People sold things online well before they had access to the Web. They posted for-sale notices in their favorite user groups or forums. They e-mailed sales pitches to prospective customers. Web sites, however, made it possible for sellers to post rudimentary online catalogs containing descriptions and pictures of what was being offered for sale and to answer potential buyers' questions via e-mail.

As shopping opportunities started expanding on the Web, some economists predicted consumers would quickly flock to the burgeoning convenience of electronic commerce (e-commerce). The opposite happened. Consumers were immediately concerned about the security of using their credit cards online. In addition, they were accustomed to the instant gratification of buying something at a “real” store and taking it home, not waiting a week or two for delivery. Also, Web stores did not offer any employees or fellow shoppers that consumers could ask about the merchandise they were thinking of buying.