Ever get tired of running all over town looking for that certain item? Ever wish you could find the perfect gift for somebody without having to wander through the aisles of a dozen different stores? Shopping online can save consumers a lot of headaches, and buying online can yield the greatest savings if you know what you're doing.
There are two primary ways of approaching shopping online: browsing for ideas or finding the best deal on specific item. Say father's day is coming up in a month and you have no idea what to get your dad. Well pick one hobby he likes, say golf for instance. Bring up a search engine (Google.com is my favorite) and do a little search. Try "golf gifts" and browse through the many results until you find something that might appeal, perhaps a new wristwatch with a golf theme. Now take that product information including make and model and type it into a search engine. Add and remove search terms as needed until you get enough results. Find a couple different vendors and compare them to each other. Do they offer reviews of their service? Do you they have a fair return policy? Do they post a privacy policy and contact information? After picking out a couple trustworthy vendors, compare price. When considering price keep shipping costs in mind. Sites that offer free shipping often will jack their prices up to cover that shipping costs. They just want to be able to say they offer free shipping - reeling in those gullible consumers. The best deal may actually be a small, mom-and-pop-shop of a website who will ship the item for minimal costs but also has low advertising and web maintenance costs. A very important thing to consider though is the risk in purchasing an item and the savings you may get by going with a lesser known vendor. This is why it is very important to review privacy policies and other business policies. If an item arrives damaged, will the seller follow through with a return in a timely manner or will they ignore your pleas for assistance? Will you be out the purchase cost and all the shipping costs? After a negative shopping experience, you may find you have spent more time and money with the less responsible but seemingly cheaper vendor in the end.
The primary thing to remember is to find and rely on reviews from other consumers. Sometimes professional reviews may prove helpful but online readers need to be cautious because often these professional reviewers have been paid for their opinions and they may be biased. Often these reviews focus on point out the features of items, but they can fail to point out the downfalls. Many websites now provide space for consumers to review items they have purchased and used. These reviews are often much more helpful to someone trying to decide if an item is worth the purchase price. Amazon.com is a very popular website that lists items in nearly every category. Most items have pictures, professional reviews and consumer reviews available. I often refer to Amazon.com when trying to decide on something. Cnet.com is a great resource for all electronic items. They have both professional reviews from individuals in the business and consumers. Zappos.com is my favorite resource for reviews on shoes. Their prices are outrageous, but every shoe I've seen on the site has had a huge number of reviews. These reviews help me get a better idea of the fit of a shoe before I shell out the money to buy (on another site with a better price, of course!) Reviews of products also help to confirm the accuracy of photos and descriptions. One caution to keep in mind about reviews though: some people get lemons. Sometimes a faulty product makes it through the process, so keep this in mind when reading through reviews.
So now you've got a reason to venture into the scary domain of internet shopping. Give it a try, you might be surprised how easy it is! Just don't get carried away... it can become addictive... then you'll find yourself writing blogs like this one! Hahaha!
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