ONLINE SHOPPING ELEMENTS

Online shopping often feels like a tornado. One search unleashes a whirlwind of results, shoppers are tossed around, overwhelmed, and confused, and brands and companies are fighting against the strong winds to get noticed. When the experience is over it can feel like nothing seems where it should. As more products, content, and ads are continually added to the internet, the strength of the tornado grows harder to navigate. While the meaning of the tornado in The Wizard of Oz is often sited as both political and economic hardships, it might more simply be explained as a disruption to the natural order of things. While change can be scary, it often has benefits, from expanded access to information, the introduction of new technology, and the ability to communicate in an instant. Yet change falls short when it happens for the wrong reasons, causing destruction in its path. As the internet storm continues, online shoppers work to navigate their way, due to convenience, habit, and access, but that does not mean they enjoy fighting the whirlwind.

Oh, Evanora, the Wicked Witch of The East, lost her way with her deception and manipulative ambition. Whether planned or unplanned, dropping the house on her stopped this behavior. When power goes unchecked, bad things can and do happen. The internet with all its power often evokes bad actors that take advantage of people and businesses, while maintaining a beautiful facade. Without truly understanding the reasons behind the actions from a lust for power, financial, or a way to manipulate others, will ultimately lead to their downfall. Exposing the underbelly of the internet world filled with bad players and advantage takers who are focused on bettering themselves regardless of the trouble it causes for others. Not all players are bad, but it is hard to tell the good from the bad. The internet should be a safe place to conduct business, one without hidden agendas, unethical practices, or ramifications. 

Unique to the online shopping landscape, we are all hit with pop up ads, tracking, and endless follow up messages, the “flying monkeys” of the web. Advertising has its place, but it becomes a nuisance when it clutters the experience like an uninvited guest. Despite better search, new filters, and recent AI tools, the experience still falls short of helping shoppers find what they need. Monetization models such as pay for placement and ad networks push platforms to chase profit over user experience. Online shopping also competes for space with news, social media, streaming, and countless sites, which adds friction. Popups, targeted marketing, and relentless messaging create obstacles that can make the journey feel impassable. The “flying monkeys” are everywhere. Online shopping should not be constantly disrupted, it should be an enjoyable experience that may including browsing, researching, and may even include shopping. 

Oscar, “the Search Wizard of Oz,” represents the power and wizardry we have come to rely when we use search engines for our shopping and research needs and this now extends to AI as it becomes a new form of search and online shopping companion that is all-powerful and all-knowing. There is a sense that technology somehow knows what we want better than we do and for those who are reliant on opinion, recommendations, or cannot make a decision, the reliance on technology is even greats. When rely on technology to lead us where we need to go and not on our own instinct we can lose the joy of the shopping experience and get caught up in too much information to make a good shopping decision. Technology is not all bad when it comes to online shopping, but it is not always the best option. 

Unlike in-person shopping that operates with a set of written and unwritten standards, online retail began without a clear set of product, packaging, and general retail standards. While in-person retail guidelines may have gone a bit too far with extreme information and warnings, child-proof tactics, and multiple language packaging requirements, online product guidelines are all but non-existent. With product returns one of the hardest issues to overcome for online retailers, placing a focus on setting online shopping standards becomes very important. 

A new standard in online shopping retail is represented with a pair of ruby red slippers. This new ‘red standard’ represents a focus on product and services quality, value and trustworthiness of the merchandise presented online, and a value-based standard that assures the online shopper that the product they are buying does what it ways it will do. The internet is never a place to trick, bait & switch, or to be dishonest with the shopper, it is time to set the benchmark for online shopping standards hold suppliers accountable and build trust with the online shopper. Products should be supported by brands and companies, products should clearly outline their value and attributes, and packaging should protect products, provided necessary information, and save costs when possible to reduce the carbon footprint.

While in-person retail stores are limited in space, contained by retail price point parameters, and present hurdles for new products and businesses. Munchkin Land represents the innovative spirit the online shopping landscape, ripe for providing new product options, expanding product offerings, and igniting innovation. From the garage to the garden and from the cottage to the warehouse, it takes a village of brands, makers and creators working together to meet the needs of the land, offering options and provide alternative choices to make many happy munchkins.

Social media has become a major player in the online shopping landscape, driving sales through influencer outreach, social media shares, and social media advertising. The magic of social media is often lacking in reality, much like the ‘Land of Oz.’ Followers often buying products based on the word on an influencer not an expert, great videos selling more pizza ovens than the best pizza oven on the market, or international businesses offering low priced goods across all social media platforms that lack quality, often duplicate USA designs, and represent products to be something they are not. Social Oz is a great way to tout products as being the best choice, limited quantities, or even used for other than their purpose in exchange for money. Social media can do good things if it is challenged to do so, but online shopping guidelines should be extended to social media setting guidelines and standards to ensure a better online shopping experience through social media.

The Yellow Brick Road sets a new gold standard e-shopping, establishing a new ‘gold standard’ that sets a baseline for all online shopping. While helping to set new standards, we are making out way to creating the Online Shopping District (OSD), a magical online shopping marketplace where every shopping category will be represented. New standards in online shopper user experiences, allowing the online shopper to shop in peace, demand expect quality and value in every product sold online, and requiring transparency is country of origin, product manufacturer, and packaging. When we bring transparency, trust, and entertainment to the online shopping landscape we will transform the way we shop online, e-shopping.