In the last few decades the internet has become one the most necessary commodities in the western world. Society would now be unable to function with instant and continuous access online. With this massive shift in not only corporate world but our personal lives, it was only matter of time before industries were completely overtaken by the new online power. Since this time we’ve seen a number of benefits financially, we’re able to acquire goods and content at a cheaper rate and also at our own leisure. But, what is exactly has changed and how much by? I’m counting down the top 10 industries to be revolutionised by the internet.
Music
Does anyone remember going out and buying CD’s? Or better yet cassettes? Or even better yet records? Probably none of the millennials. However, once upon a time this was the only way to have and listen to music. Now, our options are limitless. We have YouTube and Spotify for streaming, iTunes for purchasing and thousands of others in between. And what is even more impressive is that many of these services are completely free of charge, never would the people of 30 years ago thought they would be able to listen to music whenever they want for nothing.
Real Estate
To purchase a property many years ago meant to visit your local real estate agency and find out what properties they had available, now a quick search online will put you in front of thousands of properties on the market hosted by a number of estate agencies. Even selling a home has become an online process, online estate agents such as, CastleSmart offer homeowners the ability to list their property on the market exclusively online.
Shopping
Never has it been easier to buy something, literally anything at the click of button. Whether you’re looking for groceries or gadgets everything can be found online. Amazon is of course the largest example of this new ecommerce idea, however many supermarket chains have jumped on the bandwagon allowing users to have the entire shopping experience from the comfort of their computer.
TV
If you’re looking to watch a new TV series or catch up on something from the past, you head online. Not so long ago, if you wanted to watch a specific show you would have to wait for it to be aired on television or head down to your local video rental service. Now, we have titans such as Netflix overthrowing the TV sector, making most popular television shows available at the click of a button.
News
Since the rise of the online user several newspapers have gone out of business. This is due to consumers being able to gain all of their current events online, for free. Most popular published newspapers have made the transition online, so that they can still keep their readers informed and stay competitive.
Taxis
No longer do people say “let’s get a taxi”,no, they now say “let’s get an Uber”. With a simple app, users can order taxis to their location and not worry about the hassle of having cash on them. Most former taxi drivers have made the switch to Uber and similar apps, though they’ll be taking a loss you have to move with the times.
Jobs/Hiring
Once upon a time when searching for employment, meant visiting job centres, searching through ads in newspapers and even calling companies to ask. Nowadays there are many job sites, where employers will list the roles they have available allowing potential candidates to apply. For those looking to headhunt potential employees, work profiles, CV’s and a plethora of other information can be found on LinkedIn
Gaming
Console gaming used to consist of a couple controllers plugged into a rather bulky hardware which would have cartridges stuffed into it. You could play alone or with a couple other friends who were in the same room as you. Following the internet boom, players across the world began connecting, playing with and against each other. The gaming industry has gotten to the stage where users are now trading their own game accounts on sites such as LeagueOfTrading.
Travel
Visiting travel agents to book your next exotic getaway has become an unnecessary chore. Holiday goers can now book flights, accommodation and activities all online. The most successful example of this is Expedia.