By Tadiwa Jery
The business environment has been changing since the introduction of the internet. The growth in
social media users has served as an opportunity which companies have not been afraid to utilise.
As people can now easily get connected all over the world, businesses have taken this advantage
and started engaging with customers without distance playing as a major hurdle.
The Covid-19 pandemic saw online oriented business soaring higher than ever before. With most
organisations from different industries investing towards online marketing, the disadvantages that
arise from doing transaction via the internet were exposed.
Doing business online takes away the pleasant shop ambience which helps businesses to sell more
products. Social media does not offer customers the shopping experience they can get if they visit a
store.
Some customers have also played victim after encountering individuals who falsely advertised
products. A particular small business owner in the apparel industry ordered shoes she saw online.
Upon arrival, she discovered that what had been delivered was far from what she had ordered.
Social media marketing does not address the most integral part of shopping, which is whether or not
the product is of acceptable quality. This alone will make many potential buyers feel reluctant
towards getting in touch with sellers.
