"Free” is a very attractive term to consumers. When I heard the news from my friends that they got some fancy software from an online site, my first question was always, “Is that free?”
I am very much enjoying products such as music, movies and other kinds of software which can be easily downloaded online. If I had to spend my money on music and movies, I would probably quit such hobbies or try to find other sources which guarantee free usage. Strangely, I do not feel guilty when I get goods online as compared to offline. When I have gotten anything for free offline, such as when I got beer for free or complimentary books, I always feel lucky. However, when I get goods online for free, I do not feel lucky; rather, I think that those goods should be free. As the articles said, there are differences in the consumers’ mind-set between offline and online markets. Offline, we tend to think that the products are scarce, so paying for the products is acceptable for getting them, while we are likely to think the online products are abundant and unlimited, and thus we do not need to pay because we can get them anytime. It is interesting that the more expensive the products, the more consumers are willing to buy them in the offline market, but their behavior in the online market is the opposite.
No comments:
Post a Comment