Types of websites - online shops
An online shop serves as a product catalogue that allows customers not only to browse products but also to buy them. Everything takes place over the Internet. This form is steadily gaining more and more fans thanks to the convenience and...
An online shop serves as a product catalogue that allows customers not only to browse products but also to buy them. Everything takes place over the Internet. This form is steadily gaining more and more fans thanks to the convenience and freedom with which customers can make purchases. In her article on types of websites, Justyna Adamczyk writes that online shops are “systems that provide a convenient way of placing orders by using the concept of an electronic basket, the so-called configurator. This mechanism allows the customer to complete the purchase quickly and smoothly, by moving freely around the product catalogue and automatically adding the selected products to the order form”.
An online shop can significantly reduce sales costs and makes it possible to compare prices across a large number of suppliers. One element found in every online shop is the offer page, i.e. a dedicated subpage containing a description of a product or service that can be ordered through the shop.
Online shops - shopping online
Shops offering various kinds of products use categories, which help customers quickly find what they are looking for. A characteristic feature of online shops is the so-called basket. It works in the same way as a traditional shopping basket, except that products are added by clicking the relevant links next to each product or service.
In addition to the basket, online shops use forms in which buyers enter the details required to complete the transaction. Online shops are administered from a web browser, which is why they include a special panel available only to selected people, such as shop staff. Authorised users can use the administration panel to add products and categories, manage the customer database and set prices.
Commercial shop software also allows the visual design to be modified from the browser, which is particularly useful for people who are not proficient in scripting languages.
The last and extremely important feature of online shops is their integration with electronic payments. This means that the customer can pay for goods over the Internet.
