Integrated Professional Skills in Digital Age

Integrated Professional
Skills in Digital Age

Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY ..................................................................................................................................1
A detailed comparison between the positive and negative aspects of online and offline
shopping.......................................................................................................................................1
Briefly explain measures and challenges of privacy and security that individual and businesses
has to take while converting there business online......................................................................3
Due to outbreak of COVID-19, many businesses are turning to provide their services online
platforms. Compare and contrast the characteristics, applications and suitability of any two
digital platforms...........................................................................................................................6
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................11
Books and Journals:...................................................................................................................11

INTRODUCTION
With the advancement in technology is has become easier to promote and run business.
People get more inclined towards online purchases over conventional shopping in recent years as
it offers numerous advantages and benefits. COVID pandemic has changed the thinking of
people and has made online purchases a necessity in order to reduce and control the spread of the
virus. In recent year customers’ decision making structure has changed dramatically. E-
commerce and internet has made businesses much easier and faster. E-commerce website
provides several attractive deals and discounts associated with customer goods and this has
increased the demand of online shopping. This report outlines the comparison between positive
and negative factors associated with online and offline shopping. Further, it states the challenges
faced by business and individual owners to prevent their website. Also, the report encompasses
the features and adaptability of video conferencing tools.
MAIN BODY
A detailed comparison between the positive and negative aspects of online and offline shopping.
Positive aspects of online selling-
1. Wider reach- E-commerce website offers wide range of customers. It helps businesses
to promote their products to their potential customers with just few clicks. With the help
of E-commerce website, they can target their potential buyers effortlessly. (Katta and
Patro, 2020) E-commerce site provide numerous range of products from convenience
goods to speciality goods. There is no need to visit conventional store in order to
purchase certain products.
2. Reduction in cost- The major advantage of using digital platform is that is reduces the
cost of promoting products. Business owner has to spend huge amount of money to
maintain their traditional store. They have to pay for rent, interior and repairs to maintain
their store. But it’s not the case with online selling, a person can set up e-commerce
business with minimal investment. (Izogo and Jayawardhena, 2018)
3. Managing delivery and shipping of goods- Keeping a proper record of shipping and
delivery of products plays a vital role in online business. Well-established e-commerce
site like Amazon and Flipkart provide efficient logistics facilities to their customers and
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by selling products on these websites can help small business as people trust these sites.
They also manage the exchange and return of goods, this save time and money of small
businesses.
Positive aspects of offline selling-
1. No time delivery- In conventional shopping there is no need to wait for product to be
delivered a person can directly buy anything from stores without waiting for it. A person
can't rely on online shopping in case of immediate purchase. There is no need to pay for
shipping of products. (Lee and Lee, 2019)
2. Personal interaction- In traditional shopping there is a face to face interaction between
buyer and seller this build a sense of trust with their customers. A person can actually see
how a product will look on them in conventional shopping, this service is not available in
online business.
3. Quality check- The customer can effortlessly check the quality and provide feedback on
the product which he intent to buy. A buyer may see, feel and touch a product while
purchasing from traditional store.
4. Discount- The buyer may get discount offers, cash discount in conventional shopping,
which is not feasible in online shopping because the prices of goods and services are
fixed in online shopping.
Negative aspects of online shopping-
1. Fraudulent act- Frauds are one of the biggest drawback in online business. Customers
get easily attracted by fascinating goods and discounts displayed by fraud business
owners and buy them. Customers should rely on cash on delivery and should not share
their debit or credit card information, as they can misuse that information for malicious
misconduct. (Advantages and Disadvantages of online shopping, 2022).
2. Lack of interaction- While shopping online a customer can not touch and check the
quality of the product. They can only visualize the product by seeing its picture and
reading it description. There is no face to face interaction between the seller ans the
buyer.
3. Hidden cost and shipping charges- Online product looks cheaper but customers doesn't
know about the extra charges such as tax and shipping charges that are imposed when
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