why do almost 87% of UK consumers prefer to make their purchases online?

 

Did you know that almost 87% of UK consumers prefer to make their purchases online?

Concepts such as "Marketplace" or "e-commerce" are commonly used when we talk about online shopping. You have likely heard them on occasion, but do you know what they really mean? More and more users rely on this type of website to make their purchases. What is this about? What risks exist in this type of platform?

Marketplaces or "digital markets" are a type of platform for buying and selling products over the Internet that, as is the case with e-commerce or "electronic commerce" platforms, have gained great popularity among consumers. 

But what is the difference between them?

• Marketplace: we could define it as an online shopping centre, that is, a space where different suppliers put their products up for sale so that we, the consumers, make our purchases. Examples of this type of platform are Amazon, eBay, Olx or AliExpress.

• E-commerce: the main difference is that it is an online store where the products of a brand or company are sold exclusively. For example, the websites of Clarks or Levi's.

 Why are they so popular? What are its advantages?

But why do almost 87% of UK consumers prefer to make their purchases online?

Due to their popularity and the numerous advantages they offer, more and more merchants are publishing their products on these types of platforms. In this way, users have even more offers with which to satisfy their needs just one click away.

Whether through a Marketplace or an e-commerce platform, it will be practically impossible for you not to find what you are looking for. And this is just one of its numerous advantages:

1. Discounts and more competitive prices: having a broad view of the different prices of the same product allows us, the consumers, to make better decisions when buying. The products offered on this type of platform are often inexpensive. Certain companies even offer additional discounts, coupons, and promo codes, that only apply to products offered through the Internet to promote the use of their online platforms.

2. Availability of "Stock": on dates of great discounts such as "Black Friday" or sales days, stores take the opportunity to launch their best offers. This entails a great demand for its products and means that, sometimes, the "stock" of the same ends up running out very quickly in physical stores.

Online stores and platforms offer us a solution to this problem, being able to buy very quickly from a single site, thus avoiding having to visit several stores to find the product available or in "stock".

3. “1 click” home deliveries: we have all had the need to buy something and the store was closed. One of the great advantages that these websites offer us is that they are always open, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Without the need to queue or wait, we can order the product we need and expect it to arrive at our homes in a few days.

In many cases, the cost of home delivery is already included, and we will receive it at the address we want.

4. Variety and evaluation of products: another of its advantages is the possibility of accessing a wide variety of brands and suppliers of the same product. In addition, we can assess the purchase of one or the other thanks to the recommendations and reviews of other users, which will make our purchase smarter.

As if that were not enough, with the rise of new technologies and the presence of smartphone devices in our daily lives, the ease and speed with which we receive an offer of the desired product and the way of acquiring it, make them the preferred choice of consumers, with an increase in its growth rate of more than 20% in recent years.

 What risks exist within these platforms?

Although this type of online shopping platform offers us numerous advantages, there is always the possibility that they can be used fraudulently to obtain a profit at the expense of us, the users, due to their astonishing fame.

Some of the main risks are:

• Fake websites: Fake platforms that copy the style of other official stores with the aim of attracting us to them to share our personal information and/or we will fall for scams with which we will lose our money.

• Fake seller profiles: Cybercriminals can also register on a "Marketplace" with the aim of selling fake or fictitious products that will never reach the user.

• Unreliable payment methods: Some methods are safer than others, and those more attractive offers can hide unreliable forms of payment.

In the case of marketplaces, you will need to create an account where you can include some personal data, such as name, address, telephone number, payment information, etc. E-commerce and other online business services will also require this information, although the difference is that you do not necessarily need an account to be able to buy online. 

How can we prevent it?

• At the time we publish personal information on a website, we must be alert and take into account a series of precautions to avoid falling into fraud:
• Make purchases on trusted web pages that include the name, address and CIF of the company. Cybercriminals often create similar web pages as booby traps.
• Before entering our card data or any other sensitive information, we must ensure that it is a secure site. The address bar should start with "HTTPS" and contain a lock icon.
• We must make sure that the platform has different payment methods, and use the one that best suits our needs and the one that is safest. Beware of offers that seem too good to be true.
• Do not trust all the offers that come to us by email. These links may be infected and steal our data.
• Online shopping platforms give us many advantages, and that is why more people join this type of purchase every day since we can buy things from the comfort of home and with just one click.

Do you usually buy online? If not, why not? Share your opinion and experiences with the rest of the users and keep up to date with pacmanreviews publications.