"Can Online Store Offer the Same Products and Services as Offline Store.”?

Business owners who have a bricks-and-mortar location sometimes assume that their online storefront is an extension of their offline storefront and that they will provide exactly the same products and services online as offline.

Reality: “Consumers have higher expectations online than offline, and the consumer rules!”
In some cases fewer products are offered online than in the physical store. This is often the case where you are test-marketing, but also where some of the products you sell in your physical location are not appropriate for online sales due to competitive pricing or shipping logistics.

In other cases your online store will offer more products or services than the bricks-and-mortar location. For example, your offline bookstore may not offer shipping or gift-wrapping. If your online bookstore does not offer these services, you will lose a lot of business to your online competition. When a site’s product offerings include items that are appropriate for gift giving, it is essential to also offer wrapping, customized cards, shipping to multiple addresses, and shipping options. The consumer is king and is very demanding. You have to meet and beat your consumers’ expectations online to garner market share. People shopping for gifts online are looking for convenience, and the site that provides the greatest convenience and the greatest products at the greatest price will be the winner.