Online Shopping for Dummies

Hot marketplace topics of the day!!!

Thursday, June 3, 2010

My favorite sites for online shopping

Online shopping is very convenient but can also drive you crazy, there are some many sites and so many tools available to help you find bargains. But the problem is that it would take you forever to do the research on you own, so after many successful online purchases i have come with a list of my favorite sites:

bluefly.com
Net-a-porter.com
Editorscloset.com
Ruelala.com
Overstock.com ($2.95 shipping on all orders)
SmartBargains
Shopping.com (formerly DealTime)
PriceGrabber.com

What's Wrong with Online Shopping

What's Wrong with Online Shopping

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Search engine optimization - Most consumers start their online shopping research with a search engine - Internet Retailer

Search engine optimization - Most consumers start their online shopping research with a search engine - Internet Retailer

As an e-commerce expert I’m always getting bombarded with questions from amateur shoppers who would love to purchase items online but lack the skills. After almost a decade of successful online shopping and believe me I do most of my shopping online, I have finally decided to write on the subject.

The following information is crucial for a successful and gratifying online shopping experience.

  1. Protect your personal information from identity theft, and check if you are buying from reliable sellers, Secure encrypted sites have some of the following characteristics
  • The web address on the page that asks for your credit card information begins with "https:" instead of "http."
  • The words "Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)"
  • The picture of the unbroken key or closed lock in your browser window
  • A pop up box that says you are entering a secure area.

  1. Paying by credit card is one of the Safest Way to shop online because most credit card issuers will cover any unauthorized charges on your credit card. For detailed information contact your credit card provider. Moreover if you are uncomfortable spreading your credit-card number around the Internet the following services are very convenient:
  • Auction payment services: paypal, BidPay, etc
  • Checkout services: Google Checkout, amazon, etc

If you use a credit card for purchases through any of the payment services, you get the same protections as if you paid with your card directly.

  1. Some sellers may share/sell your information with other companies. This means you might get more spam and calls from telemarketers. It is important you do your homework and find out the seller's privacy policy before you anything.

  1. It is always better to buy from trusted sellers but If you are considering to buy goods from unfamiliar sellers, there are ways to do some research
  • Read the reviews from previous buyers
  • Contact The Better Business Bureau at bbbonline.org