Term paper on Internet shopping

7 different questions were posed to subjects of the study:

How often do you make purchases online?

A once a week

B once a month

C once a year or rarer

How many are you ready to spend online

A $100

B $1,000

C $10,000

D More than 10,000

How many purchases you make online

A 10%

B 30%

C 50%

D 70%

E 90% or more

How many purchases do you do in the course of conventional shopping:

A 10%

B 30%

C 50%

D 70%

E 90% or more

Online advertising influences your choice and buying decisions:

A Significantly

B Moderately

C lightly

D has no impact

What shopping do you prefer?

A online

B conventional

What will be more popular in the future?

A online shopping

B conventional shopping

The questionnaire was effective because this method was very helpful in terms of understanding of specific attitudes of respondents to internet shopping and how internet shopping affects the behavior of customers consistently. At this point, it is possible to trace the specific preferences of customers in relation to internet shopping.

The questionnaire has proved to be effective and many specialists (Peters, 2007) agree that the questionnaire is an effective method of the qualitative research. For instance, the current study revealed the fact that the majority of respondents prefer online purchases to conventional shopping. Moreover, a larger part of subjects believe that internet shopping will be more popular in the future than conventional shopping.

In such a way, the questionnaire worked effectively because they helped to identify specific issues relevant to the topic of the study. In general, the questionnaire has both strengths and weaknesses. The major strength is the revelation of specific issues of the study. On the other hand, questionnaires limit responses of interviewees.

Observation

The research objectives involving the observation are similar to that of interviews and questionnaire because the observation was supposed to identify the attitude of subjects to internet shopping and how internet shopping affects their behavior. In such a way, the observation aimed at the revelation of specific behavioral patterns, such as the revelation of purchases made by subjects online and in the course of conventional shopping.

The observation is an effective method that can help to reveal traditional behavioral patterns, which an individual repeats on the regular basis and takes it for granted. In such a way, the observation helps to back up findings made in the course of interviews and questionnaire.

The situation was natural for subjects. They were accompanied by the researcher in the course of conventional shopping and they reported on their online shopping in the course of the study. In such a situation, the observation was conducted in the natural way and subjects did not feel any discomfort.

The suitability of the method of observation is very effective. In fact, interviews helped to assess adequately the behavior of individuals in relation to internet shopping and its impact on their behavior and habits. In this regard, many researchers (Heilbroner & Milberg, 2000) believe that the observation is an effective method but this method needs the backup method or methods which help to reveal different issues related to the problem of the study.

For instance, some subjects of the study were inclined to spend more, while they made purchases online. They reported that they exceeded the planned amount of money to spend on their purchases. In such a way, the topic of the study affects consistently the behavior of subjects. For instance, some subjects revealed the inclinations to frequent purchases online but they readily buy some items, when they have access to them directly.

In fact, the method of observation has both strengths and weaknesses. The major strength of the observation method is the revelation of key behavior patterns of individuals. Instead, the observation method faces certain risk of error because observed subjects may feel uncomfortable when they understand that they are observed.

Conclusion

The findings of the current study have revealed the fact that internet shopping has become very popular but the further research is needed because the problem is very complex, especially in regard to the impact of internet shopping on the behavior of customers and their choices.

Nevertheless, the current study was quite effective. At any rate, methods applied in the course of the study back up each other and provided the researcher with extensive information on the problem of the study. The key lesson learned from the current study is the fact that the combination of diverse qualitative methods is very effective. In fact, the diversity of methods is very important in terms of obtaining accurate and objective results of the study.