the game software and streams each player’s position and actions to all players over the internet
Players require a high bandwidth, low latency connection to the internet to avoid lag when gaming
Features of online gaming
Players select game and create online accounts
Players can interact with each other as well as computer opponent
Some games store data such as graphics and sound LOCALLY on player’s computers
How does streaming work?
User selects TV programme/film
Presses play
Programme continually sent from server and streamed over the internet
Player buffers (stores) some data in case of delays in data arriving
Programme plays
INTERNET REQUIRED FOR THE WHOLE PROCESS+ a high bandwidth and low latency connection improves performance of streaming device
How does downloading a film or TV programme work?
User selects TV programme/film
User downloads entire file from server to their computer
User presses play
Programme plays
INTERNET ONLY REQUIRED TO FIND AND DOWNLOAD PROGRAMME
Why do organisations operate online?
Work from any location
Can sell to people around the world
Overheads are usually lower for online shops so they can be more profitable than high street shops
Online shops can, therefore, be able to afford to sell products cheaper and still make a good profit
Advantages of operating online for retailers
No need to distribute goods to shops
Easy to make changes to products and prices
Customers only need a web browser, an internet connection and means of paying electronically
Inexpensive way to reach new markets
Minimal start up time and investment needed- can be set up from home
Organisation can be located wherever it likes
Disadvantages of operating online for retailers
Skilled staff are required to develop and run an efficient website
Ensuring online payment security is difficult
Need a delivery service and the facilities to handle returns
Customers limited to those with access to internet and those who can pay electronically
If retailer has high street shops too, they may find high street shops suffer and have to close down because they cannot compete with online shop.
What is transactional data?
Info collected about a sale or purchase
Stored in databases which can be searched and sorted
What is the commercial value of transactional data?
It is extremely valuable to organisations you buy from because:
It allows the organisation to keep a record of your purchases
Allows your delivery to be tracked
Contains a rich source of info about customer shopping habits and preferences