When thinking about how the internet has grown over the past 15 years, how people are using it every day, how people can do things from getting the weather, to shopping for christmas gifts to purchasing airline tickets, there is one thing that has been over looked for a long time. That is, why do we do it. The obvious answer is, because it is so easy, and so fast, but we are advertisers and we need to look at things a little deeper than most.
When answering this question there are many explanations for why we surf the web on a daily basis. Are we all becoming introverts? There is no more talking to the post-man when he comes to your home to pick up your outgoing mail. We are paying our bills online now, no need to talk to him anymore. We are making purchases like cloths, movie tickets and sometimes food, without ever speaking to a human being. Why are we doing this. For one reason it makes us feel independent. Now we can go online, search every available product and service known to man, do indepth research on how there product works, read blogs from people who are currently using the product, and see who likes it for that reason, and who doesn’t like it. Meanwhile the person that goes to the store to shop has to listen to the sales person talk about how great his product is and how all of the competition out there doesn’t even compare. The everyday salesman has met his match. There are no longer taking your word for things. It is far to easy to go and get research, unbiased research online and make your decision based on your own findings.
When we are online we feel confident and smart. We have all the information in the world at our fingertips, and we can make as many mistakes as we want, and the best part about it, no one is going to know. We can spend hours online making mistakes, clicking the wrong link, looking at the wrong information, and we are always a, back button away from fixing it.
We are often not dressed in our street clothes either. Nor, are we distracted by the child screaming in the store or the 50 year old woman that is dresses like a 20 year old. We are in our homes, surrounded by our belongings, all of the things we already own. We are doing our shopping while in our own EMPIRE.
When we search we are the king. Other than the occasional pop-up, no one is telling us what to do or where to go. We are incharge of our own destiny. We don’t have to worry about hurting anyones feelings. Even better, we don’t have to go through the agonizing pain of telling that very polite salesperson……NO.
That is what it all comes down to on the internet. We don’t have to say no. I have been in sales for about 2 years now, and there is nothing people hate more than telling me NO. There is something about saying that word that people hate. Many feel that it is a personal slam on the person if you are declining to purchase your products or services. People will tell me maybe, or next month, or next quarter, for years before they flat out tell me NO. And that is what people love about the Internet. Telling a computer NO is easy, and fun. No one is walking away from you with their tail between there legs, you don’t get pressed harder, you are not even asked why you said NO.
So, it’s as simple as that. We are in charge on the World Wide Web. It’s our egos, our confidence. We can do whatever we want, and when we find the answer to our question, We know that we did it. We found the answer, no one helped, we didn’t ask anyone any questions, we did it all on our own. So keep searching Kings and Queens, for we own the World Wide Web.
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