As hard as it may be to imagine such a time now, there was a time before the web came along that online shopping was non-existent.

There were shopping programs and even shopping networks on television, of course, some of which are still in existence today. In just a few decades, online shopping has gone from a far-fetched, futuristic idea to something which is now one of the most utilized applications of technology on the web.

A Definition

Online shopping (or to be very specific, internet shopping) refers to commercial activity on the net, especially in the area of retail businesses. Nearly any product or service can be shopped for online now, with an abundance of e-stores available to browse. Consumers may purchase directly from secure, encrypted pages on e-commerce websites, which is the most common method or through an email-based confirmation procedure. Security is vital to the viability of internet shopping; before the widespread use of encrypted pages and secure database systems to protect sensitive personal and financial information, online shopping would have been a non-starter.

Commercial Growth

E-commerce went through an explosion in its growth in the late 1990s, corresponding to the growth in the number of households connected to the World Wide Web. According to the available statistics, there were approximately 41 million consumers shopping online by 1997. Prior to this, there were far fewer consumers online and many were resistant to the idea of online shopping. Most of these earlier web users were also men; by 2001, however, the proportion of women shopping online was 52% and is now closer to 60%.

The e-Commerce Bubble Bursts

Around the turn of the century, hundreds of online retailers went under in the dot com crash. An abundance of optimism about the future growth of the e-commerce sector led to entirely too much emphasis on advertising at the expense of planning for the viability of these businesses. This caused a dip in online shopping, though the industry quickly made a comeback; consumers had become accustomed to the convenience of internet shopping.

Comeback

It wasn’t long before internet shopping came roaring back bigger than ever. Online retail sales accounted for $3.6 billion in 1997 and nearly double that a year later as e-commerce grew. Currently, e-commerce is a $35 billion industry; even in the midst of global economic turmoil, online shopping is prospering.

Online Security

Security is an important concern for people shopping online. Consumers often question whether websites are a safe place to furnish their personal and financial information more so than whether the online retailer will actually deliver their wares or if their prices are favorable. Since it’s a priority for consumers, it’s also one for e-commerce businesses.

If you’re concerned with protecting yourself as you shop online, the following guidelines can help you keep your personal information secure on the web.

• Use the latest version of your web browser. Online shopping sites invariably use encryption for their checkout process, but keep your browser up to date to provide optimal security. You should always check for the small padlock icon which indicates a secure page before you give a site any sensitive information.
• Don’t use the same password for every site you shop with – and never, ever reply to any email asking you for your password, even if it appears to come from an online retailer you’ve done business with.
• Check the address for the checkout page at the top of your browser. You should see an address which starts with https:// rather than http:// – the “s” is for secure. If you don’t see this, it’s not a secure page and you shouldn’t furnish them with your information.
• Always read the Privacy Statement and sales policies of the retailer and make sure you understand the terms laid out in these documents before you buy anything from this site. If you don’t see these documents anywhere on the site, try to contact them by phone- you’re right to be suspicious about these sites, so don’t give them any important information by phone or on their site.

Finally, make sure to enter your information accurately when making a purchase online to prevent any problems with your purchase. You should also print out your order for reference.

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