Essay On Online Shopping

For this research paper I have decided to take a look into the idea of the fear of security risks in online shopping for consumers and businesses. As a consumer myself, and a young woman, I often find myself wanting to purchase things online, as many people do. Purchasing online is quicker, cheaper, and more convenient, as you can do it from anywhere. I have recently built up enough courage to purchase something online with my credit card for the first time and it got me to thinking about how many other people must be a little hesitant to do this as there is a possibility of something going wrong while doing so. As it turns out, my fears were unnecessary this time as I got my shipment with no problems. However, I do feel that a lot of people probably run into troubles while shopping online, and many people could be afraid of having personal or financial information leaked out while doing so.

I also feel that online purchases are a big part of many of today’s businesses, and I would assume they must lose customers or potential customers due to the risks or fears associated with online shopping. Throughout this course we have discussed many aspects of technology and the topic of e-commerce, referring to the buying or selling of goods online, has been a part of that. (Baltzan, 2012) In class we have also talked about the digital divide, and how businesses have advantages over other businesses when they have access to technologies. (Baltzan, 2012) I had mentioned in class once that a simple advantage to having access to technology is that you can bring in more potential customers with the use of online shopping. I think this is so because of the reasons I stated above: it is quicker, cheaper, convenient, etc. I still do believe this...

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...ese types of unexpected issues and have managers who are able to prevent these things from happening or at least be able to solve the issue if it is to arise. (Straub, 1998, pp. 441-469)

Throughout the large amounts of research done surrounding this topic, it is shown that there are many potential risks for both the consumer and the supplier in any online transaction, as well as potential risks for any business using technology or online interactions. Although these risks do exist, e-commerce and doing business online are still a growing trend due to all of the advantages associated with it, such as convenience, less time consuming, etc. (Lim, 2003, pp. 216-228) The trend is expected to continue growing and it is very important for us as consumers and business-doers to be aware of the issue and take what precautions we can to keep ourselves and our information safe.