As described earlier, Internet retailers offer very detailed product descriptions online. Many provide toll-free numbers for customers who prefer to speak with a sales representative before making a purchase. As video and voice become more widely used, some Internet sites can be expected to give customers the choice to click on a button and speak directly with a customer service or sales representative via the Internet. As bandwidth increases, three-dimensional images that show the product from a variety of angles will supplement or replace the flat photos on most sites today. This feature will enable customers to gauge how well different pieces of furniture fit into a room of a given size, and which furniture styles or colors work best together.
Customers are generally interested in speed of delivery and ease of return.
The emergence of extensive overnight shipping in many parts of the world already allows retailersincluding those on the Internetto provide quick, reliable service. Customers who worry that they will have to make an extra trip to the post office or parcel delivery company if a product they order via the Internet is not what they had in mind may be surprised to learn that some companies will actually send packaging overnight, free of charge, to a customer's home, along with instructions to return the product, free of charge, to the company. Making Transactions Secure Most Internet purchases are currently made by entering credit card and delivery information on a computerized form and transmitting it electronically to the retailer. Even though consumers are accustomed to giving credit card information over the telephone, many are reluctant to give it online for fear that it will be stolen or misused. This reluctance is often cited as the largest barrier to the growth of retail sales on the Internet.