What is online shopping? List its main components.

Online shopping is a form of electronic commerce which allows consumers to directly buy goods or services from a seller over the Internet using a web browser. Consumers find a product of interest by visiting the website of the retailer directly or by searching among alternative vendors using a shopping search engine, which displays the same product's availability and pricing at different e-retailers. Customers can shop online using a range of different computers and devices, including desktop computers, laptops, tablet computers and smartphones. An online shop evokes the physical analogy of buying products or services at a regular 'bricks-and-mortar' retailer or shopping centre; the process is called business-to-consumer (B2C) online shopping. When an online store is set up to enable businesses to buy from other businesses on e-commerce portals, the process is called business-to-business (B2B) online shopping. A typical online store enables the customer to browse the firm's range of products and services, view photos or images of the products, along with information about the product specifications, features and prices. Online stores typically enable shoppers to use 'search' features to find specific models, brands or items. Online customers must have access to the Internet and a valid method of payment in order to complete a transaction, such as a credit card, an Interact-enabled debit card, or a service such as PayPal, or even a mobile wallet. For physical products (e.g., paperback books or clothes), the e-retailer ships the products to the customer; for digital products, such as digital audio files of songs or software, the e-tailer typically sends the file to the customer over the Internet, for services the designated services are provided to the customer as per the specifications. Major Components of Online Shopping are: Product: It represents the commodity or service offered for sale. Selling Place: It represents the section in a website that is devoted to the selling and ordering of the product. Accessibility to People: Refers to the degree of ease with which the customers are able to find and finalize the product. Choice: With the popularity of online shopping and with the introduction of more ecommerce platforms, customers have a wide variety of products available to them. Price comparisons: Comparing and researching products and their prices is easier on online portals. Placement of Orders: Refers to the process by which customers select the products of their choice. This is often done through online forms that are filled by the customers giving details of the products or by selected the concerned product of their purchase. Mode of Payment: Refers to the mode through which payment for the products is made including credit cards and debit cards. Delivery Mechanism: Refers to the provision for the delivering the purchased products to the customers.