According to research from Statista, 75% of people shop online at least once a month. What about you? How often do you shop online?
Another interesting finding is that 63% of shopping journeys start online. Whether a person ends up buying from an e-commerce site or from a brick-and-mortar store, most of the initial research starts online.
How often do you browse around and don't actually buy something? Do you surf and turf? What does that mean?
Surf and turf: online shopping habit of not actually buying anything, just browsing/doing some "window shopping"
Checkout: the place where you pay for your shopping, either in a real shop or online
Retailers: businesses that sell you things
Using the example of buying a wetsuit (since winter is coming and I'm going to freeze if I don't wear one surfing here XD).
The Steps for Online Shopping:
1. Search: try to find, locate, or discover something you want
---> Look at different wetsuits from different websites; 🔍"women wetsuit" ---> Type in the "brand" if you have a preference: 🔍HURLEY
2. Add to cart: a temporary list of items saved so you can buy it together
---> Click on the wetsuit you want and choose the size and color
3. Register/sign up: create an account so you can just log in next time. This will save you some time if you want to buy from this site again.
---> Enter your email to register and personal information ---> You can also make the purchase as a "guest". You still need to put in your delivery address and contact information. (shown below)
4. Use Promo code: - Promo code: a series of letters or numbers that allow you to get a discount on something - Example: use Code BDAYTREAT at Checkout to get extra 25% off (Promo code = BDAYTREAT)
5. Choose payment/billing method: the way in which the amount of money is paid for your purchase
---> Collect on delivery (COD): in Taiwan, we can pay in the convenience store like 7-11/Family Mart when you receive your package. ---> Credit/Debit card: the most common way
---> Electronic money: Paypal is the most popular one ---> Gift cards: a prepaid debit card that contains a specific amount of money available for use for a variety of purchases; restrictions on where you can make your purchase - Example: $50 Starbucks Gift card ---> You can only use this in Starbucks stores
6. Shipping method: how you would like to receive your purchase (the faster you want it, the more money it will cost)
---> Here I used express shipping, it was the only option for international shipping ---> Notice that it says "signature on delivery", you need to be home to get the package and sign your name. (Make sure your phone number is correct.)
7. Proceed to checkout/Place order: to confirm your order and pay for your purchase
---> Click on "place order" and you're all set! Now, just wait for your new wetsuit to arrive!
There are a lot of advantages about online shopping like the ones listed below, mentioned in my online group lesson (check out the recordings of my class):
Now, let's practice listening! Listen to the BBC Talk on Surf and Turf
What is the talk about?
In the talk, 40% of people have abandoned an online shopping basket in the last year. Why do you think that it happens so often?
How can you lower the abandonment rate of shopping carts? What suggestions can you give to e-commerce store owners?
What are the payment methods that should be included for online shopping?
Do you think the checkout process is important? Why or why not?
According to recent research, which items are the most likely to be surfed and turfed? a) Books / b) Watches / c) Women's knitwear
What words are new to you? Make your own sentence.
If you are interested in learning real-life English conversation, feel free to sign up for my online class! Sign up here.
↘Comment below your experience of online shopping. Tag a friend who is a shopaholic ↙
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