| It's hard to believe that a mere fifteen years ago, we | | | | from Web 1.0 to 2.0, companies online retailers realized |
| had no idea what the Internet was, let alone have an | | | | that if they wanted to stick around for the long haul |
| inkling of how it would change our lives. But now, as | | | | they would need actual people available by phone to |
| we enter the "golden era" of Web 2.0, a lot has | | | | help their customers with any potential issues with their |
| changed - especially in terms of the online shopping | | | | order. |
| experience. | | | | Selection |
| Here's a look at how online shopping for deals has | | | | Selection THEN: Just because you saw a product |
| changed over the past decade. | | | | online didn't necessarily mean that it was in stock - or |
| Online Security | | | | that the company selling it was even in business for |
| Security THEN: We all quaked with fear every time | | | | that matter! Plus, there were few businesses that had |
| we entered our credit card online to make a purchase. | | | | made the leap online - and those that had were only |
| Some of this fear was unfounded, but some of it was | | | | offering a smattering of their available SKUs to the |
| well-placed as hackers moved in and out of consumer | | | | web customers. |
| sites with ease, causing identity theft to skyrocket and | | | | Selection Now: Complex back-end inventory systems |
| leaving individuals to answer for millions of dollars | | | | can let customers know whether or not the item they |
| worth of unauthorized charges. | | | | are seeing on screen is actually in stock. Plus, |
| Security NOW: The ability of online businesses to | | | | companies have come to realize the importance of |
| protect their customers has increased dramatically in | | | | placing their entire stock online at all times. |
| the past several years. Now, site encryption is more | | | | Finding the Best Deals |
| advanced and the systems are tested under more | | | | Finding the Best Deals THEN: During the first web |
| rigorous conditions than ever before. | | | | boom, the deals were there - but they were so steep |
| Customer Service and Support | | | | and outrageous that the companies offering them |
| Customer Support THEN: One of the biggest problems | | | | soon folded under the cost of their own customer |
| with e-commerce 1.0 was the utter lack of customer | | | | acquisitions. |
| support. Basically, it came down to selecting your | | | | Finding the Best Deals NOW: With more selection than |
| product, clicking the "order" button and then praying it | | | | ever before, and the rise of deal-of-the-day web sites |
| would make it you within the month. If something went | | | | that offer even more savings on overstocked, but high |
| wrong, there was a good chance that the company | | | | quality products, there is now NO better place than the |
| itself had NO infrastructure to handle complaints. | | | | Internet for finding the best deals in the world. |
| Customer Support NOW: Somewhere on the road | | | | |