Why the internet....?

[Morgan]

Hi,
I am a student looking at the effects the internet is having on traditional shops and why people are turning to the internet over a high street shop. I have asked why people buy on the internet. But I would also like to know why people start on the internet rather than buying or starting a shop

I am also looking at how people advertise their internet businesses to see if there is a difference in the types of advertising to see if the internet effects other business.

Thank-you from a desperate student who has left it to the last min again!!!

[BeadsbyLili]

Hi,
I am a student looking at the effects the internet is having on traditional shops and why people are turning to the internet over a high street shop. I have asked why people buy on the internet. But I would also like to know why people start on the internet rather than buying or starting a shop

My thoughts:

1) Main reasons for choosing internet based business over high street shop: overheads are lower (rent & rates), no staffing issues (p.a.y.e and all the other regulations that come with having staff), flexibilty (no need to adhere to a rigid 9-5 opening hours etc) and low start up costs (compared to having to deck out a shop).

2) Why shop on the internet? Prices are often more competitive even with postage most times (you'd normally have to pay for parking in a town center anyway). Wide range of choice without the pain/time traipsing around the shops. Flexibility to 'shop' at any hour of the day/night plus for some people it is easier (i.e. than dragging kids around/disability/illness etc).

Hope that helps the cause - good luck !

[JBJB]

Agree with all that BBL has said, plus:

Selling on the internet -

you can reach a global market, not just your local high-street.

advertising (usually) costs less, if not free - easy to put a www. address on literature etc

people can bookmark your site, so even if they don't want something there and then, they can easily find you again

people can find your products by doing a search-engine search - what would they look under for "bunting" or "candles" or "beads" for in yellow pages without knowing your business name?

Buying on the internet -

Much easier to do side-by-side comparisons of products and prices, which in the physical world means visiting lots of shops

Much wider choice of products in one place

HTH!

[icecreamgirl]

I agree with all of the above comments.
I would say that it seems to me to be a vicious circle.
I would MUCH prefer to buy from a local shop, and i do try to support local businesses as much as poss for everyday shopping.
It's all down to the huge overheads that come with having a brick and morter shop. Rent, Business rates, staff (and all the problems that come with that!)
If you think that an average shop in the high street will cost approx 14,000 a year, and that's not including the business rates you have to pay every month. Then of course there is the wage bill, unless you are going to sit in the shop from 9-5 each day you have to pay somebody to do that for you. Think of the amount of stock you would have to sell before you even think of making a profit!!
People can run an internet business from the comfort of their own homes with next to no overheads.
This all means that the internet is far cheaper to buy from, and of course people love getting stuff through their letter boxes!!

[nattynetty]

Oooh good question.

Personally the main reasons I chose to sell on the net were....

1) Low risk - I could work full-time elsewhere when starting the business which meant financially it wasn't a gamble.
2) Again v. low overheads
3) It allowed me to grow the business organically so to speak, as the customers increased I decreased the hours of my employed job and finally became fully self-employed - with a shop I wouldn't have been able to do this.
4) Global market not just local customers
5) Locally the shops are sooooo expensive to rent that financially it would be impossible, I was recently interested in a small, cheaper shop and the landlord had 4 other interested parties and I didn't get it - so it's not entirely by choice I'm still internet only.

Hope that helps and good luck with the assignment

Janette

[Poppy4lee]

Hi, I agree with everything that has been said so far, in addition, I purchase items on the internet because many of them can't be found in my local high street, it really does open up a whole world of shopping.

I sell at craft fairs which are scattered all over the place but selling on your own site on the internet means all the people that you sell to have (potentially) easy access to your 'shop'. So it doesn't matter if they live in the Yorkshire Dales, or, Leicester, the furthest they need to travel, to buy your goods, is to their nearest computer.

[Daisy]

Again, I agree with everything that has been said. In addition for me it's a life style choice. When my 1 and 3 year old children are at school full time I will hopefully give up my full time NHS job and run the business from home, thus giving my children a parent at home for them, something I didn't get as the child of a single parent who had to work all hours God sent!