Bargain Or Barred Gains? The Illusion of the Internet



Posted: Thursday, October 15, 2009

by Isaac Bennett
The Consumer Alliance

What is it that makes the internet seem like the best deals can't come from anywhere else? Could it be the way sites are marketed, like the 'one dollar', or 'clearance sale' stores back in the day? Or is it because the prices include delivery and that therefore 'must be a great deal?!' Whichever way you look at it, the fact still stands. That you can indeed find really cheap stuff to buy. but the cheapest? I beg to differ. Although most people today acknowledge that the internet is huge, many willingly admit that the internet is still in it's infancy! Still just a baby with diapers on! The search engines and their algorithms and other techno-jargon are merely on the cusp of internet's full potential. I believe that the day when a 10 year old can hook up a laptop and immediately design a website at no cost and search engines can index and crawl sites every second in real time and bring content to each user based on their needs rather than a websites rankings and links on the internet is the day the internet reaches maturity. Right now we are nowhere near this, but are well on our way to it.

For the everyday shopper who is willing to make the most out of every single cent he/she spends, the day the 'illusion' that things sold on the internet are the cheapest stuff you can find in the world becomes reality will be sign that the internet has indeed matured. To do this, however, every single store or business in the world must have an internet presence. Today however, this is not the case! What you really have now on the internet is large wholesale chains operating through the internet selling limited varieties of goods. The only reason they look cheap is very similar to why stuff in the only shop on your street looks cheap, and IS cheap...because you have no other UNLIMITED comparison. What i mean to say is that what you are offered on the internet belongs to either one or a few chains of stores and what you see in the store down the street is the only product of that brand or type for the next 10 miles or so and therefore, are the cheapest. If, in reality, you had information about ALL the products from every country and store in the world at your finger tips, price, quality and service will be offered at a whole new mind-blowing level! This will shift the paradigms even of inflation! It will be a whole new era in living.

What you DO have now, is internet stores selling their wares while physical stores (your everyday mall store) that do not have a web presence are unable to offer you their stuff in juxtaposition to internet stores, and therefore seem cheaper or better. Physical stores have not caught on or are not willing to move into the internet due either to ignorance or a lack of skills base to make it on the internet, largely because infant internet is still not easy to get onto. I assure you, however, that if you could access the products of all stores, web ready or not, you will find your shopping experience a whole lot more rewarding and really value-added. You essentially will have power in your hands! Power to bring more value to your everyday life by maximising your income through more cost effective buying. Power to know EXACTLY who sells at a better price and who gives better service and making your buying decisions after these considerations.

Remember, the 'illusion' is just that, an illusion. But be on the lookout for websites and services that INCLUDE stores that DO NOT have websites. Sites that give you product information about BOTH web-ready and non web-ready stores alike. And websites and services that allow you to gauge products by the quality of service, vision of the company and a company's proven track record, through the mouths of past customers rather than just on price. It will change your standard of living, since buying decisions no longer are dictated by what you have been 'told' to buy, but by what you know about the things you are buying. This is some serious food for thought!

Isaac Bennet is an entrepeneur from Sunny Singapore who loves extreme
sports, extreme political observations and spending time with the love
of his life, Rachel (talk about running the gamut of likes!). Founder
of The Consumer Alliance, an online community for Consumers, he writes
extensively on the plight of the everyday consumer and seeks to bring
some fairness to the market through his endeavours. He wish is that his
articles and works will bring value to the lives of each everyday
consumer.

If you are a consumer who wants to have the power in you hands you can visit his website:
http://www.thecaworld.com
This Article has been viewed 39 times. (Not updated in real-time.)
Top-level comments on this article: (4 total)
» left by Shad Alan 2 years 211 days ago.
7 fans.
Hi Issac,
 
Welcome to SearchWarp!
 
Here in the UK we have many websites listing the services of "local" businesses so that if you wanted, you could look up the name of a local plumber. This sounds great except that these kinds of websites have not really caught on as the businesses listed often do not l ive up to expectations (from my own experience). Pity but the Internet is growing up fast.
» left by Isaac Bennett 2 years 211 days ago.
2 fans.
Hi Alan,
 
 
Thank you for the greetings!
 
 
I couldn't agree with you more! The internet is growing up fast. It is true that web listings of businesses exist all over the internet and most of the listed businesses fall short on their services, but this is because the websites don take things further and offer consumers a way to assess the quality of service they may be getting. But this is all changing with new sites addressing this in far more innovative ways. Thank you for taking an interest in my article. I will tell you more in my next one or you could try it out by checking my site. God Bless
» left by Nenita Wells
 2 years 209 days ago.
298 fans.
Hi Isaac.
 
Thank you for writing this insightful article. Thanks for sharing this information.
 
Welcome to Searchwarp!
 
Best to you and yours,
 
Nenita
» left by Isaac Bennett 2 years 207 days ago.
2 fans.
Thanks Nenita. I hope to bring you more of such articles and hope it will be of help to you. God Bless!
» left by Anonymous
 2 years 206 days ago.
I believe it's come to a time when every business should have a web presence, especially because the internet offers everyone the opportunities to be seen and heard especially in this time and age where web savvy people can create their own blogs, and web pages for free. We have to take advantage of all our opportunities or unfortunately, fade away into the background.
» left by John D Jones
 2 years 205 days ago.
3 fans.
The internet is in fact still in its infancy, relatively speaking, and I can see dramatic changes ahead as far as progress goes. Businesses that choose not to use the internet must either not have the money or lack the motivation, because not utilizing the internet in business applications is in my opinion foolish if the resources are available to do so. Also, in reference to making online purchases to get the best deal, one must be extra careful and do a little research on the company you are buying from, as they could be selling counterfeit products or running illegitimate operations. One tip I would give to anyone considering making an online purchase is to scan the businesses website for a contact number and/or address. If you are able to get a person on the phone, it is likely a legitimate seller. Great article!
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